ATLANTA, Oct. 18, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Delta Air Lines
(NYSE: DAL) and leading New York
fashion designer Zac Posen together
unveiled an exclusive uniform collection today, which will be worn
by more than 60,000 of the airline's frontline employees including
customer service agents, flight attendants, ramp agents and
technicians. The contemporary line fuses together bold color
palettes and classic styles, while paying homage to the heritage
and iconic design from decades past to elevate the look and brand
of Delta employees.
Uniforms for Delta's non-customer facing employees were
developed by clothing retailer Land's End with design inspiration
and color consultation from Posen. Delta announced the production
and design partnership with Land's End last week.
"The world's best employees deserve the best uniforms and this
new collection is classically influenced, yet modern," said
Ed Bastian, Delta's CEO. "Zac and
the Delta team worked closely with our people to create timeless
and fashionable pieces that reflect the thoughtful and innovative
spirit of Delta."
Posen partnered directly with Delta employees from nearly every
work group to design the collection, developing a functional
wardrobe fit for Delta's diverse employee group and the
environments where they work. Employees influenced the design and
final selection of each uniform piece.
"We wanted Delta employees to look glamorous on the job without
sacrificing functionality and style," said Posen. "I worked
alongside employees to understand how they interact with the
clothes they wear and developed a look that empowers and excites,
because we want Delta's global workforce to exude the confidence
and thoughtfulness that reflects the airline's brand."
"It was clear early on that Zac embodied the innovative design
sense, passion and hands-on involvement to create for our employees
and our brand a uniform that truly sets Delta apart," Bastian
added.
Posen's designs drape employees in a wholly-reimagined mix of
colors dubbed Passport Plum, Cruising Cardinal and Groundspeed
Graphite, with accents of Skyline Slate and Traveling Thistle to
bring a cohesive look across customer-facing and technical job
functions.
There are a number of subtle details including a signature
winged collar on the women's Traveling Thistle blouse, the Delta
logo, also known as the widget, accented throughout the collection
and for non-customer-facing employees, reflective Delta widgets on
high-visibility outerwear.
Some of the items in the lineup for flight attendants and
customer service agents include a feminine Passport Plum V-neck
dress, peplum sweater, wrap dress, ottoman skirt suit and swing
jacket. For men, a Groundspeed Graphite three-piece suit, Passport
Plum crew neck sweater and widget-printed tie, among other pieces.
For technical employees working on the airport ramp or in Delta's
TechOps division, a mid-layer sweater, three-in-one ANSI jacket and
rapid-dry polo shirt are among the lineup.
Posen, who is known for designing couture and high fashion,
incorporated innovative fabric and textile technology to create
pieces that stand up to the active, fast-paced airport and on-board
environment.
"For a collection that will be worn by Delta people for years to
come, it has to be right. It has to be timeless and embody the
uniqueness and resilience of our brand and Zac accomplished that
and then some," said Elaine
Casanova, a 42-year Minneapolis-based flight attendant.
Speaking to the collaborative nature of the project,
Chad Holmes, a ramp agent based in
Salt Lake City and member of the
airline's cross-divisional uniform team said, "The employee uniform
committee has been involved every step of the way, listening to our
colleagues' needs through job shadows and focus groups. It has been
amazing and humbling to see how the feedback was put into action
and inspired this new uniform collection – even in the smallest of
details."
Beginning in December and into early 2017, a dedicated team of
1,000 employee ambassadors will wear-test the uniforms. From there,
adjustments and tweaks will be made based on employee feedback
before the uniforms roll out to Delta people worldwide in the first
quarter of 2018.
Delta last updated its uniform collection for above wing
employees including flight attendants and airport customer service
agents, in 2006 with designs by Richard
Tyler. The airline last updated its uniform collection for
below wing employee employees, including technical operations
employees and ramp agents, in 2000.
Video and more photos available on Delta News
Hub after 1:45 p.m.
today.
About Zac Posen
Zac
Posen launched his eponymous collection in 2001, with a vision
for modern American glamour that married couture technique with
striking innovation. Raised in New York, Zac began his design
training early. At 16, he attended Parson's School of Design
followed by London's Central Saint Martins University.
Two years following his first collection, he was awarded one of
fashion's most prestigious honors, Swarovski's The Perry
Ellis Award for Womenswear by the CFDA.
Today, Zac is known globally for his technique in artisanal
craftsmanship, anatomical construction and textile manipulation.
His daywear, suiting and red carpet eveningwear are infused with
his bold sophistication, sexy femininity and distinctive glamour.
Worn by leading women, including Uma Thurman, First
Lady Michelle Obama, Gwyneth Paltrow, Claire Danes and Rihanna, he has become a
staple on the red carpet. His collections have grown to
include Zac Posen, ZAC Zac Posen and Truly Zac Posen with
offerings in handbags, accessories, hosiery, eyewear, fur, and fine
jewelry.
Zac Posen serves as a judge with Heidi
Klum and Nina Garcia on Lifetime's mainstay Project
Runway, now approaching its 15th season, and he was announced as
Creative Director for the Brooks Brothers signature women's
collection and accessories.
Additional information is available
on www.facebook.com/officialzacposen, Twitter @zac_posen, and
Instagram @zacposen and @zaczacposen.
About Delta
Delta Air Lines serves nearly 180 million
customers each year. In 2016, Delta was named to Fortune's top 50
Most Admired Companies in addition to being named the most admired
airline for the fifth time in six years. Additionally, Delta has
ranked No.1 in the Business Travel News Annual Airline survey for
an unprecedented five consecutive years. With an industry-leading
global network, Delta and the Delta Connection carriers offer
service to 319 destinations in 57 countries on six continents.
Headquartered in Atlanta, Delta
employs more than 80,000 employees worldwide and operates a
mainline fleet of more than 800 aircraft. The airline is a founding
member of the SkyTeam global alliance and participates in the
industry's leading transatlantic joint venture with Air
France-KLM and Alitalia as well as a joint venture with Virgin
Atlantic. Including its worldwide alliance partners, Delta offers
customers more than 15,000 daily flights, with key hubs and markets
including Amsterdam, Atlanta, Boston, Detroit, Los Angeles,
Minneapolis/St. Paul, New York-JFK and LaGuardia, London-Heathrow,
Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Salt Lake City, Seattle and Tokyo-Narita.
Delta has invested billions of dollars in airport facilities,
global products and services, and technology to enhance the
customer experience in the air and on the ground. Additional
information is available on the Delta News Hub, as well as
delta.com, Twitter @DeltaNewsHub, Google.com/+Delta, and
Facebook.com/delta.
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SOURCE Delta Air Lines