Spirit of Italy captured in new Alitalia uniform collection by Ettori Bilotta

ROME, Italy – Alitalia today unveiled a striking new staff uniform collection at a catwalk show held at the Nazionale Spazio Eventi in Rome before an audience of media representatives and specially in

ROME, Italy – Alitalia today unveiled a striking new staff uniform collection at a catwalk show held at the Nazionale Spazio Eventi in Rome before an audience of media representatives and specially invited guests from around the world. The collection has been designed and tailor-made by a team of nearly 500 people in Italy, with fabrics made in Tuscany, silk in Como, menโ€™s uniforms tailored in Puglia, and leather accessories such as gloves in Naples, and shoes in the Marche region.


Created by Italian haute couturier Ettore Bilotta at his atelier in Milan, the new โ€˜Alitalia Collectionโ€™ takes inspiration from the glamorous golden days of Italian fashion in the 1950s and 1960s and Italyโ€™s rich heritage, culture and national identity. It also celebrates the people of Alitalia, their professionalism, style and passion for the airline.

Cramer Ball, Chief Executive Officer of Alitalia, said: โ€œWe are introducing a new look which captures the spirit of Alitalia today as it continues on its journey of renewal and growth. In doing so, we also celebrate its illustrious 70 year history. Our aim was to create a stylish collection which would represent Italian excellence around the world. This is a country at the forefront of global style and design. The new uniforms complement the renaissance of the Alitalia brand and the rejuvenation of its aircraft fleet and products for its customers.โ€

Ettore Bilotta said: โ€œBeing given the opportunity to design the new uniforms for this much loved Italian symbol was very exciting and gave me the opportunity to create a special collection which symbolises Italy and our pride in Alitalia as its ambassador to the world. Alitalia is one of the most recognised airline brands in the world and I had to deliver something truly special. Working closely with Alitalia on every aspect of the design process was crucial. This ensured the whole project was created, managed and completed in Italy by Italians, and to showcase the arts, culture, people, design and landscapes of this great country.โ€

Aubrey Tiedt, Alitaliaโ€™s Chief Customer Officer, said: โ€œOur new Alitalia uniform emulates the beauty, style and elegance of Italy. We want our customers to experience the best of Italy in everything that we do, and there is no better way of highlighting our desire than with our new uniform.โ€

To represent the essence of Italy in the new collection, the designer studied Italian architecture, monuments, and everyday lifestyles but elected to draw inspiration from the countryโ€™s landscapes, eventually focusing on the terraces of Cinque Terre on the Italian Riviera. These terraces were the inspiration for the new hat design, which exudes a style inspired by the glamorous 1950s and 1960s, when women always wore elegant and beautiful hats and gloves. Alitaliaโ€™s brief to the designer was to create a new style which would be timeless and enduring, by using classic Italian elements combined with everyday practicality for both male and female staff.

The cut and colours of the collection have been selected to complement the silhouettes of all. Bilotta has used red to symbolise Italian passion, and green to represent the best of Italy, its countryside, and the richness of its culture and history. A blend of 96 per cent fine Italian wool and four per cent Elastane has been used for enhanced comfort and functionality.

For female cabin crew uniforms a burgundy slowly changing to a lighter red was achieved by using a chevron print design. For female ground crew, a charcoal grey gradually changing to green was also realised using the same print design. This design process is followed on each garment, including a white blouse features tapering chevron print columns in red for cabin crew and green for ground crew. All females receive three options โ€“ a one piece dress, a two piece jacket and skirt, and a trouser option.

The male uniform also uses the intricate chevron design in dark charcoal grey and wood green. A double-breasted waistcoat, using the same colour tones, will be worn by all male cabin crew, with male ground crews wearing the same colour scheme in reverse. A red tie will be worn by cabin crew to complement the red female cabin crew uniform, while male ground crew will wear a green tie to complement the green female ground crew uniform. Stylish wool crรชpe overcoats in burgundy for female cabin crew, green for male cabin crew and female ground staff, and charcoal grey for male ground staff, add to the collection.

Accessories such as ties, waistcoats, cardigans, scarves, belts, shoes, gloves and bags, perfectly balance the uniform, and use modern Italian contemporary and classic design elements to create items which are in vogue. The leather accessories for female cabin crew are in wood green, in burgundy for female ground staff, and in black for all male staff.

The new uniforms will be gradually introduced system-wide from early July and worn by Alitaliaโ€™s 5,700 cabin crew and ground crews, including check-in and lounge staff. New uniform designs are under way for the airlineโ€™s flight crew and operational staff.

NEW GLOBAL BRAND CAMPAIGN SHOWCASES ALITALIAโ€™S ROLE IN AVIATION AND THE BEAUTY OF ITALY

Alitalia today launched a new global brand campaign with the worldwide premiere of a new television commercial at the Nazionale Spazio Eventi in Rome, attended by hundreds of representatives of the global media and specially invited guests. The television commercial celebrates the Italian airline as it faces the future with renewed vigour and vitality, following a successful restructure in 2014, which saw it also introduce a series of enhancements and upgrades to its inflight product and fleet.

Cramer Ball, Alitaliaโ€™s Chief Executive Officer, said: โ€œItaly is the embodiment of beauty, warmth, passion, hospitality and a way of life celebrated the world over. It is an undisputed leader of style and innovative design. The Alitalia of today, as a national symbol, is imbued with the finest qualities for which this country is famous. It is with this spirit that we introduce our new global brand campaign, starting with a television commercial which presents the best of Italy and the importance that the country enjoys on the world stage.โ€

The new campaign showcases Alitalia as a modern airline, its commitment to excellence in all areas of its operations, and the pride and passion of its talented people, who are the driving force behind the progress the airline has made since its re-launch. It also strives to represent Italian excellence around the world, to promote a vibrant nation at the forefront of design and style, highlighting its arts, culture and landscapes.

Two weeks of video and photo shoots took place in a variety of locations including Alitaliaโ€™s hub at Romeโ€™s Fiumicino airport and onboard its aircraft. The campaignโ€™s photography collection was produced at studios in Milan.

Pierpaolo Ferrari, one of the most highly acclaimed fashion photographers in Italy, was commissioned by Alitalia to capture the nuances of Italian beauty, including a set of stunning images of its new uniform collection, designed by Milan based haute couturier Ettore Bilotta.

The campaign also integrates a series of web videos revealing aspects of Italian warmth and hospitality, the skill and experience which has propelled Alitalia along a remarkable renewal process, and a selection of interviews with the airlineโ€™s industry partners, who include exclusive and quintessentially Italian brands such as Poltrona Frau, Lavazza, Ettore Bilotta, diego dalla palma Milano, Cantine Ferrari, Atelier Fragranze Milano, and architect Marco Piva, who created the airlineโ€™s new โ€˜Casa Alitaliaโ€™ airport lounge designs.

The feature will be shown on global TV stations in major markets such as Italy, the USA, Brazil and Germany in both 60 and 30 second formats, and on social media channels, with still versions of the campaign appearing in print, digital and on outdoor channels. A strong focus will be placed on digital channels with a strategic presence on main news portals, entertainment websites and on social networks, and on mobile devices and tablets.

The Alitalia brand story has been visually interpreted by award-winning director Federico Brugia, whose work includes motion pictures, music videos and commercials for major brands including BMW, Damiani, Audi, and Dolce & Gabbana. His music industry collaborations include Elton John, Malika Ayane, and the late Luciano Pavarotti, among others.

Mr. Brugia said: โ€œThis short film has provided an opportunity to create a visual and emotional piece of work which connects Alitaliaโ€™s brand and vision directly with the heart and mind of the viewer. Whether they are Italian or from elsewhere around the world, we wanted to deliver the same message, and that is one of Italian passion and culture, expressed through the experience and achievements of its airline.โ€

The concept for the new campaign was created and developed by communication agency Leo Burnett Italia, part of Leo Burnett Worldwide, one of the worldโ€™s leading advertising agencies, and part of the giant Publicis Groupe. Media strategy and planning were managed by Starcom, leading worldwide media agency and referent agency for the Etihad Airways Partners group.

Alitalia commissioned award-winning Italian singer Malika Ayane to provide the vocals for the title track of the television commercial, the timeless Italian song โ€˜Volareโ€™. The singer, who is famous in Italy for her raw, emotional musical style, also performed the song live at the official launch event of the new advertising campaign in Rome.

About the author

Avatar of Linda Hohnholz

Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

Share to...