Height Of Fashion: Manish Malhotra Designs New Uniforms For Air India Crew

New Delhi: Ace designer Manish Malhotra has given a twist to the attire of Air India’s cabin and cockpit crew without abandoning the saree. The carrier’s flight attendants will now don  trendy pant sarees or saree pantsuit in “three quintessential Indian colours – red, aubergine and gold, representing the confident, vibrant new India.” The airline’s chief executive officer (CEO) and managing director (MD) Campbell Wilson, in a rebranding event on August 10, announced that the airline’s new livery will be seen first in the A350 aircraft, the first of which was expected to be delivered in October.

Air India and Manisha Malhotra dropped a video featuring an animation of the new outfit sketches with a promise of “new journey” on their respective handles. The video was captioned, “We are proud to present to the world, the all-new Air India Pilot & Cabin Crew uniforms, designed by @manishmalhotraworld Each design, through its colours, style and elements, represents where we come from and the window of possibilities ahead of us. #AirIndia #NewUniform #FlyAI #ManishMalhotra (sic).”

Manish, who designed the uniforms in his Mumbai studio shared, “There have been times when halfway across the world I have caught a glimpse of an Air India and felt closer to India again. In the earlier years, they (cabin crew) actually used to wear lehengas and maang teekas. For me, designing these uniforms for the new era was an incredibly exciting chance. I wanted to stay true to Air India’s roots while weaving in my own vision to represent the new chapter we are stepping in.”

Notably, till 1962, the female crew of the airline wore a skirt, jacket and a hat but the idea to make them drape sarees was that of late JRD Tata and the first sarees were sourced from Binny Mills.

Now, the traditional petticoat has been replaced with pants or trousers, offering a more comfortable and modern alternative. The pictures still show women draped in sarees along with some donning a pair of palazzo pants or wide-leg trousers worn underneath a draped saree stylishly and fashionably, resembling the traditional saree drape but adapted to accommodate the pants.