On Sept. 27, the heart of Paris was buzzing with excitement, as the Red Carpet wrapped around Galeries Lafayette Paris Haussmann. The renowned shopping centre was closed to the public for an exclusive event, as several hundred journalists and VIP guests from all over the world joined curious Parisians outside the iconic building for a special presentation. Before the sunset lit up Parisian skies with a perfect pink, Air France officially unveiled its 12-window exhibition to a loud applause.

Arguably, the most elegant and stylish airline in the world, Air France is celebrating its 90th anniversary this year and the exclusive Galeries Lafayette event kicked off the festivities. To mark this special milestone, the airline collaborated with Xavier Ronze, French designer and head of the costume design workshops at the Paris Opera Ballet, to create five iconic dresses. Each dress represents the key focus areas of the company: aircraft and technology; uniforms and fashion; emblematic posters promoting its vast network; fine dining and tableware; and design and architecture. To create each piece, Ronze combined items and objects that are central to the company’s history with contemporary pieces.

The dresses are showcased at Galeries Lafayette’s windows, but the display also features hundreds of other heritage items from Air France’s history, as well as a variety of multimedia installations. This includes in-flight fine dining tableware, designer uniforms over the years, aircraft models and vibrant posters that Air France designed to promote its extensive network over the last nine decades (1,000 daily flights to 200 destinations as of today).

On the night of Sept.27, Galeries Lafayette was closed to the public, and once the window displays were officially unveiled, journalists and VIP guests were invited inside for an exclusive cocktail celebration. The event featured speeches from Air France’s key executives, hors d’oeuvres prepared by Air France’s chefs (many of whom are Michelin-starred), a runway show that showcased select Air France uniforms designed by renowned designers over the decades (including Christian Dior, Balenciaga and Christian Lacroix), the official unveiling of an anniversary video, and a final celebration on the rooftop of the building.

In an exclusive interview with FAJO, Anne Rigail, the Chief Executive Officer of Air France, said that “today’s event is to celebrate 90 years of great history.”

“We wanted to share this birthday and [showcase] the DNA of Air France: its fashion, aircraft, network, design, and all the pioneers that were part of our history,” she added. “We are sharing it with all our [guests] today, but also with all of our 40,000 Air France colleagues and our customers all around the world. It’s exciting and a very positive momentum, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic. Today, we are already planning the 90 future years of Air France and there will, for sure, be an even bigger celebration for our 100 year-anniversary!”

The Galeries Lafayette Paris Haussmann window display is available until Oct. 10, 2023. The store also currently houses a pop-up selection that has unique Air France souvenirs for sale, many of which are limited edition. In addition, to ensure maximum exposure to its international network, Air France has launched a new immersive website that is available in French and English. Site visitors can explore and learn more about the themes of the displays and look back at the history of Air France and its legacy.

EnVols, Air France’s media platform, is also currently offering its readers a special edition dedicated to the company’s 90th anniversary. Key highlights in this issue include going behind the scenes with Xavier Ronze, exploring the airline’s uniforms with Olivier Rousteing, Artistic Director of Balmain, and learning the secrets of triple Michelin-starred chef Anne-Sophie Pic, who regularly creates the menus offered in the La Première and Business cabins. This special supplement can be found at Galeries Lafayette Paris Haussmann and inside the October/November issue of EnVols magazine, in the Air France lounges at Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Paris-Orly and in boarding lounges.

Photo credits: courtesy of Air France and by Hannah Yakobi.