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. Air France today offers its customers close to 1,000 daily flights to 200 destinations with a fleet of more than 240 aircraft.
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 is celebrating this quest for excellence and ambition to remain at the forefront of the latest trends by showcasing its unique expertise to the world. With a newly-designed original dress collection retracing the company’s legendary history, the company will be the focus of a Galeries Lafayette window display in Paris from 28 September to 10 October 2023. This unique setting will offer the company unprecedented exposure, ensuring everyone can benefit from a French legacy in perpetual motion.
Illustrating 90 years of elegance
To embody and bring to life 90 years of elegance, Air France is unveiling a collection of five iconic dresses that interpret the different hallmarks of the airline – aircraft and technology; uniforms and fashion; its iconic posters promoting its vast network; fine dining and tableware; design and architecture. Each dress is an invitation to explore these themes which have enabled Air France to continually offer the very best from the different eras it has witnessed, and even break new ground, way ahead of its time.
To imagine and design these original dresses, Air France has teamed up with Xavier Ronze, head of the costume design workshops at the Paris Opera Ballet. The costume designer has created these designs from iconic items that have marked the company’s history and contemporary pieces. He has succeeded in connecting history and modernity, a strong interpretation symbolizing the best of Air France and the best that France has to offer in its areas of expertise.
Air France on display at the Galeries Lafayette
Air France has naturally chosen the Galeries Lafayette, a temple of fashion in the heart of Paris, to showcase this original dress collection as part of its anniversary celebrations. From 28th September to 10th October 2023, it will be retracing its legendary history and high-flying elegance in an aim to go forward and embrace the future in the 12 windows of the famous store. The dresses are displayed among a selection of some of the finest vintage Air France paraphernalia and the best of the airline’s current offer, to highlight 90 years of in-flight comfort, legendary aircraft, designer uniforms, in-flight dining and design.
In the heart of Paris, Air France has made an innovative choice for showcasing its heritage in a way that is freely and easily accessible to all French and international visitors. Visitors will be able to relive their fondest memories of travelling with Air France or become part of the legend for the first time.
Become part of the legend
Inside the store, the company is opening pop-up stores offering a range of items specially created or reissued for this anniversary. Air France is offering a range of affordable and more limited-edition models of old and new aircraft, as well as a collection of comfort kits, postcards and baggage tags and notebooks sporting the 90 years signature. The company is also reissuing mythical items such as its famous vintage travel bag and iconic posters. A range of items is also available on our website www.airfranceshopping.com.
Air France is also teaming up with a selection of luxury French brands – Vanessa Bruno, Delsey, Bernardaud, Brun de Vian-Tiran and Le parapluie de Cherbourg – as part of its ambition to continue to promote French know-how. This collection is exclusively available at the Galeries Lafayette.
And for the very first time in its history, Air France is offering 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.
Air France fashion shows at Galeries Lafayette Paris Haussmann
Throughout this anniversary period, Air France is offering visitors the chance 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.