Toulouse exhibition celebrates the elegance of French air travel

New exhibition shows off the enduring style of Air France

There are many fascinating objects on display
Published

France has long been a pioneer in the field of aviation: from the Montgolfier brothers’ balloon flight and the exploits of pioneer Roland Garros, to the innovations of Airbus. 

Now, a two-year exhibition at L’Envol des Pionniers aims to prove that national airline Air France wasn’t just a leader in the industry, it was light years ahead of its rivals when it came to style. 

Air France, A Story of Elegance is the brainchild of exhibition designer Véronique Hallard, who had two main aims when she started putting it together almost two years ago. 

The first was to spotlight the important historical links between Air France and Montaudran, in the city of Toulouse, where the museum is based. 

The exhibition runs until 2027

For 70 years, it was where Air France planes were serviced and before that, it was the base for the Latécoère and Aéropostale airlines, the latter being absorbed into Air France in 1933. 

“It has left a lasting impression on many, many people in Toulouse,” Ms Hallard said. “Entire families of employees worked at Montaudran, so there is a very strong link between Air France and Montaudran.”

The second goal of the exhibition was to showcase the iconic style that made Air France so famous. 

“It is a company that has always stood out from the rest through its elegance, and the links it has always had with the artists who worked on the posters, the designers who worked on certain aircraft fittings,” she said. 

Over the years, that has included designers Raymond Lévy, Andrée Putman, and Charlotte Perriand (who was behind redesigning Air France’s Tokyo office).

Air France uniform design

“And, of course, the great couturiers for the uniforms and three-star chefs for the meals in first class,” Ms Hallard said, before paraphrasing fashion designer Christian Lacroix: ‘You can recognise an Air France crew by their elegance’”.

The exhibition itself covers eight distinct periods, from the 1930s to the present day. It includes a rattan chair that was used in early flights to Africa and South America, as well as a first-class seat from a seaplane. 

It also features an “enormous leather seat that could be converted into a bed, since this plane flew to the West Indies and the level of comfort was similar to that of the great transatlantic liners,” said Ms Hallard. 

She added: “The third phase is the post-war period, and that's when we see the first stewardess uniforms appear, as [they] started to work for Air France in 1946. I had a lot of fun putting them on the models because the outfits fit perfectly.”

Moving into the 1960s, the exhibition marks the arrival of the jet plane and a new era of comfort. “People suddenly found themselves in an ultra-quiet and very comfortable [space]. So much so that Sacha Distel, who was a pop star in the 60s, recorded an album on the plane.” 

This era also coincided with the first designer stewardess uniform from Christian Dior. “It's a sky blue dress which, funnily enough, didn't look very good on the hanger. But as soon as we put it on the mannequin – well, it's immediately very 60s, very, very chic.”

Kimono stewardess uniform

The Air France kimono

One of the most iconic exhibits is a 50-year-old kimono, worn by a stewardess during flights between Tokyo and France in the 1970s, which was tracked down thanks to former employees. 

“It’s thanks to them that we found the small network of Japanese hostesses,” Ms Hallard said. 

One, called Izumi, was honoured to present her uniform – but it’s not the only reason Ms Hallard is fond of that particular section. 

“My dad was an Air France captain and next to one of the kimonos is his uniform. I would say that it's not my favourite, but let's say it has enormous sentimental value.”

While Ms Hallard admits she’s not a uniform expert, so declines to say if the changing Air France uniforms reflected French society over the years, she does reveal that cabin crew were involved in their creation. 

“Little by little, they got the staff involved in designing the uniforms. This is the case with Christian Lacroix, where there is in fact a huge range of different uniforms, whether it's a suit, long jacket, jacket or short trousers. 

“The staff chose their uniform so that it suited them best, that is the most comfortable and the most practical. This is a real evolution compared to the first uniforms of the hostesses, whether they were Georgette Raynal from 1913, or Christian Dior or Balenciaga.”

Ms Hallard said the exhibition, which runs until 2027, had already made a positive impression with visitors. 

While it aims to introduce the public to the Air France company and the essential link with Montaudran, she also harbours a wider ambition: “The Musée L’Envol des Pionniers is six years old and it is not that well known yet. We want this exhibition to raise awareness of it too.”