SEATTLE, Jan. 23, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Alaska
Airlines is rolling out its new Luly
Yang custom-designed uniform collection certified to
STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX®, the highest industry standard for
safety, making Alaska and Horizon
Air the first U.S. airlines to achieve this certification.
"This is a major milestone that was years in the making. Before
the designs, before the first stitch, before the first button sewn,
we took steps to ensure that employee uniforms were safe and of the
best quality," said Sangita Woerner,
Alaska Airlines' senior vice president of marketing and guest
experience. "It was important to take our time and to
collaborate with our union partners to create a uniform that was
safe, stylish, high quality and functional for all aspects of our
business."
STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX® ensures that garments meet or exceed
global safety standards with regards to harmful substances. The
finished garment and each of its components are certified, down to
the material, thread and dyes.
Since the collection first debuted in 2018, the design has been
refined and adjusted with input from more than 175 employees who
put the uniform through the paces with on-the-job wear tests. The
new uniforms are being rolled out to employees through early 2020,
with Horizon Air and Alaska Lounge concierges already donning the
new uniforms.
On the blog: The formula to looking fly:
Incorporating safety, employee feedback into custom uniforms
(PHOTOS)
Alaska started the process
almost four years ago by surveying thousands of uniformed employees
and followed up with focus groups and work-site visits to
understand the features different workgroups wanted to see in their
new uniforms. Overwhelmingly, the top requests from employees were
more pockets and designs that look great on all body shapes and
sizes, and were suited for a wide range of climates.
Additionally, more than 1,200 safety tests were conducted on the
uniforms for over 165 unique color combinations. In
total, Alaska's custom uniforms incorporate more than 100,000
zippers, 1 million buttons, 500,000 yards of fabric and use well
over 30 million yards of thread.
Using this employee research, Yang spent two years designing and
creating a signature silhouette for the Alaska collection. Her focus on fit and
function enabled additional touches including water-resistant
materials, active wear fabrics, longer shirt tails that don't
untuck from skirts and trousers, and flexible textiles that move
with the body.
"The STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX® certification is a first for our
uniforms," Jeff Peterson, Alaska
Airlines Master Executive Council president of the Association of
Flight Attendants. "The association is very pleased that our
partnership with management has resulted in a high standard of
safety that will help flight attendants feel confident in wearing
their uniform."
In order to achieve this standard, Alaska worked in partnership with Unisync
Group Limited of Toronto, one of the largest uniform suppliers
in North America. Together,
Alaska, Yang and Unisync produced
custom fabrics, buttons and signature accessories for the new
program, ensuring the garments provide optimal on-the-job
performance and earned the STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX®
certification.
"Alaska Airlines created a strong partnership with us from the
beginning – that's the biggest reason for their success in earning
the STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX® label," said Ben Mead, OEKO-TEX® representative. "Achieving
certification is incredibly challenging, and their commitment to
leading with safety has been unwavering."
STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX® was developed in 1992 by an
international consortium of textile research and testing
institutes. OEKO-TEX® now includes 18 institutes in Europe and Japan with offices in more than 60 countries.
STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX® testing is known for ensuring that
textiles are tested for potentially harmful substances and
allergens. This standard is used by many retailers including
Pottery Barn, Calvin Klein, Target, Macy's and children's-wear
company Hanna Andersson.
Alaska Airlines and its regional partners fly 47 million guests
a year to more than 115 destinations with an average of 1,300 daily
flights across the United States and
to Mexico, Canada and Costa Rica.
With Alaska and Alaska Global Partners, guests can earn
and redeem miles on flights to more than 800 destinations
worldwide. Alaska Airlines ranked "Highest in Customer Satisfaction
Among Traditional Carriers in North America" in the J.D. Power
North America Airline Satisfaction Study for 12 consecutive years
from 2008 to 2019. Learn about Alaska's award-winning service at
newsroom.alaskaair.com and blog.alaskaair.com. Alaska Airlines and
Horizon Air are subsidiaries of Alaska Air Group (NYSE: ALK).
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SOURCE Alaska Airlines
