Ozwald Boateng Hits the Runway With Design Debut for British Airways
LONDON — Ozwald Boateng has given new meaning to runway design with the debut of his first clothing and accessories collection for British Airways staff.
The Savile Row tailor has created the first new uniforms for in-flight and ground workers in nearly 20 years. The last designer to dress the staff was Julien Macdonald.
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The uniforms, which have been made from bespoke, easy-care fabrics, have been a long time coming. Boateng started working on them in 2018, but ran into delays during the pandemic when the airline grounded its fleet and temporarily suspended staff.
Over the past four years, he’s treated the job like a high-security mission, shadowing BA staff in their various roles; conducting “secret trials on the air and ground,” and polling more than 1,500 employees about fit and comfort, according to BA.
Sean Doyle, British Airways’ chairman and chief executive officer, said the uniforms represent the brand and “the very best of modern Britain, helping us deliver a great British original service for our customers.”
The collection features a tailored, three-piece suit for men with regular and slim-fit trousers, while there are dress, skirt and trouser options for women.
Women can also wear a jumpsuit as part of their uniform, which BA described as “an airline first.” Boateng has also created tunic and hijab options for female staff.
The designer has created a pattern inspired by the movement of air over a metal wing. It flutters across the entire collection, appearing on jackets, T-shirts, buttons and ties.
The jacquard fabric on the tailored clothing features a variation of the airline’s signature blue and red, ribbon-like speedmarque.
Prototypes were tested on members of the cabin and flight crew during cargo flights across Europe, while engineers “secretly” trialed their new uniforms out of the public eye at Manchester and Cotswold Airports.
Many of the outdoor garments were tested under deluge showers and in freezers at minus-18 degrees Celsius, or minus-0.4 degrees Fahrenheit, to ensure they were water-resistant, and fit for extreme weather.
More than 30,000 people will don the new uniforms starting in the spring.
Boateng described the job as a “vast and painstaking undertaking, and it went far beyond clothes. 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,” Boateng said, adding that he wanted to design “something that inspired and empowered them, encouraged them to conduct their roles with pride and, most importantly, to ensure that they felt seen and heard.”
BA said more than 90 percent of the garments have been produced using sustainable fabrics from blends of recycled polyester and that the airline is only working with manufacturers that are members of the Better Cotton Initiative.
BA said old Julien Macdonald uniforms will be donated to the airline’s museum or to charity or will be recycled to create toys and other items.
Boateng’s BA debut comes almost a year after his first London show in more than a decade.
Last February, the tailor staged an event at London’s Savoy Theatre celebrating creativity in the British Black community, with musical performances, poetry readings and a runway show with 100 looks worn by a cast that included Idris Elba, Dizzee Rascal, Goldie, Pa Salieu, Rapman and Unknown T.
During the event Boateng, who served as creative director of Givenchy Homme between 2004 and 2007, showed dresses, kimonos, velvet tuxedos, wide-legged trousers, tailored jackets and outerwear in his signature prints, inspired by Kente fabric and Adinkra symbols from Africa.
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