Stewardess outfits are getting glammed up again! (Excuse me, I meant to say "flight attendant"...)

From an article in the July 2005 issue of Elle magazine:

FLY GIRLS
Christian Lacroix, the king of over-the-top fashion, creates a first-class collection for Air France.

The Paris-based designer joins fashion luminaries such as Christian Dior, Jean Patou, Cristobal Balenciaga and Hermes, who designed for Air France between the '60s and '80s.

"In a way, Air France and haute couture inhabit the same universe," said Air France president Jean-Cyril Spinetta.

For inspiration, Lacroix drew on his fascination with stewardess style from when he took his first flight from Pairs to Corsica as a young boy. He still remembers thinking the stewardesses were "beautiful, like so many war heroines. They were a bit like nurses, but I had a very aristocratic image of them."

The airline's first new collection in 18 years includes fitted jackets for women with pagoda-style epaulettes, wrap skirts, slim trousers, parkas and shirts with puffs of sky-blue organza at the neck. The dark blue projects authority, and the pale-blue shirts and dresses were chosen to flatter every complexion. The red belt -- a distinctive accent -- is knotted around the waist "like gift-wrapping ribbon," said Lacroix, who designed each element in the collection.

The article goes on to list Fashion's Mile High Club. Here are some highlights:

Air Canada: Debbie Shuchat (2005)
Air Transat: Simon Chang (2005)
Delta Air Lines: Richard Tyler (2005)
Korean Air: Gianfranco Ferre (2005)
Song Airlines: Kate Spade (2004)
TWA: Ralph Lauren (1970s)
Singapore Airlines: Pierre Balmain (1970s)
Pakistan International Airlines: Pierre Cardin (1970s)
Court Line: Mary Quant (1960s)
Braniff International: Emilio Pucci (1960s) (Yeah Pucci!)

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