Hawaii’s largest and longest-serving carrier, Hawaiian Airlines, has unveiled a line of new uniforms that can be seen on more than 5,000 front-line employees. These include; Airport Customer Service, Cabin Service, Cargo, In-Flight, Line Service, Maintenance, Ramp, and Supply.
The uniforms were designed in collaboration with Affinity Apparel, Sig Zane Kaiao, and a committee of 40 front-line Hawaiian employees who represented a variety of job functions. The line debuted during Honolulu Fashion Week Presented by Hawaiian Airlines at the Hawaii Convention Centre. The unique print used is called Kū Mākou which means Together We Stand, and was inspired by "talk-story" sessions between the designers and committee members. “Kū Mākou means we stand together as one – one family, one team, one movement together,” said Sig Zane. “It’s an honour to embark on this journey with Hawaiian Airlines as they enter a new chapter of unifying the company with a common thread.”
The print features lehua blossoms and 'ohe kapala (bamboo stamps), this design story is carried through each piece of the uniforms applied in different scales and tonalities to prints, linings and woven elements. “It was very important for us to create something that would represent Hawaii wherever we fly,” said Hawaiian Airlines' Senior Vice President of Marketing, Avi Mannis. “Our committee and designers spent countless hours contributing their ideas and values, and we’re excited to share that with our guests from around the world.”
The distinctive shade of purple that is associated with Hawaiian Airlines has been in place since 2008 as well as the pacific blue of the current uniforms. The uniform design also marries cultural tradition with bold contemporary lines and high-performance functional materials. Sig Zane said the lehua is in all of the Hawaiian legends, myths, and chants. "The lehua truly is the symbol of the Hawaiian people," he said.
The next step is to include an on-the-job fit and wear testing by uniformed employees beginning in January 2017, followed by a full roll out in late 2017.
