Alaska Airlines selects new uniform designer

SEATTLE, WA – Alaska Airlines and Seattle fashion designer Luly Yang are announcing a new partnership to redesign uniforms for more than 12,000 airline employees. This is the next big step in the brand updates Alaska recently unveiled, which marked the company’s first major brand changes in 25 years.

“We are thrilled to announce this new partnership with Luly. From the moment I first met her, I knew she truly understood Alaska and our unique needs as an airline,” said Sangita Woerner, Alaska’s vice president of marketing. “With her design philosophy of finding the harmony of form and function, she is the perfect designer to ensure our 12,000 uniformed employees express our refreshed brand in a thoughtful and distinctive way.”

Yang opened her first studio boutique in downtown Seattle in 2000 showcasing an initial collection of 12 couture wedding gowns. Today she is an internationally known designer headquartered in Seattle, whose portfolio has expanded to include couture gowns and cocktail attire, menswear, accessories, hotel uniforms and ready-to-wear (clothing available in stores for the general public).

She is known for her timeless design solutions and signature fit, cultivated over years of experience as an architectural graphic designer, which influenced her design principle of finding the perfect balance between “design and engineering.” Over the next several years, Yang will apply her expertise to Alaska’s entire uniformed workforce.

“The uniform has to perform, it has to represent the brand and it has to represent the soul of the employees who wear it,” said Yang, a frequent flier with Alaska. “I’ve been fascinated with flying ever since I was a child, so I’m very inspired by this project. Alaska is my airline, and every time I board an Alaska Airlines flight I feel as though I am already home.”

Over the next few months, Yang will conduct focus groups with Alaska’s pilots, flight attendants, airport staff (including customer service, ground service, ramp and lounge employees), aircraft technicians and stores agents (responsible for airplane parts), to better understand the specialized needs of airline employees.

“In starting this project, I’m beginning to learn about the details that go into making the complex process from check-in to baggage claim hassle-free for customers. These are the things I used to take for granted when flying,” said Yang. “While our goal is to create a beautiful, timeless uniform line, I’ve also realized that some of the most important features you won’t see from the outside are going to be instrumental in making a difference in seamless job performance for employees.”

The uniforms will take about two years to design and produce and are expected to debut in 2018.

The airline’s updated look includes a fresh new color palette, an updated and streamlined logo for the digital age and the modernization of the iconic face that graces the tails of Alaska’s airplanes. Throughout 2016, customers will see the refreshed brand in a new airplane paint scheme, on all digital channels, in marketing materials and throughout the 111 airports served by Alaska and its regional partners.