Everything You Need to Know About the New Qantas Uniform Designed by Rebecca Vallance
Peter Morrissey, Yves Saint Laurent and Emilio Pucci are just some of the creatives who have shaped Qantas uniforms throughout the airline’s 105-year history. Now, Australian designer Rebecca Vallance joins their ranks. After collaborating with Qantas in 2023 on a limited-edition pyjama set, the Sydney-based fashion powerhouse is back onboard to reimagine the airline’s next chapter of style. Here’s everything you need to know about the redesign.
What will the new Qantas uniform look like?
To inform the collection, Vallance will utilise feedback from a survey of more than 17,500 Qantas staff completed earlier this year – including pilots, cabin crew and engineers – on comfort, durability and functionality.
“It means everything to me [to have this opportunity], from a personal and a business perspective, it’s the absolute pinnacle of my career,” Vallance said on the day of the announcement. “It’s a huge responsibility and I'm so thrilled to have it.”
If her first collaboration with the national carrier is anything to go by, travellers can expect sleek and minimalist style. In 2023, Vallance was tasked with creating a limited-edition Business Class in-flight kit to celebrate the launch of a new flight route from Sydney to New York, via Auckland. The kit included pyjamas, an amenity bag and an eye mask inspired by Vallance’s own “Avenue Astoria” line, which nodded to the heritage and glamour of New York’s iconic Waldorf Astoria hotel. The result was a chic navy set featuring both the Qantas Roo and Vallance logos, as well as an amenity bag with an Art Deco-style pattern and gold accents.
In tandem with the brand’s biggest-ever fleet renewal – with 20 new Airbus A321XLRs and Project Sunrise on the horizon – Vallance’s redesign aims to capture the modern sophistication and forward-looking spirit of the Flying Kangaroo.
When can we expect to see staff sporting the new look?
Qantas officially announced the uniform redesign in January 2025, with the updated version set to debut in 2027.
What do we need to know about Rebecca Valance?
Before Vallance became one of the biggest names in Australian fashion, she was a 13-year-old working at Cotton On in her hometown of Ballarat, Victoria. Her passion for retail eventually carried her to one of the world’s fashion capitals: London, where she founded her eponymous label in 2011. That same year, she presented her debut collection in Paris and secured Harvey Nichols as a stockist – a pivotal moment that set the brand on its path to global recognition.
From there, Vallance bought her namesake label back to Australia eventually opening her first boutique in Sydney’s Mosman in 2016 while continuing to expand both internationally and in its offerings. Brick-and-mortar boutiques are planned for New York, Los Angeles, Miami and Dallas, while the range has grown to include evening wear, outerwear, tailored suiting and bridal. There’s no sign of Vallance slowing down, either. Last year, she opened her seventh boutique in Sydney’s The Strand, with plans to expand further over the coming decades.
Fourteen years on, the brand boasts a global footprint and a star-studded fan base. You can spy Vallance’s designs on Selena Gomez, who wore a textured hot pink Rebecca Vallance maxi dress on the set of television series Only Murders in the Building, as well as Paris Hilton, Kate Beckinsale and Meghan Trainor, who have all been spotted in the label’s signature Katie Bow Mini Dress. Dakota Johnson has also previously favoured the fashion house’s sharply cut suits.
What about the current design?
The new design will replace the current Qantas uniform created by Paris-based Australian designer Martin Grant, which has been worn by the airline’s team since 2014. Grant’s collection drew inspiration from the Qantas logo, with a palette of French navy, Qantas red, ruby and fuchsia. Its most iconic piece – the bold stripe dress – has helped define the image of Qantas cabin crew for more than a decade. His collection will also be remembered for introducing the hat for female crew members and the immaculately tailored French navy trench.
