Flight Attendant Uniforms : Then and Now

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A New Uniform

"During April 2005 36,000 men and women at Air France will don the new Company uniform created by Christian Lacroix, all the same day.

The new wardrobe is both elegant and functional and comprises a total of one hundred numbers. It's chic, classic, timeless and modern, the keys to the new Air France elegance.

For the first time in the history of the Company, men's and women's uniforms were designed simultaneously, to ensure the common spirit and clear identity that make a uniform effective. The new look reflects Air France's desire for its personnel to appear and behave in accordance with its passangers' expectations and needs."

www.style.com

Something in the Air
Christian Lacroix Launches Uniforms for Air France

April 13, 2005 – With Richard Tyler designing for Delta and Kate Spade for Song, airline uniforms are making fashion headlines. But no in-flight ensembles have generated more buzz than those Christian Lacroix recently created for Air France. The uniforms have even captured the attention of Colette, Paris's retail bastion of all things hip, which will devote its rue Saint-Honoré windows to Lacroix's airborne outfits for two weeks. The shop plans to sell Air France dolls, pins, and candles (hardly cabin-approved items, even in France) indefinitely.

Lacroix's approach to the high-flying project was decidedly pragmatic (except, maybe, his sky-blue organza scarves for female flight attendants). "A uniform is nothing more, nothing less than a work tool. It has to be practical and easy to care for," he said. Prestige and Parisian chic, however, also play a role: Air France has a history of working with big-name talent. Until Lacroix introduced his looks last week, the carrier's 36,000 employees wore clothes fashioned in 1987 by Nina Ricci, Carven, and Louis Féraud. Now, they can choose between 60 interchangeable apparel and accessories options, from a navy dress cinched at the waist with a dashing red bow to a slim pantsuit with a long, elegant jacket.

The Air France wardrobe is but one among many extracurricular projects for Lacroix. The designer really let his exuberant, whimsical style fly to decorate guest rooms at the Hotel du Petit Moulin, which opened in January in Paris's popular Marais district. He's also working on interiors for the TGVs, France's high-speed trains, and French cinema giant UGC has tapped him to rethink the décor of multiplexes throughout the country.

"What interests me is to be able to be act on the environment, on the urban landscape, and in daily life, which touches everyone," Lacroix said. "When one is not satisfied by the world in which you live, then you try to rebuild it to your wishes." Prepare yourself for a lot more organza.

–Katie Weisman