The acclaimed Italian fashion designer and dressmaker, Alberta Ferretti revealed a new, muted look for Alitalia’s customer-facing staff yesterday as she also debuted her Resort 2019 Collection at the start of Milan Men’s Fashion Week. Alitalia described Ferretti’s uniform as “timeless and elegant” – it will be rolled out to the airline’s staff in the next few months.
Female in-flight crew will be able to choose from a number of options to suit all tastes – including a skirt suit, trousers and a dress. Bringing the clothing pieces together is a signature Alitalia red and green graphic logo that appears on the waist and cuffs.
Both male and female uniforms will be created in a lightweight fine gauge dark blue wool. The fabric is said to be breathable and allow for easy movement – Ferretti was tasked with creating a collection that met the needs of Alitalia’s ground and in-flight crew who had apparently been facing problems with airline’s current uniform.
“The idea of bringing creativity, elegance and the quality of our country around the world, aboard Alitalia, makes me very proud,” said Ferretti of her designs.
“I am happy to present this project during Milan Fashion Week in the prestigious official space of the Palazzo Reale in Piazza del Duomo.”
The uniform comes complete with satin gold buttons engraved with the Alitalia ‘A’, white cotton blouses and shirts, silk ties and foulards and 100% wool knitwear for the cold winter months.
Fabio Maria Lazzerini, the airline’s Chief Commercial Officer said the uniform would bring prestige to Alitalia. He continued:
“The new uniforms represent the work of thousands of co-workers and colleagues who perform the very crucial of ensuring that passengers experience unique and high-quality travel every day.”
“For this reason, we deem it necessary to guarantee the utmost comfort and well-being during their daily activities,” – touching on the reason why Alitalia had commissioned a new look uniform in the first place.
After all, Alitalia only revealed its last new uniform collection just over two years ago. That collection was designed by Italian Haute couturier Ettore Bilotta on the back of a major turnaround plan which was bankrolled by equity investor, Etihad Airways (employees of the Abu Dhabi-based airline joked at the end of 2016 that they were foregoing a yearly bonus for Alitalia’s new uniform).
The striking Bilotta-designed uniform was visually attractive but workers, especially cabin crew said it was uncomfortable and difficult to wear.
Alitalia certainly raised eyebrows when it announced a collaboration with Alberta Ferretti just months after sinking into bankruptcy. The airline, however, justified the cost saying the current uniform was coming to the end of its wearable life. It’s not known how much the project has cost the airline.
