Air France

 © Air France 

04 October 2021  |  Culture

Made in France; Air France; a history of uniforms

Air France

 © Air France 

In 1946, Air France organised the first competition to recruit hostesses. Having a uniform became essential. The fashion house Georgette Renal, chosen by hostesses, included a wardrobe of basic clothing items: a suit, a summer dress, and a coat. In 1951, with the airline experiencing great success, it chose the Georgette de Trèze fashion house to modernise and feminise its hostesses' appearance, and to convey the spirit of the 1950s.

Air France 1954

 © Air France 1954 

In March 1962, the airline launched a new model designed by Marc Bohan at Dior, which introduced the 'Air France' range into its haute couture collection.

Air France 1963

 © Air France 1963 

At the end of the 60s, the famous fashion designer Cristobal Balenciaga created Air France's new uniforms. The project was confined to the uniform of female flight attendants, who would receive a winter suit cut in a very 'aeronautical' style.

Air France

 © Air France 

To celebrate the arrival of Concorde, the task of designing a new uniform for Concorde hostesses was given to the Jean Patou fashion house in 1976.

Concorde 1976

 © Air France 

In 1978, after three years of crises, Air France's activities expanded, and a new uniform for flight crews was designed as part of an approach to re-establish a brand image. Blue and white, Air France's traditional colours, were made dynamic with the introduction of red. To achieve a diversity of styles, three fashion houses were tasked with producing this multi-form uniform: Carven, Nina Ricci and Grès.

Air France 1978

 © Air France 

At the beginning of the 90s, the airline returned to a single uniform, giving a shared identity to all of its staff. Flight crews' outfits were formed of a mixture of the 1987 uniforms from Nina Ricci, Carven and Louis Féraud.

Air France 1987

 © Air France 

Air France 1997

 © Air France 

In 2005, the designer Christan Lacroix created a wardrobe of around a hundred combinable items, revisiting French elegance once again.

Air France 2005

 © Air France 

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Author

Hugh Atkins

Co-founder of Pure France. 20 years of visiting and photographing fabulous properties, meeting fascinating people and driving every main and back road in France.

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