In 1963, Air France commissioned Christian Dior, one of the world's leading couture houses, to design its uniforms. This marked the airline's first collaboration with a couture house, and over the years, it became the first time that leading French fashion houses would take over the design department.

After Monsieur Dior's sudden death in 1957, his assistant Yves Saint Laurent took over, but he was drafted into the military in 1960, leaving the position of chief designer vacant. Marc Bohan was appointed as head designer. He became a legendary designer who contributed to Dior for the next 30 years.

"At that time, Air France was promoting French elegance and sophistication. Cabin attendants were expected to possess the looks and intelligence to pull off the fashions coveted by the world," says Simon Pierre Souillot, head of Air France archives.

In autumn and winter, the uniform consisted of a short jacket with a rounded Claudine collar, under which a white blouse with a ribbon and a tight skirt were worn. In spring and summer, the uniform was a sax blue short-sleeved dress with a trapeze skirt. It featured a belt inspired by Japanese obi cords. The pillbox cap, a hat that matched the color of the outfit, was also paired with pointed-toe pumps, completing Dior's elegance.

The reason why many in the media praised this new uniform was probably because it felt like a cutting-edge look, combining the highly-recognized female profession of flight attendants with a fashionable uniform.
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