Virgin Atlantic staff always catch my eye in the airport with their striking red suits and immaculately groomed appearance – they even have their own exclusive Bare Minerals red lipstick. Now, the cabin crew are set to look even more stylish in the sky with a brand new uniform designed by Vivienne Westwood.
The new uniforms are signature Westwood – form-fitting with bold lines, exaggerated curves and exquisite tailoring. While the uniforms have a futuristic look, her design references were 40s French couture cutting techniques, Savile Row and the enduring glamour of luxury air travel.
This exciting partnership between the two innovative British brands focuses on original design and particular sustainability. Many items of the new uniform will be produced using recycled materials, using recycled polyester yarn made from used plastic bottles and fabric with a special nano finish to extend the life of garments.
Vivienne Westwood has also designed recycled bags for the ground staff which will be produced for Virgin through the Ethical Africa Programme using various discarded materials, made in the Kibera slum, Nairobi.
Vivienne Westwood said: “I am always trying to find fabrics that are more friendly to the environment – working with Virgin Atlantic they managed to research into this and find more eco fabrics”.
Richard Branson also said of the collaboration: “When we were choosing the designer for this project, we wanted to work with a group of people who share our spirit of adventure, who believe in challenging the status quo and creating something truly memorable.”
Virgin Atlantic travellers can get a sneak peek of the uniform being trialled from July 2013, before the full launch next year. I’m looking forward to seeing Vivienne Westwood’s creations next time I fly with Virgin Atlantic and am curious to see the ways that recycled materials will be transformed into chic, wearable garments.
Watch this video to hear more on the uniform from Vivienne Westwood and Richard Branson…
To explore the Virgin Atlantic uniform project, visit the Pinterest board at http://pinterest.com/VirginAtlantic/New-Red-Threads/ and join the conversation on Twitter using #newredthreads.