BEING a flight attendant has always had a sense of glamour. The constant travel, the flawless appearance and now, a painstakingly expensive couture uniform.

Hainan Airlines has collaborated with couture designer Laurence Xu to produce a set of jaw-dropping uniforms for both its male and female cabin crew.

The fifth-generation uniforms highlight the combination of traditional Chinese features and popular fashion elements. Repurposing the alluring look of the cheongsam, a stylish traditional Chinese dress for women usually worn on formal occasions, the uniforms feature a collar overlaid with a pattern of auspicious clouds and a lower hem with a pattern alternating sea and mountains which contrasts with the collar’s clouds and sky, drawing a comparison between a Hainan aircraft that has just taken off, and the roc, a mythical bird denoting strength, as it lifts into flight. The 3/4 sleeves denote simplicity and just the right amount of modesty. The apron is designed like a tulip-shaped dress to emphasize, in equal measure, elegance, femininity, aesthetics and practicality.

The new attire maintains and adds a new twist to the previous generations’ iconic elements — the Oriental art-inspired patterns and gray-color theme that have always been an essential part of the uniform’s design. The fourth-generation uniforms have been in use for seven years starting from 2010.

The new uniforms were launched at Paris’ Haute Couture Fashion Week with the resulting shoot resembling something out of Vogue.

“The cooperation between Hainan Airlines and Lawrence Xu is industry-leading,” said Xu Fei, brand director of Hainan Airlines. “We are not only creating a new uniform but also showing the internationalized image of our airline. Especially on international routes, we would like to let passengers know that China is modern and trendy.”

There’s no indication of how much the collaboration cost but there’s no doubt that Hainan Airlines will forever be remembered for having the best dressed staff in the world.

(SD-Agencies)