RO: In mod firesc, o companie aeriena isi castiga prestigiul prin punctualitate, prin usurinta rezervarilor, preturi atractive, avioane confortabile, personal bine pregatit, recenzii ale pasagerilor, numarul de incidente, recorduri de siguranta, varsta flotei de avioane, servicii la bord (de la confortul scaunelor pana la calitatea meselor, programele de divertisment, materialele de citit, revista companiei sau pur si simplu luminarea cabinei). Insa pe langa toate acestea, “cartea de vizita” a unei linii aeriene o reprezinta insotitorii de bord, ei sunt primul contact cu pasagerii la intrarea in avion, iar modul in care arata acestia, incepand cu zambetele sarmante si salutul politicos pana la uniformele impecabile, definesc si contureaza renumele unei companii aeriene. Iar Air France a excelat intotdeauna la acest capitol, numele companiei fiind in permanenta asociat cu marile case de moda ale lumii.

EN: Obviously, an airline wins its fame through punctuality, ease of booking, attractive prices, comfortable aircrafts, well prepared crew, passengers feedback, the number of incidents, safety records, the age of the fleet, services on board (from the comfort of the chairs to the quality of the meals, in flight entertainment, reading materials, the company magazine or just the simple lighting of the cabin). However, besides all these, the image of an airline is represented by the flight attendants, they are the first contact with the passengers entering an airplane, and the way they look, starting with their charming smiles and the polite greetings and the impeccable uniforms, define the reputation of an airline. And Air France has always excelled when it comes to uniforms and its name was always connected with the biggest fashion designers of the world. 




RO: Astfel ca la sfarsitul anilor ’20 au fost introduse pentru prima oara uniformele insotitorilor de bord, in prima faza mai rigide, mai complexe, uneori cu un aspect militar sau inspirat chiar din uniformele personalului medical, pentru a oferi personalului de zbor mai multa autoritate. Ulterior uniformele au devenit mai confortabile si mai practice, insa intotdeauna au fost extrem de elegante si au urmat ultimele tendinte in moda. Saptamana trecuta a avut loc un eveniment la Cismigiu Bistro La Etaj, unde au fost prezentate toate uniformele Air France din 1920 pana in prezent, create de designeri precum Balenciaga, Lacroix, Nina Ricci sau Christian Dior. Toate uniformele au fost cele originale, nu remake-uri, cu accesoriile asortate pe care le-au purtat insotitorii de bord (de la palariile sau bonetele clasice pana la insignele specifice companiei, curele, funde si fara doar si poate, pantofii cu toc mic).

EN: Thus, at the end of the ’20s the first cabin crew uniforms were introduced, at the beginning a bit more rigid and complex, sometimes with military look or even inspired by the medical crew uniforms, to ensure more authority for the flight attendants. Afterwards, the uniforms have become more comfortable and practical, but they have always remained elegant and followed the latest fashion trends. An event took place last week at Cismigiu Bistro La Etaj, where all the Air France uniforms have been presented, from 1920s until present, all of them created by designers like Balenciaga, Lacroix, Nina Ricci or Christian Dior. All the uniforms worn were the original ones, so no remakes, with all the matching accessories that the flight attendants used to wear (from the classical hats or bonnets to the typical Air France badges, belts, bows and of course, the low heel shoes). 
RO: Multa vreme uniformele Air France au fost create de celebrul designer Christian Dior, rochia albastra accesorizata cu cureaua cu fundita din pozele de mai sus a aparut pentru prima oara in anul 1963, in perioada in care au aparut primele avioane cu reactie ale companiei. Tot in 1963 s-a ridicat si interdictia insotitoarelor de bord de a se casatori (da, exista o astfel de interdictie pana in acel moment). In 1969, designerul Cristobal Balenciaga a creat doua versiuni ale costumului, una de vara si una de iarna, alaturi de accesorii asortate. In pozele de mai jos este prezentat costumul bleo, insa exista si o varianta pe roz, cu manusi albe si o geanta asortata 🙂 Insa dintre toate, costumul rosu purtat in 1978 si creat de casa de moda Carven, pare sa fi fost unul dintre cele mai iubite si apreciate, in special pentru ca atunci a fost pentru prima oara cand Air France a cerut parerile insotitorilor de bord pentru a crea o noua uniforma, care sa se potriveasca cat mai bine nevoilor si cerintelor stewarzilor. Din 2005, uniforma Air France este creata de designerul Christian Lacroix, care a introdus mai mult decat o simpla rochie (cea albastru inchis), ci mai degraba o intreaga garderoba, cu multe piese si accesorii ce pot fi combinate in mod diferit. Si in prezent este folosita rochia Lacroix pe zborurile Air France.

EN: For quite a while the Air France uniforms have been created by the famous designer Christian Dior, the blue dress accessorized with the bow belt from the pictures presented above was first introduced in 1963, when the first jet engine airplanes of the company appeared. Another notable change in aviation that took place in 1963 was cancelling all the marriage restrictions for flight attendants (yup, up until then there was such a restriction). In 1969, Cristobal Balenciaga created two versions of the suit, one for summer season and the other one for winter season, including matching accessories. In the below pictures the blue suit is presented, but there was also a pink one, with white gloves and matching purse 🙂 From all of the uniforms, the red suit worn in 1978, created by Carven, seems to be one of the most appreciated and loved by the crew, because it was the first suit created based on the cabin crew’s recommendations, as Air France wanted to create a uniform that was designed according to the staff needs. From 2005 the Air France uniform is created by Christian Lacroix, who introduced more than just a simple dress (the blue navy one), but an entire wardrobe, with lots of pieces and accessories that can be combined in different ways. Up until present, the Lacroix dress is still used on Air France flights.