PARIS: Saudi designer Mohammed Ashi, founder of the Paris-based label Ashi Studio, has unveiled the inaugural cabin crew uniforms for the Kingdom’s new airline, Riyadh Air, which is on track to make its maiden flight in 2025.
The glittering event took place after the couturier’s Haute Couture Week show in the French capital on Thursday.
“What we’ve done is, we’ve taken the golden age of aviation and we are representing it in the current day; it’s a relevant collection,” Ashi said at the grand reveal of his collaboration with Riyadh Air on Thursday evening.
The designer created uniforms for Riyadh Air. (Supplied)
“It’s not cabin crew ‘uniforms,’ it’s cabin crew fashion,” Tony Douglas, the CEO of Riyadh Air, told the crowd at the runway show.
The luxury line is comprised of timeless cashmere outerwear, elegant dresses and trousers made of fine wools, custom leather footwear, amethyst earrings, and pillbox hats, all of which were inspired by 1950s airline fashion, widely considered the “golden age” in aviation - but with an Ashi twist.
For the uniforms, Ashi created an entirely new color tone — Electric Amethyst for womenswear and Dark Amethyst for menswear. The unique amethyst shades pay homage to Saudi Arabia’s lavender fields and are rooted within Riyadh Air’s bold color scheme. The process of creating the color alone took six months, according to show notes.
The fashion collection will be worn by Riyadh Air cabin crew, pilots, concierge agents and airport staff. They will be changed seasonally to keep the looks fresh.
Ashi unveiled the uniform design concepts at Haute Couture Week in Paris. (Supplied)
“We feel that he has actually done an incredible job of connecting back to those halcyon days of commercial aviation, the kind of Pan Ams the TWA used (from the 1950s), the “Catch Me If You Can” — with a real modern twist,” Douglas shared, referring to the hit 2002 film.
“What Ashi and his studio have created brings back glamor,” Douglas added.
Ten womenswear looks were shown on the Paris runway, each of which were accompanied by accessories such as shoes, purses and hats. Five menswear looks were also unveiled, with the rest being kept under wraps.
Ashi included distinctive Riyadh Air elements within the concepts, such as adding the canopy twist found in the Riyadh Air brand logo into the silhouettes of some of the pieces.
There were some modest options, including a turban for women, as well as trousers. The skirts were below the knee and embodied a sleek clean design with some high collars on show.
“For a start-up airline to be showcasing our new fashion collection during Haute Couture Week in Paris shows what an impact Riyadh Air is having globally,” Douglas told the crowd to mark the launch. “Working with Ashi on these designs has been a tremendous experience for all of us and we’re all very proud to be able to show off the creations and the full range early next year.”
Riyadh Air is on track to make its maiden flight in 2025. (Supplied)
He was quick to point out that the elegant and chic designs will soon be recognizable in airports around the world.
“The designs will leave a lasting impression on our guests by the proud team members that wear them. When you get up close to the garments you can see the level of detail and intricacy that Ashi has included, which is in complete alignment of our values and attention to detail at Riyadh Air,” Douglas added.
“Designing for the new national airline from Saudi Arabia has had a big impact on me knowing that we are making a mark in history,” Ashi said. “Fashion and aviation have seen collaborations in the past, but its pinnacle was over 50 years ago, and I was keen to be inspired by that time. This is an amazing collaboration where fashion is helping to make an airline modern with completely unique looks. It shows that Riyadh Air has no limits and that luxury and attention to detail is key across every aspect of the experience.”
Riyadh Air will take its maiden flight in mid-2025, connecting the Saudi capital to more than 100 destinations by 2030. Ashi — or at least his creations — will be along for the ride.
