She’s a Barbie girl, in a Qantas world. Life in aircraft, it’s a real laugh. You can brush her hair, and suit her anywhere. Willmott’s imagination became Qantas’ creation.
Qantas has done something completely unexpected and unbelievably amazing – recruited the iconic couple, Barbie and Ken, to model its uniforms across the decades.
As part of the airline’s 95th birthday celebrations, the airline has launched a pop-up exhibition at the Sydney Qantas Club featuring a collection of 44 Barbie and Ken dolls all wearing their own bespoke Qantas uniforms.
The uniforms date back from the 1920s with Ken sporting the Qantas pilot’s flying goggles and leather clothing to today’s red, pink and black stewardess prints.
The collection was created by the late Mr John Willmott–Potts, a former Qantas long haul flight attendant who put together the uniforms over a 22 year period and matched them to Barbie and Ken dolls from a similar era. Mr Willmott-Potts passed away in 2010 and donated his collection to the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences in Sydney.
Qantas asked Australian born, Paris-based designer, Martin Grant to create a mini version of the current Qantas uniform that was launched last year to update the collection. The airline will gift the new pieces to the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences to add to the collection.
Qantas Group Executive of Brand, Marketing and Corporate Affairs, Olivia Wirth said the fact that the idea for dolls replicas of the airline’s uniforms were created by a former employee showcases the passion people have for the Flying Kangaroo.
“We’re excited to share them with customers as we prepare to mark our anniversary, especially given they have never been on display as a formal exhibition before.”
Olivia Wirth, Qantas Group Executive of Brand, Marketing and Corporate Affairs
Qantas will display the 44 dolls for a four week period in the Sydney Qantas Club.
Can’t wait to see them.
