Zac Posen to design airline uniforms

Zac Posen known for his glamorous, red carpet gowns is set to design uniforms for around 20,000 flight attendants after signing a deal with Delta Air Lines.

The deal will see Posen designing nearly all of Delta Air Lines uniformed employees from flight attendants to airport customer service agents for around 30,000 staff, as well as advising on the more technical uniforms for Delta's ramp and ground support agents, Delta Cargo agents and Delta TechOps employees.

Set to be unveiled internationally in early 2018, the project will see the designer not only designing for the female staff, but also the male flight attendants and service agents, marking the designer’s first major foray into menswear as he currently doesn’t offer it under his own signature collection, however he is known for designing his own looks that he wears every day.

There will be other challenges with the multi-year project, Posen will also have to work with durable and fire-retardant fabrics that are essential for the uniforms, and make them timeless and fashionable, as well as being practical.

"Through challenges and triumphs, the Delta uniform has been a source of great pride for generations of Delta people and continues to serve as a symbol of our values and the world class service for which we're known," explains Tim Mapes, Delta's senior vice president – marketing. "With Zac's talent and expertise, and in partnership with Delta people worldwide, we look forward to creating a timeless, fashionable and functional new collection that will continue to be a point of pride and symbol of our brand for the 170 million customers who fly with us each year."

Zac Posen signs deal with Delta Air Lines to design uniforms

The partnership was announced in front of hundreds of Delta employees at Industria Studios in New York, where Posen quizzed employees about their style preferences and functional needs. The designer will also be working with Delta staffers over the next few months to better understand their specialised needs.

"I'm thrilled to partner with this classic American brand and look forward to collaborating with Delta employees to understand their wants and needs for the new collection," said Posen. "Together, we will bring everyday elegance and style innovation to the ground and air alike, while making employees look and feel their best."

The new airline uniforms are expected to launch in early 2018 and is part of Delta’s larger brand transformation and investment initiative.

Posen isn’t the first major designer to take on an airline uniform, Prabal Gurung signed on with Japan’s largest airline group, All Nippon Airways to celebrate the airlines 60th anniversary, while Vivienne Westwood was criticised for her new uniforms for Virgin Atlantic for being ill-fitted, and design duo KaufmanFranco redesigned American Airlines uniforms with a less than favourable grey makeover.

Images: Delta Air Lines