Comfort, usability and freedom of movement seem to be at the top of the design requirements. While we were hoping to have seen more flattering silhouettes and intricate styling on the female outfits and a more fitted suit on the male cabin crew, however its easy to see the input of the cabin crew on the final product. “We were honored to work alongside talented designers and passionate employees to outfit Hawaiian’s front-line staff with fashionable and functional garments,” said Marcia Hischke, vice president of product development at Affinity Apparel. In keeping with Hawaiian’s unique design practice, the uniform design marries cultural tradition with bold contemporary lines and cutting edge, high-performance materials.Affinity Apparel worked with the uniform committee closely to understand employees’ work needs and pick high-performance materials to complement each uniform piece. “Our committee and designers spent countless hours contributing their ideasand values, and we’re excited to share that with our guests from around the world.” “It was very important for us to create something that would represent Hawai‘i wherever we fly,” said Avi Mannis, senior vice president of marketing at Hawaiian Airlines. The print features lehua blossom and ‘ohe kapala (bamboo stamps) and can found in prints, linings and woven elements through every piece of each work group’s uniform in different scales and tonalities. Principals Sig Zane and his son, Kuha’o Zane, explored the concept of working together to reach one’s common destination in the context of voyaging, community and family to create a narrative print holding deep resonance for employees. However, Sig Zane’s latest design ‘ Kū Mākou’ or ‘Together We Stand’, was inspired by “talk-story” sessions between designers and committee members.
This isn’t the first time Sig Zane has brought his style to the Hawaiian Airlines brand, with his famous Hawaiian illustrative style adorning O’hana by Hawaiian’s fleet. Employees from each work group revealed the uniforms last Friday at the airline’s ‘Runway to Runway’ fashion show during Honolulu Fashion Week at the Hawai‘i Convention Centre in O’ahu. The new designs are a collaboration among Affinity Apparel, renowned Hilo-based design firm Sig Zane Kaiao, and a committee of 40 front-line Hawaiian employees representing a variety of job functions. Catering to 5,000 uniformed staff the new threads will start to appear on the line in January 2017 during a on-the-job fit and wear testing programme, before rolling out in late 2017 to coincide with the entry into service of Hawaiian’s first A321neo long-haul aircraft. Hawaiian Airlines used Honolulu Fashion Week to show off their brand new uniforms this week.