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Yesterday, being stocked in the stores of Milan, Paris, London and New York was enough for Australian designer Rebecca Vallance. Today, the sky’s the limit, with Vallance announced as the new designer of Qantas uniforms.
The airline revealed in January that it would be grounding the French navy, ruby red and fuchsia pink uniforms released by Paris-based Australian designer Martin Grant in 2013, launching a competitive selection process for one of the most coveted contracts in Australian fashion.
“When I made it through the first round, I burst into tears,” Vallance says. “That’s how seriously I was taking it. That was only round one.”
Australian designer Rebecca Vallance has been selected to design the new uniforms for Qantas staff.
The floodgates reopened this week when Grant sent Vallance a message of congratulations on joining an exclusive roll call of Qantas uniform designers, that includes Yves Saint Laurent, Emilio Pucci and Peter Morrissey.
“It was a rigorous interview process and so it should be,” Vallance says. “It’s a big deal and a big responsibility.”
As part of the uniform changeover, Qantas chief executive Vanessa Hudson commissioned a survey of the airline’s 17,500 uniformed workforce for input into the design process.
“Our uniform represents the Qantas spirit all over the world,” Hudson said in a press release. “We’re proud to be working with Rebecca Vallance to define the new look and to reflect where Qantas is heading. We want the new uniform to reflect the pride our team feel when they wear it and this redesign is a collaborative journey that will be shaped by our people every step of the way.”
The new Qantas uniform by Rebecca Vallance will be unveiled in 2027.
Since launching in 2011, the Ballarat-born, Sydney-based designer’s eponymous brand has grown in popularity, with evening wear and trim suiting found in leading international department stores and nine standalone Rebecca Vallance stores across Australia.
It’s a brand of glamour that sparkles on British and Hollywood royalty, worn by Princess Beatrice and Paris Hilton, that Vallance says has a place in the sky.
“We’re known for timeless elegance,” Vallance says. “If you look at our collections and our suiting, it’s premium. Qantas is a premium airline. The DNA fits.”
“This is like working on my custom appointments with clients, except in this case it’s an appointment with the entire Qantas staff. I will make sure that I deliver something that they’re proud of.”
When asked whether the design will incorporate any First Nations elements, Vallance says that it’s early days.
“This will be a fully considered design process.”
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The dream of creating the Qantas uniform began for Vallance when she was selected to create pyjamas and amenities kits for the airline’s business class passengers in 2023.
Back then, she was unsure of her place in the Australian fashion community, despite her international success.
“We found success overseas quickly, but Australia is a slower burn,” she said in 2022.
She finally feels acknowledged, by Qantas and Australia.
“It doesn’t get better than this,” Vallance says. “This is the dream.”
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