Pierre Cardin passed away on December 30, 2020, at the age of 98. The iconic French designer was the father of avant-garde fashion, known for his forward-thinking, space-age designs with clean, curved lines and big, bold, beautiful colours. Inspired by the growing interest in space travel and the jet age, his designs set the fashion world alight from the 1960s onwards.

Born near Treviso in northern Italy, Cardin moved to France when he was just two years old as his parents attempted to escape fascism. At 14, he worked as a clothier’s apprentice and learned the basics of fashion design and construction.

He moved to Paris in 1945 to study architecture and began working with the fashion house Paquin. In 1947, he became Christian Dior’s tailoring atelier and, in 1950, finally founded his own fashion house.

But it wasn’t just the runways of fashion shows that Cardin created iconic looks.

Models wearing Pierre Cardin designs at Amsterdam Schiphol in 1959 *(Photo Harry Pot / Anefo, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons)*

Early Years

Cardin’s first foray into cabin crew couture came when he created striking designs for Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), which were worn between 1966 and 1971.

The legendary fawn-coloured look for summer and moss green for the winter consisted of a short, easy-fitting A-line tunic, a stunning traditional dupatta headdress, and slim-line trousers immediately dubbed ‘PIA Pyjamas’. The trousers became an instant hit, so much so that fashion-conscious women across Pakistan began copying the look.

The look was so iconic at the time that the whole uniform, single-handedly, helped make PIA stand out in the international market.

The iconic PIA uniform *(All images via PIA)*

Greek Goddesses

Impressed by the modern and stylish looks Cardin had created for PIA, Aristotle Onassis, the new owner of Greece’s national carrier, Olympic Airways, tasked the French designer with creating a whole new wardrobe for his staff.

Introduced in 1969, the unique, futuristic look was inspired by the growing space travel trend of the late 1960s. Pieces included a mini dress, a statement cape, and an iconic bonnet hat. And while the uniform may have only graced the airline’s aisles until 1971, when it was replaced by Greece’s leading designer, Yannis Tseklenis, the look quickly became the trademark of Olympic and one of the most iconic in the carrier’s history.

Pierre Cardin’s Olympic uniform *(All images Olympic Airways Archives)*

French Fashion

Cardin had now become the go-to man for futuristic designs in the jet age. In 1968, French carrier Union de Transports Aériens (UTA) chose Cardin to create the airline’s most avant-garde look to date in an attempt to rejuvenate the airline’s style.

Cardin offered looks in UTA’s house colours: navy blue with hunter-green accents and soft pink with white details. His signature was a circular pocket on all the uniforms, a nod to his lifelong obsession with geometric design. In classic French style, all looks were finished with quality hosiery.

The designs would adorn the airline’s crews until 1973.

Hungarian Haute Couture

Cardin then moved away from the aviation world, creating apparel for NASA in 1970 and later redesigning the ‘Barong Tagalog, ’ the national costume of the Philippines.

However, he did create a new look for Malev Hungarian Airlines in 1980, coinciding with the introduction of a new onboard ‘Comfort Class’ and a refresh of the carrier’s product.

Air China

But in July 1988, he was again called up by a major airline looking to revitalise its image.

Air China was established in July 1988, following the Chinese government’s split of the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC Airlines) into six separate carriers. To make their airline stand out from the rest, Air China’s management turned to Pierre Cardin to create an iconic look for its cabin staff.

The attire, which included knee-length skirts, marked a symbolic breakthrough for women’s fashion in the People’s Republic of China, as at the time women were required to wear demure, blue nylon trousers that did not reveal their legs to uphold Puritan socialist principles. These stunning new sapphire-coloured outfits changed the world’s perception of China.

Air China’s new Pierre Cardin look *(Photo China National Aviation Holding Company)*

Indian Issues

Cardin’s next foray into Flight Attendant fashion came in May 2005, when Air India was considering a makeover to position itself as an airline that kept up with the changing styles and trends of the early noughties.

Some of India’s top designers, J J Walia, RitBeri, Satya Paul, and Tarun Tahiliani, presented their new looks. Cardin was on the judging panel, offering tips and suggestions and helping to make the final decision on the winning appeal.

However, the judging process and rollout of the new look did not go according to plan. Ever a stickler for perfection, Cardin asked the designers on three separate occasions to make numerous changes because he was “not totally happy” with the looks presented to him and the Air India board.

The whole saga would drag on until March 2009, when Air India finalised Delhi-based Ritu Beri’s design for its female attire and Pierre Cardin’s design for its male suits.

Pierre Cardin would design the men’s uniform, while leading Indian designer Ritu Beri was chosen to create a new look for the ladies *(Photo Air India)*

A Lasting Legacy

Pierre Cardin’s legacy is immense, not only for his incredible designs within the fashion world but also for creating some of the most iconic and instantly recognisable cabin crew uniforms in our aviation world.

Cardin once famously said: “The clothes that I prefer are those I invent for a life that doesn’t exist yet – the world of tomorrow,” and his futuristic creations for Pakistan International, Olympic Airways and UTA did just that!

An iconic French aircraft with iconic French fashion.

Cover image credit: News service, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. The author does not own the rights to any of the images provided. Please contact for credit.