Riyadh Air showcased its new employee uniforms at the Haute Couture Week in Paris. The Saudi startup, in collaboration with Saudi fashion designer Ashi, showcased 15 different looks for female and male staff.
The upcoming Saudi national airline has partnered with local designer Mohammed Ashi, founder of Paris-based couture house ASHI STUDIO, to design the uniforms for its cabin crew and other front-line team members. However, with Riyadh Air looking to build a brand associated with refinement and luxury, its uniforms are more fashion-oriented than mere utility, hence the decision to debut them at a fashion show in Paris. Models sporting the airline’s new collection took to the Parisian runway to show off ten female and five male looks that will be worn by the carrier’s flight attendants, pilots, airport agents and concierges.
Photo: Riyadh Air
Riyadh Air CEO Tony Douglas commented,
“This has been a landmark occasion for Riyadh Air, and it shows just how far we’ve come in a short space of time. For a start-up airline to be showcasing our new fashion collection during Haute Couture Week in Paris shows what an impact Riyadh Air is having globally. Working with Ashi on these designs has been a tremendous experience for all of us.”
Inspired by 1950s fashion and incorporating the airline’s distinct deep purple color scheme, the women’s range features a lighter ‘Electric Amethyst’ theme, while the men’s range sports a ‘Dark Amethyst’ look. Having collaborated with the airline for around a year on the new collection, designer Ashi reportedly took around six months to perfect the hues. The designs also integrate key elements of the Riyadh Air brand, including the iconic canopy twist in its logo.
Photo: Riyadh Air
Some of the pieces include cashmere outerwear, pillbox hats, fine wool trousers/dresses, and even amethyst earrings to match the airline’s soon-to-be-revealed cabin interior. With so many different looks available, Riyadh Air staff will have plenty of fashion options to go through the seasons with – the carrier will also be showing off more concepts early next year, according to its CEO.
Ashi, Founder and Creative Director of ASHI STUDIO, said,
“There is a practicality aspect of the fashion line that means it’s easy and comfortable to wear. We wanted to have the theme of the collection to pay homage to the golden age of aviation, so I took that literally and went back to the 1950s when luxury aviation was at its peak. What we’ve done here is modernized the lines and pushed them to be more relevant but with the glamour of the golden era.”
Photo: Riyadh Air
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Riyadh Air’s crew uniform will follow its bold dual-livery design.
The Saudi airline hopes to launch operations next year, most likely during the summer. The carrier has already hired dozens of instructor pilots to train its new workforce and expects to begin certification flights this September.
Photo: Tom Boon | Simple Flying
As for its fleet composition, Riyadh Air will be flying the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, having placed an order, including options, for over 70 planes. The carrier has also secured an order for an as-yet unrevealed narrowbody aircraft as it pursues an aggressive growth strategy.
What do you make of Riyadh Air’s new uniforms? Let us know in the comments section.
