Red of Dead founder designs new McDonald’s uniforms

British fashion designers Wayne and Gerardine Hemingway and their team, Hemingway Design has designed new uniforms for fast-food chain McDonald’s, which will debut at the London 2012 Games. Hemingway, best known for his fashion

label Red or Dead, has revealed that he was inspired by the Sixties mod movement and hit TV show ‘Mad Men’ for the bold and colourful designs, which will be first seen on staff working in McDonald’s four outlets on the Olympic Park and Athletes village in Stratford.

The main "crew", who work behind the counters flipping burgers, will wear polo shirts, in mustard yellow for the men and green for the women. Customer care assistants have check shirts with green dark green trousers or skirts, and managers are in black and white, with the addition of a mustard yellow neck scarf for the female managers.

In addition, the new aprons that are part of the uniform have all been designed to be, and use materials that are, closed loop compatible and recyclable using the expertise of Worn Again, an environmental consultancy. The new design is part of the company’s first step to creating a sustainable uniform for its staff, and each apron will be collected at the end of use to be recycled into new materials.

Commenting on the design, Wayne Hemingway MBE said: “We can’t wait to see our new designs on show at McDonald’s restaurants up and down the country. Having worked closely with McDonald’s employees to come up with a uniform that is practical and also fashionable, I’m confident that the designs reflect the strides that the brand has made in terms of restaurant ambience and its menu offering.”

“We’re passionate about our work with McDonald’s and its commitment to sustainability fits with our ethos and approach to design. To see our partnership progress towards a sustainable future for McDonald’s uniforms is fantastic.”

CEO of environmental consultancy Worn Again, Cyndi Rhoades, added: “I think the new designs look fantastic. We’ve been working behind the scenes with McDonald’s for the last 18 months and have experienced first-hand its progressive approach to sustainability. We’re very supportive of McDonald’s mission to achieve zero waste and a closed loop uniform supply and are pleased to be lending our knowledge and expertise on its long-term development.”

The design process took more than 18-months and is part of the company’s continued investment in its restaurants and its employees, and the design aims to complement the colours of McDonald’s re-designed, modern restaurants across the UK. The uniforms will be rolled out to McDonald’s 87,500 employees across the UK from the autumn.

Images: McDonald’s