Air France to Celebrate 90th Anniversary with Paris Fashion Exhibition

Photo source: Air France.

Air France will celebrate its 90th anniversary with a fashion exhibition at the Galeries Lafayette Paris Haussmann in Paris, the airline recently announced.

The exhibition, which will run from September 28 to October 10, 2023 will showcase a collection of five iconic dresses designed by Xavier Ronze, head of the costume design workshops at the Paris Opera Ballet.

The dresses are inspired by different hallmarks of the airline, including aircraft and technology, uniforms and fashion, its iconic posters promoting its vast network, fine dining and tableware, design and architecture. According to the company, “each dress is a unique interpretation of the airline’s commitment to French elegance and excellence.”

In addition to the dresses, the exhibition, unveiling across the Galeries Lafayette Paris Haussmann 12 windows, will also feature a selection of vintage Air France memorabilia, as well as pop-up stores selling exclusive merchandise.

More particularly, for the very first time in its history, Air France will offer the exhibition’s visitors the opportunity to purchase original tableware signed by the painter Jean Picart Le Doux and used on board its La Première and Business cabins between 1966 and the 2000s. The proceeds from the sale of these items will be donated to the Air France Foundation, which has been committed to supporting children around the world for 30 years.

Throughout this anniversary period, Air France will also offer the chance to Parisians and the French capital’s visitors, to attend real fashion shows retracing 90 years of French elegance, together with Galeries Lafayette.

Models dressed in the uniforms of pilots, cabin crew, airport staff and mechanics will be on show in a dedicated area of the store to retrace the company’s legendary uniform heritage, past and present. From the very first “barman” outfits to couture pieces signed by the greatest designers such as Christian Dior, Cristóbal Balenciaga and Christian Lacroix, the fashion show is a unique journey into the styles of the different founding eras of Air France.

Created from the merger of Air Orient, Air Union, Société Générale de Transports Aériens, the Compagnie Internationale de Navigation Aérienne and Aéropostale, Air France was officially inaugurated on 7th October 1933. Ever since, the company has continued to create its legend by promoting the French art of travel around the world.

90 years of elegance

In an announcement the airline said: “In 2023, Air France is celebrating 90 years of elegance. 90 years of technology, innovation and comfort on board its aircraft. 90 years of travel, fine dining, design, haute couture, art and architecture. Since its creation, the company has been celebrating French excellence, a ‘je-ne-sais-quoi’ that the world recognizes in France, thanks to an exceptional travel experience that takes elegance to new heights.”

Air France today offers its customers close to 1,000 daily flights to 200 destinations with a fleet of more than 240 aircraft.