Fashion takes flight

Italian fashion takes flight aboard Alitalia and Ita Airways planes. Onboard and ground staff are ambassadors of made in Italy by wearing the creations of leading Italian designers.

The history of Alitalia uniforms begins with the creations of two pioneers of made in Italy, the Fontana sisters. In the aftermath of the world conflict, the style chosen is sober and elegant: 3-button suits, with a calf-length skirt and a light-colored shirt. But the real innovation is in the fireproof fabric chosen to make the uniforms.

The 1960s marked the birth of the signature miniskirt by British designer Mary Quant. In step with the times, uniform skirts are also shortened. Delia Biagiotti signs dark-colored uniforms and white shirts. Similar choice for Tita Rossi with uniforms echoing the lines in vogue at the time.

A few years later Mila Schön is the creator of quite a few innovations. She introduced color in the uniforms and cape and designed a new logo for the company featuring geometric lines of green and red. In 1969 she chose precisely green as the shade for the uniforms and then in 1972 switched to pink for the trapeze-line wrap-around skirt and for the vest over a contrasting black knit and scarf. Alberto Fabiani also chose the foulard instead of the cap, which he paired with a camel-colored uniform. Next came the creations of Florence Marzotto, who in 1975 offered a suit with a pleated skirt in China red. Instead, in 1980 a disruptive broken suit with a navy blue midi skirt and green jacket.

With Renato Balestra in 1986, there was a return to classic uniforms with hues that pay homage to the tricolor and the regimental stripe that gives a rigorous look to uniforms.

In 1991 it is one of the most famous made-in-Italy designers who signs the uniforms. Giorgio Armani designs an androgynous silhouette with a masculine-cut shirt, double-breasted jacket and above-the-knee skirt with the unusual mud born with the jacket turning to green and the skirt to beige. In 1998 Mondrian designed the quintessential Alitalia uniforms, which were adopted for a full 16 years. The green jacket, white shirt and blue over-the-knee skirt are now in the world's imagination.

In 2016 a new revolution with the Tricolor coming to life in uniforms. Retro taste, femininity and strong colors: these are the cornerstones of the uniforms designed by Ettore Bilotta. In Chevron fabric they play with degradé patterns with red and green, also used in contrast with accessories. The homage to the Tricolor returns in more sober and formal hues in the suits with a dark blue skirt or pants customized with red and green details and with buttons engraved with the A of Alitalia in satin gold, signed by Alberta Ferretti. The designer chose to listen to the needs of the staff in order to make uniforms that are, yes, beautiful but above all, comfortable to wear so as to improve the quality of work and the well-being of the operators.

Ita Airways, the heir company of Alitalia continues in the wake of tradition with uniforms designed by fashion designer Brunello Cucinelli. Garments of the finest Italian manufacture, an in-flight advance of the national culture cradle of beauty, art and traditions.

In more than seventy years of history, the uniforms of Alitalia personnel, and today those of Ita's operators, are the standard-bearers for the creativity of taste and elegance that has always distinguished Made in Italy.