The Height of Fashion

During the golden jet age of the 1960s, flying was still an exciting experience for the privileged few. 

Climbing on board the newly-built aircraft, wealthy travellers were welcomed by immaculate air stewardesses – the epitome of glamour dressed in elegant uniforms, which set apart one airline from the next. 

Glamorous and thrilling, romantic and exotic, air travel in the 1960s was still almost exclusively reserved for movie stars and businessmen, but passenger numbers were rapidly increasing as bigger and faster jets were being created. 

Fast forward half-a-century and air travel no longer conjures up such glorified images, as the skies are more crowded than ever before.  

While 2011 did see a number of attempts to recall the romance and bring it to the forefront of the public’s imagination through Hollywood cinema, museum exhibitions, advertising campaigns from the likes of Virgin Atlantic and British Airways, and television shows, such as US period drama PAN AM, flying has become a commodity, rather than a luxury.

But while the wonder of commercial air travel may have become overshadowed by security regulations and travel restrictions, there is still some glamour left in flying thanks to the ever-growing business aviation market. 

Indeed, air travel today cannot get much more luxurious than flying by personal jet. So it’s no wonder that Switzerland-headquartered luxury private jet operator VistaJet, which has an operations centre in Dubai, has chosen the 1960s golden age as the inspiration for its new cabin crew uniforms. 

The new-look uniforms are the work of Italian fashion designer Giancarlo Petriglia, who has created a design that he hopes is reminiscent of the understated elegance of the flight attendant and pilot uniforms of the 1960s.

This design collaboration is the latest project in VistaJet’s creative revitalisation effort, spearheaded by VistaJet creative director Nina Flohr. 

After an extensive search, Flohr appointed Petriglia to design the new uniforms for VistaJet crew members, with a brief to be uniquely reflective of the company’s refined aesthetic. The pair worked closely to produce stylish new uniforms that will also remain durable and comfortable enough to withstand long work hours in the air.

Petriglia’s sleek designs incorporate the pervasive red detailing, ubiquitous on VistaJet’s fleet of lavish Bombardier jets. The designer also incorporated red into the uniform’s ties and scarves, playing with VistaJet’s red logo to refine the pattern.

As well as looking to the 1960s for the sophisticated flight attendant hats, Petriglia also took inspiration from a more modern style icon, French first lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy. The final design for the new flight crew uniform encompasses VistaJet founder and sole owner Thomas Flohr’s vision of a consistently upscale private jet experience.

“I have greatly enjoyed working closely with Nina to create such beautiful uniforms for the VistaJet flight crew,” said Petriglia. “Nina’s wonderful spirit, innate class, and modernity are reflective of my designs.”

VistaJet is not the only business airline that has chosen to update its look. As the business aviation market in the Middle East has matured so, too, has Abu-Dhabi-headquartered executive flight services company Royal Jet, which unveiled new-look uniforms for its female cabin crew and personal chef during November’s Dubai Airshow.

Shane O’Hare, president and CEO, explained that Royal Jet wanted an updated uniform that mirrored the sophistication of the airline while also reflecting its exceptional service standards.  

“The new uniforms not only look great but they signal another phase in Royal Jet’s on-going development,” he said. 

The new outfits represent a major change from the old style and colour of uniform, which has served the airline for the eight years since start-up. There is a refreshed concept in design, cut, style, a bespoke hat and the addition of new colours.

“As we look ahead to our ninth year of operation, we’re still a relative youngster but we are continually evolving and enhancing our product offering – which includes the way our cabin crew present themselves – to best meet the needs of our customers,” explained O’Hare.

Keeping uniform designs fresh and exciting is an important part of an airline’s brand strategy.

“A customer is a captive audience for a brand at 35,000ft and nothing leaves as lasting an impression as the flight attendants, since that’s possibly the only human interaction in-flight the customer has,” said Shashank Nigam, CEO of SimpliFlying, an aviation brand strategy firm based in Singapore.

“Hence, it is critical that the appearance of the flight attendant not only ties in well with the brand, but creates a lasting first impression that is appealing to the unique tastes of the customers.”

In the hope that their first impression will be a positive one as guests walk on board Royal Jet aircraft, they will now be greeted by glamorous female cabin crew dressed in grey blazers, worn with a pencil skirt or tailored trousers, and a white striped blouse. The outfit will be completed with a silk scarf and bespoke black hat, designed by Parisian fashion designer Claire Barrat, with the gold Royal Jet logo brooch.

Barrat brings an impressive catalogue of experience, having worked for world-renowned designer Lanvin for seven years as a bags, belts, glasses, watches and jewels designer. She was also art director for Maggy Rouff for three years as a ready-to-wear and accessories designer. She currently works for clients such as Revillon, Rodier, Devernois, Balmain and Balenciaga.

Royal Jet’s newly designed uniform for the personal chef comprises a three-piece, single-breasted grey suit combined with a crisp white shirt, made of Swiss cotton. A dark purple tie adds a splash of colour and complements the female uniform scarf.

The suits are made of mix-wool, crease-resistant and comfortable cloth to remain unwrinkled for the flight duration and to allow the skin to breathe.

The uniform’s design also allows the wearer to move freely, a necessity in the confines of the cabin or in the rare event of any emergency.

Following Royal Jet’s announcement that it saw a record-breaking performance in the first nine months of 2011 and VistaJet’s declaration that it is expanding its fleet in the Middle East i n response to strong demand for its services across the region, no doubt both companies will be hopeful that stylish new uniforms will mean cabin crews are dressed for even more success in 2012.