A weather presenter has gone viral after she seemingly wore a flight attendant uniform live on air… and, no, this doesn’t appear to have been deliberate at all.
There was no collaboration with the airline, and the weather presenter made no mention of her fashion choice. So, how on earth did this happen?
Univision Chicago weather presenter wears Qantas uniform
A few days ago, weather anchor Valeria López at the Spanish-language station Univision in Chicago took to the air wearing a dress that was immediately recognizable to many people living 10,000 miles away in Australia.
The dress was seemingly the exact same as that worn by flight attendants at Australian flag carrier Qantas – and given how unique the design is, it would be difficult to see any other designer accidentally creating a copy.
Unveiled in 2013, the Martin Grant-designed uniform has graced the skies as Qantas’ official uniform for more than a decade. The distinctive color blocking, featuring knock-out fuchsia pink and deep red, along with the scoop neck and elbow-length sleeves, are all tell-tale signs.
One astonished flight attendant sent a screenshot of López in the dress to the popular cabin crew Facebook page A Fly Guy’s Cabin Crew Lounge, where the image quickly went viral.
This isn’t the first time this has happened
Bizarrely, this isn’t the first time that TV presenters have been caught wearing what very much appear to be airline flight attendant uniforms, as pointed out by eagle-eyed members of A Fly Guy’s Cabin Crew Lounge.
In one such incident, a Hungarian news presenter was also caught wearing what appears to be the Qantas flight attendant uniform live on air, while in another case, a news presenter in the United States seemingly wore the Southwest Airlines flight attendant uniform on screen.
The distinctive zip element of the dress instantly gave the design away, indicating that this was perhaps more than another designer with a very similar idea.
You have to wonder, then, how these presenters all ended up wearing what appear to be flight attendant uniforms on screen.
The most likely explanation is that, given limited budgets and the need to source unique, eye-catching clothes, TV presenters have taken to online marketplaces like eBay or Vinted, where ex or even serving employees have put these items up for sale.
To avoid detection from brand security agencies, these uniform items aren’t always listed as such and are simply sold as a pre-loved dress, so if you’re not familiar with an airline’s uniform, you could be caught out.
Qantas is getting a new designer uniform
Expect even more Qantas uniforms to make their way onto online marketplaces in the next few years. Earlier this year, the airline announced that it had selected a new designer beloved by celebrities like Naomi Campbell, Lady Gaga, and Hailey Bieber, as well as British royal Princess Beatrice, to create a new uniform.
Known for her striking women’s occasionwear, Rebecca Vallance has been tasked with designing a new uniform in time for the launch of Qantas’ ambitious ‘Project Sunrise’ flights that will connect the likes of Sydney with London and Paris with non-stop services for the first time.
