For the first time in nearly 20 years, British Airways has launched a brand-new uniform collection, and the Heathrow-based carrier made history by introducing the first-ever cabin crew jumpsuit as part of the designs.
The uniform, which was created by the British and Ghanaian changemaker Ozwald Boateng, includes a fitted three-piece suit for males in regular and slim-cut choices. Female flight attendants can also select from the skirt, pants, and dress variations.
Prior to an expensive and costly pilots’ strike that hurt BA’s brand and had the airline tighten its belt, the long-awaited new uniform was supposed to be unveiled to the world in 2019.
When the epidemic decimated the aviation industry, British Airways and the renowned Savile Row designer Ozwald Boateng had hoped to finally introduce the new look in clothing in early 2020.
However, work has proceeded behind the scenes for the past three years, according to British Airways, and 1,500 workers helped Boateng refine the designs across 50 workshops.
As a result, the complete uniform collection—including jackets, t-shirts, buttons, and ties—now has a custom “airwave” pattern. The design was “inspired by the passage of air over an aircraft wing,” according to British Airways.
BA has been running secret wearer trials on fictitious cargo flights throughout Europe for the past six months. Additionally, engineers have been testing the uniform secretly at Manchester and Cotswold Airports.
“Designing this uniform was a vast and painstaking undertaking and it went far beyond clothes,” commented Boateng on Friday. “It was about creating an energetic shift internally. One of my main objectives was to create something that spoke to, and for, the airline’s colleagues,” he continued.
“Although the airline has a strong heritage, it was imperative to support in creating a fresh narrative of change and transcendence, while remaining timeliness,” Boateng added.
While BA reports that cabin crew, pilots, and airport agents will all have a single switchover date at some point in Summer 2023, engineering staff and ground options staff will begin wearing the new uniform in the coming few months.
Photo cover by British Airways
