Tag Archives: richard branson]

Vivienne Westwood is Virgin Atlantic’s New Uniform Designer

Posted on by

Iconic and controversial British designer Vivienne Westwood has been announced as the new designer of Virgin Atlantic’s iconic red uniform. The collaboration between the two British brands is a long-term partnership which will see a total re-design of the uniform across all areas. With original design and sustainability being vital factors to both Richard Branson and Vivienne Westwood, this project aims to bring these ideals together in an exciting and innovative collaboration.

male_sketch

For the new uniforms, Vivienne Westwood wanted to create a futuristic look which references her enduring interest in 40’s French couture cutting techniques as well as the Savile Row tailoring heritage. The new designs will capture the glamour and style that the Virgin Atlantic cabin crew are renowned for.

Female sketch

Richard Branson, President of Virgin Atlantic commented: “Virgin Atlantic has a distinct spirit and from a design perspective we continually try to challenge the norm and stand out from the crowd. Our current uniform has been around for more than 10 years and we have seen other airlines start to copy it. When we were choosing the designer for this project, we wanted to work with a group of people who share our spirit of adventure, who believe in challenging the status quo and creating something truly memorable.”

Vivienne Westwood commented: “My clothes have always got a very strong dynamic rapport with the body- they are very body conscious, they help you to look glamorous, more hourglass, more woman. I design things to help people to hopefully express their personality. I am always trying to find fabrics that are more friendly to the environment – working with Virgin Atlantic they managed to research into this and find more eco fabrics.”

For the female cabin crew uniform the design process began by looking at cuts which encompassed function as well as form. The suit is, of course, in the iconic Virgin red and the silhouette extremely feminine to fit all shapes and sizes. The jacket enhances the female form with the aid of cleverly placed bust pleats, a nipped in waist and a curved hip line and the pencil skirt which looks deceptively simple from the front then reveals a cheeky dart and double pleat at the back. For the men, a sharp Savile Row inspired three piece suit in rich burgundy wool is subverted with shadow details in grey wool under the lapels and pockets. The effect is of a very traditional British look which is given a contemporary feel.

Over 7,500 staff including cabin crew, pilots, Clubhouse staff and Virgin Holidays employees will receive new uniforms from the iconic designer and employees have been involved throughout the design process. Passengers will receive a sneak peek of the new uniforms from July 2013 when cabin crew and ground staff trial the uniform at the airports and on board. Crew will provide feedback on the design, practicality and wearability so tweaks can be made ahead of the full launch in 2014.

Many items of the new uniform will be produced using recycled materials – in particular working with recycled polyester yarn made from used plastic bottles. The suiting fabrics will also have a nano finish applied which extends the life of garments and enables clothing to retain its colour and finish for longer. Virgin Atlantic is also developing all items with Closed Loop Recycling in mind. This new technology takes worn polyester clothing and turns it back into fibres that can be woven again into new fabrics and in turn new clothing.

Vivienne Westwood has also introduced recycled bags for the ground staff which will be produced for Virgin through the Ethical Africa Programme, in collaboration with the International Trade Centre (ITC). The bags will be created using recycled canvas, reused roadside banners, unused leather off-cuts, and recycled brass, produced in the Kibera slum, Nairobi, where discarded metal like padlocks and car pieces are collected then melted down.

To explore the Virgin Atlantic uniform project, visit our Pinterest board at http://pinterest.com/VirginAtlantic/New-Red-Threads/ and join the conversation on Twitter using #newredthreads.

Sir Richard Branson and friends party at The Roof Gardens to celebrate 30 years on top in London

Posted on by

Last night Sir Richard Branson hosted an 80’s extravaganza at The Roof Gardens to celebrate 30 years as one of the top clubs and venues in London.

Famous faces including Princess Beatrice, Jimmy Carr, Alexandra Burke, Sarah Harding and friends were treated to a fun packed evening including a variety of live music – which included a fantastic performance from The Overtones and an amazing DJ set from 80’s legend Boy George. Guests also enjoyed a roller disco and to round off the evening, a spectacular fireworks display with views across London

.

As part of the celebrations a live charity auction was held helping to raise money for Trekstock – a charity which aims to raise awareness of cancer in young people. Some of the brilliant auction items included a fabulous trip for two to Necker Island and a studio session with Mark Ronson and Daniel Merriweather.

It was an evening of double celebration as Babylon, the award-winning restaurant at The Roof Gardens; also celebrated its 10th birthday and regular guests were invited to a delicious dinner before joining the party downstairs.

For the past three decades, the venue which is also part of the Virgin Limited Edition luxury portfolio, has entertained and enchanted Londoners and visitors from around the world with its 1.5 acres beautiful gardens, its exclusive private members nightclub and the award-winning Babylon Restaurant.

Sir Richard Branson commented: “I am thrilled that we are celebrating owning The Roof Gardens for 30 years, I can’t believe how time flies! This evening has really celebrated everything the venue has to offer and was a fantastic way to say a huge thank you to everyone who has supported us over the years.”

Carole Stone on how she made The Stone Club a success.

Posted on by

People who meet me now find it hard to believe that as a teenager I was very shy. I remember that in my first job at the BBC as a secretary I used to loiter outside the newsroom waiting for someone else to go in so that I could slip in behind them, unnoticed. Today I must seem very confident, not to say loud, and I’m happy to speak in public to different audiences. But it’s taken quite a bit of effort to get there, for if I was shy when I was young, my brother Roger was even shyer – pathologically so. To try to get him to communicate at all with other people I just had to make contact with them myself. I think that’s where my interest in other people began and why today I can’t pass up a chance to put people together who I think might benefit in all sorts of ways from getting to know each other. At the last count I have over 40,000 people on my database and two books to my name on what I call the art of networking.

I first got a chance to bring very different people together in a big way when I became the Producer of BBC Radio 4’s Any Questions?, every week trying to get the right mix of politicians, business people, and leading figures from the arts and sciences and the media to make an interesting programme. And when I left the BBC I started a business along the same lines, putting together people who wanted to meet but might not have done so without a helping hand.

Recently I have been working as managing director of YouGovStone, a joint venture company which I set up with the online opinion polling organisation YouGov. I have a panel of about four thousand people which I consult on behalf of clients who want to know what opinion leaders – what I call the ‘Influentials’ – are thinking on a host of different topics.

And then in May 2009 I did something I have wanted to do for ages, I opened a club – TheStoneClub. We don’t have a permanent home: instead, members meet for different events in one of several venues in central London. My motto for this virtual club is ‘A Meeting of Minds’, and I have two tiers of membership. Silver members come to what I call my ‘In Conversation’ evenings, to listen to and question speakers like Lord (Brian) Griffiths of Goldman Sachs, Jeremy Hunt, MP, the Tory shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, and Tom Bower, author of devastating blockbuster biographies about people like Richard Branson, Robert Maxwell, and Harrods owner Mohamed al-Fayed. Future guest speakers I’ve booked for these events include the Doug Richard, formerly of Dragon’s Den and entrepreneur.

Gold members tend to be more business-oriented, and for them, in addition to my ‘In Conversation’ events, I arrange breakfasts with speakers like Vicky Pryce, the Director-General, Economics, at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, and Adrian Monck, Managing Director, Communications, at Davos, the World Economic Forum. I’m much looking forward to welcoming Sly Bailey, the Chief Executive of Trinity Mirror, the UK’s largest newspaper publisher, to a breakfast soon.

Running a business that is all about people is really demanding, and of course there are times when I’m cross with myself for not having looked after one of my think tank or club members as well as I think should. But I’ll never give up trying, because to me people are a solace, the real joy of life.

The Stone Club is a fantastic private members club. For more info or to join, follow this link: http://www.yougovstone.com/content/the-stone-club.asp