Jetstar has signed on Ginger & Smart co-founder and creative director Genevieve Smart to redesign the airliner’s uniforms across 5,000 frontline staff based in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and Japan.
Workwear Group Uniforms has also been consulted to lead the manufacturing process of the new uniforms.
It is the first time Jetstar has changed its uniform since launching 20 years ago.
The new pilot uniform will switch from Jetstar’s more traditional black to blue and will feature new epaulettes and the option of a neck scarf.
The cabin crew and airport uniforms will now come in a range of options to cater for individual style and preference, including blazers in blue and orange, a shirt dress, tailored skirts, tapered fit trousers, polos and overcoats.
According to Jetstar, its current uniform will be sustainably disposed of in partnership with BlockTexx, which amounts to around 17 tonnes of material.
Designer Smart said Jetstar initially approached her team, asking them to respond to its brand vision and values with a concept for a new collection.
“Their new direction was fun, progressive and energetic and they were committed to finding new ways to reduce the environmental impact of their uniforms,” Smart said.
Smart then spent 12 months designing the range, working alongside 40 Jetstar pilots, cabin crew and airport team members who all tested the final fit though rigorous wearer trials.
“With every collection for Ginger & Smart, we start the design process with a deep dive into the brand, our values and where we are taking our customer,” Smart said.
“Similarly we began this design process by looking at the vision for the future of Jetstar and most importantly, listening to the crew members to make sure that the styling form fit and function was exactly right for the work they do.
“The creative vision was to infuse the collection with an overall feeling of lightness and fluidity, reflecting endless possibilities, freedom and movement, and a desire to travel.
Smart said she drew inspiration for the colour and design from the sunset as seen out of an aircraft window.
“The colour palette was key,” Smart said. “We reframed the colour orange to sit alongside blues instead of black.
“We knew a dynamic print was a design language we could use to express the Jetstar brand, so we designed a print that unified the Jetstar star logo and felt modern and energetic and used the dynamic pairing of orange and blue.
“It was a design challenge to make sure that all the silhouettes looked great on such a diverse group of 5000 people, but this was where our 40 Jetstar ambassadors helped guide the final fit though rigorous wearer trails.”
Jetstar cabin crew manager Kat Vass, who was part of the project, said she was proud of the final product.
“We have worked on developing our new uniforms for some time now, testing them extensively both on the ground and in the air,” Vass said.
“The new uniforms are professional, comfortable and designed with so much care and thought.”
Upon thanking Smart for the new uniform designers, Jetstar Group CEO Stephanie Tully said now was the right time for a new look as the airliner reaches its 20th birthday in May.
“We’ve listened to our people and together wanted to create a uniform that reflects how far we have come as we move into our third decade of operation,” Tully said.
“With the help of Genevieve Smart, the newly designed collection caters to everyone and gives our crew more freedom to choose what they would like to wear.
“Our teams are working to roll it out from late 2024, ready to take us into a new era of low fares travel.”