When Hospitality Meets Haute Couture

14.02.2024 - 22:35 / cntraveler.com / Christian Dior / Airlines

When Aegean Airlines revealed its latest uniforms last October, the Instagram announcement looked not unlike a teaser of a Jacquemus show. In it, models glided down a mirrored runway as the sea shimmered on the horizon, dressed in uniforms designed by Zeus+Dione, a fashion brand rooted in Greek craftsmanship. “The [colors] reflect the Greek landscape: deep Aegean blue alternating with sunlit silver-blue hues of rocky surfaces, along with washed-white shades reminiscent of the traditional architecture in the Cyclades and Dodecanese Islands,” said Zeus+Dione co-founder Dimitra Kolotoura.

Aegan Airlines' new uniforms take inspiration from the color palette of the Greek skies and seas.

From Pierre Balmain for Singapore Airlines to Emilio Pucci for Braniff International Airways, airlines have a long history of tapping fashion houses to translate brand vision. In 1962, Air France worked with Christian Dior's then artistic director Marc Bohan to create a modern uniform featuring pillbox hats and cropped jackets with Claudine collars. It was the same year that astronaut John Glenn orbited the Earth, and Britain and France began developing the Concorde supersonic airliner. For the airline, the new uniforms signaled its launch into the jet age.

These collaborations can serve as more than just a time capsule, often honoring local culture and tradition. Unveiled in December, Air India’s new crew uniforms, designed by Indian couturier Manish Malhotra, feature deep reds, burgundy, aubergine, and gold accents. Malhotra told Traveler, “The color palette was influenced by a traditional Indian palette, and is symbolic of vitality, power, and opulence.” The patterns, he explained, are a nod to traditional architecture, especially the jharokha (an ornamental window style).

Emilia Wickstead is best known for her romantic, vintage-inspired aesthetic and dressing A-listers like Alexa Chung and Catherine, Princess of Wales. When the Auckland-born designer was enlisted for Air Zealand’s uniform revamp, her concepts blew the selection panel away. While the final designs are yet to be revealed, honoring the Indigenous culture of New Zealand with the use of print and color will be integral to Wickstead’s approach.

Guests of SO/Paris can purchase the staff uniforms, designed by Patou's Guillaume Henry.

Hotels are likewise stepping up their uniform game with creative collaborations that evoke a distinct sense of place. When NO Uniform, founded by British couturier, Nicholas Oakwell, set out to refresh the looks for Raffles Doha, it drew inspiration from various cultures, combining traditional Indian patterns with the elegant tailoring found in London's storied hotels, signaling Doha’s identity as a multicultural destination. When