This Chinese Airline’s Uniform is What Haute Couture Dreams Are Made of

It looks like our dreams of wearing haute couture aren’t all that farfetched. If, of course, your career goals involve working for an airline.

During last week’s Fall 2017 Paris Haute Couture Week, Chinese airline company Hainan Airlines unveiled its new uniforms – on the runway. Collaborating with Chinese couturier Laurence Xu (he’s known for his fantastical east-meets-west designs and is a red carpet fave for Chinese A-listers like Fan Bingbing), show attendees got a sneak peek of what frequent flyers can expect to see on the cabin crew.

Inspired by the ‘cheongsam,’ a traditional Chinese dress usually worn by ladies for formal events, Xu re-purposed the iconic piece into a more Western-friendly style. You know, for an international, modern look. But it’s the uniform’s pattern that has everyone talking. Like the imagery typically found in Chinese paintings and porcelains, the print features clouds, sea, mountains and the mythical roc bird to represent the airplane taking off with strength. Along with dresses and suits, the looks are topped off with tailored grey capes and coats with structured mandarin collars. These outfits are giving us major Dior feels circa John Galliano and we can’t deal.

According to a statement released to the press, the airline company revealed, “During the design process, Hainan Airlines and Laurence Xu met and talked frequently, going through more than 1,000 design blueprints and trying out more than one hundred samples of garments and accessories.”

Air Canada may have recently unveiled its new polished black uniforms by Canadian designer Christopher Bates earlier this year, but after seeing Hainan Airlines’ high-fashion looks (and editorial-worthy campaign), Canada needs to step it up.  #justsaying

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