Qantas staff to get another make-over

Australian designer Martin Grant, centre, walks with models wearing the Qantas uniforms old to the current. Photo / AP

Another style revolution is on the way for Qantas staff, with Paris-based Australian designer Martin Grant getting the nod to design their new uniforms.

From the military styles of the 1940s and '50s to the boomerang print of today, Qantas uniforms have undergone some major sartorial changes over the years.

Grant, who is from Melbourne but runs his own-label business from Paris, says he is thrilled to be working with such an Australian icon.

"When I'm travelling, whenever I see a Qantas aircraft in a terminal I get very excited," Grant told reporters.

Grant, who is known for his bespoke tailoring and been based in Paris since 1992, includes actresses Cate Blanchett and Lauren Hutton among his celebrity clients.

His clothes are also sold in major department stores around the world including Barney's in New York City.

At the announcement, Qantas took media and guests back through history, showcasing cabin crew outfits designed by international names such as Yves Saint Laurent and Emilio Pucci, as well as Australians George Gross and Harry Who.

Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce says the selection of Grant came after input from the airline's fashion-conscious employees.

Joyce says he wants the new uniform to give people a similar emotional reaction as when they see the white kangaroo on the red tail of Qantas planes.

"I think it is important that when people see our ambassadors, our cabin crew, walking through the terminals, walking through Santiago or Johannesburg or New York, they also have that same feeling," he says.

Grant's creations, to be worn by staff from 2014, will replace the existing indigenous-themed uniforms designed by compatriot Peter Morrissey in 2003.

While the new uniforms will be Australian designed, they were expected to be manufactured offshore, as is the case with the current uniform.

- AAP