Belgian national airline Brussels Airlines has been busy and has introduced new uniforms for its staff.
The carrier engaged Gabrielle Szwarcenberg, a young designer from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp, and several other established Belgian brands such as Atelier Content and Ambiorix for the shoes – as the airline pushes Belgitude.
Whatever that might be.
The uniforms will be introduced on-board and at the airport from the first of March and worn by over 2,600 cabin, cockpit and ground operations employees.
According to the airline, the new uniforms are dark navy blue with champagne-coloured details. The new colour palette and prints were designed to align seamlessly with the new Brussels Airlines branding, introduced in November 2021. The collection is inspired by glamorous airline uniforms from the sixties, resulting in contemporary yet timeless silhouettes, hence the introduction of the turtleneck and the A-line dress.
Unisex pieces have been introduced, next to sneakers that are a comfortable complement to vegan-leather shoes.
Sustainability has been a key concept to reduce the environmental impact of the uniform switch, including BCI-certified cotton, mulesing-free wool for animal welfare, and innovative materials such as leather from cacti and grapes to the packaging.
As to the existing uniforms, the airline is planning something for them, but those plans are set to crystalise later.
Moves towards inclusive uniform policies
Together with the new uniform, Brussels Airlines has also updated its style guide too, to increase inclusivity.
Sections such as Hair, makeup and jewellery guidelines will no longer be different for men and women. For example, when wearing make-up or nail polish certain styles and colour palettes would need to be followed, regardless of the gender of the employee.
Moreover, make-up becomes optional for everyone and therefore no longer mandatory for women.
There is no difference in gender for the hairstyle, as soon as it touches the shoulders, it needs to be tied up or in a bun, this is a safety-related instruction.
And lastly, tattoos can now also be shown as long as they comply with certain rules, such as the position, the size and what it represents.
In Quotes
Gabrielle Szwarcenberg, designer said
“I wanted the design to be elegant and sophisticated, while prioritizing the staff’s performance and comfort. That’s why we introduce items like turtlenecks or sneakers, to make everyone comfortable. Throughout the design, you’ll also find subtle references to Belgian icons, such as the Atomium on the scarfs and on the inner lining of the blazers. I really hope the staff enjoys wearing the uniform as much as I enjoyed creating it.”
Tilman Reinshagen, COO, Brussels Airlines added
“These uniforms perfectly embody everything Brussels Airlines stands for: Belgitude, a platform for young talent, sustainability, and inclusion. I’m happy to see the result and can’t wait to see these uniforms live at the airport and on-board our aircraft. I would like to thank all the staff members who were involved in this monumental project.”
In the air from March
You’ll be seeing this new uniform roll out in March as the airline transitions out its existing uniform to this new style of bleu and champagne.
And that’ll be good to see.
What’s more important are the inclusivity changes that allow for people to be themselves – and to skip make-up. Moves like this have been executed well with airlines such as Virgin Atlantic, who when they launched the “I am who I am” campaign, as a marked difference between it and other carriers.
And it signals at the same time something to the public – openness and acceptiveness of the different strengths of its staff, as well as the people who pay bills – the passengers.
We’ll have to see how this propagates down and how it happens in the real world – like any change.
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