West News Wire: In preparation for a major overhaul of its employee uniforms in 2023, British Airways (BA) has added the hijab to its list of available uniform alternatives.
Last Monday, the airline debuted its new uniforms, created by British Savile Row tailor Ozwald Boateng, marking its first wardrobe update in 20 years.
The new line, dubbed “an airline first,” offers a wider range of choices, such as a custom-made modern jumpsuit and a tunic and hijab combination.
In a statement posted on the business’ website, BA Chairman and CEO Sean Doyle said, “Our uniform is an iconic expression of our brand, something that will carry us into our future, representing the very best of modern Britain.”
“We wanted to create a uniform collection that our people are proud to wear and with the help of over 1,500 colleagues, we are confident that we have delivered this,” he added.
Boateng consulted thousands of BA staff and shadowed crew at the airport when designing the uniforms to ensure they were fit for purpose.
BA boasted on its website that the clothes offer a “stylish look with high quality, resilient fabrics”. It also said that more than 90 percent of the garments are produced from sustainable materials.
30,000 employees are slated to be wearing the new uniforms by spring 2023.
By the summer, all BA cabin crew with be sporting Boateng’s designs.
Boateng said: “Designing this uniform was a vast and painstaking undertaking and it went far beyond clothes. It was about creating an energetic shift internally.
“One of my main objectives was to create something that spoke to, and for, the airline’s colleagues. Something that inspired and empowered them.”
