Qantas pilots will look modern and sleek once Australian fashion designer, Martin Grant, finishes dressing them.
The fashion guru has been selected to create a new, modern uniform for some 2,5000 Qantas’ domestic, regional and international pilots.
You may remember Martin Grant’s work from two years ago, when he designed the popular new image for the Flying Kangaroo’s cabin crew and ground staff.
Grant (centre) will work with Qantas pilot on the new design of the new uniform.
According to Qantas CEO Alan Joyce, new uniforms will be designed for both male and female pilots to cater to the growing number of ladies ‘going behind the wheel’ of aircraft.
“It’s important that our crew feel proud to wear the Qantas uniform around the world, every day. They represent the national carrier so we want them to feel confident and comfortable sitting in the flight deck, standing in the cabin or walking through an airport.”
Alan Joyce, Qantas CEO
Grant’s designs will be the first new uniforms for Qantas pilots in over a decade.
Grant was also selected to design Qantas’ cabin crew uniforms.
He said he will create outfits that are not just comfortable but stylish and distinguished to match the standard upheld by the airline’s cockpit crew.
“Early feedback from Qantas pilots is that they want to retain the traditional image but give it a modern makeover to be more elegant and more wearable. The female pilots are also hoping for a more feminine line so I will have that front of mind when I begin the design stage.”
Martin Grant, Fashion Designer
Over the next few weeks Martin will host focus groups with representatives from the pilot community to get their feedback on what they would like to wear in terms of design, practicalities and comfort.
He will also travel across the airline’s domestic and international network for inspiration and join Qantas pilots in a flight simulator to understand the dynamics of the pilots’ working environment.
Qantas aims to have its pilot community wearing a newly designed uniform during 2016.