Designer MEL uniform debuts for Melbourne Airport in Nov ’24

Melbourne Airport tapped international fashion designer Juli Grbac to create a modern MEL uniform collection – a global first for an airport – unveiling the new looks with a runway show on 9 October 2024 after being under wraps for more than 18 months.

Project Runway Australia’s inaugural winner, Grbac is also the sartorial visionary behind the stylish Virgin Australia, WestJet (Canada) and Great Southern Rail crew uniforms.

With her established background in aviation uniform design, she was the obvious choice to create a capsule collection that will easily identify and unify all staff – from cleaners to valets, trolley collectors to volunteers – at the award-winning Melbourne Airport.

“I have always loved working in aviation and working with Melbourne Airport was an extension of that. There is something about airports that is just so exciting, and I loved being a part of such a huge project to create a uniform for all the staff,” Grbac said.

“No one has designed a complete uniform for a whole airport before and I loved the opportunity to be a part of that.”

The Modern Melbourne look

Working closely with Melbourne Airport and Belgravia Apparel, the design process took more than 18 months of development, resulting in around 30 items worn by 2,000 staff across diverse departments.

“The brief was ‘Modern Melbourne’, which was exciting for me. I think the uniform space has changed so much in the past five years and I really wanted to capture the essence of what people are wearing every day and create a uniform out of it,” Grbac said.

“I spent some time in Melbourne, soaking up the culture and people-watching. I loved the idea of putting sneakers with blazers or a bomber jacket with chinos and I had to do a typically Melbourne-tailored coat for the winter.

“I always begin a project like this by spending time with the people wearing the uniforms. This is my favourite part of the process; I love to find out what is important to them and how they want to feel.

“As there are so many partners involved, from the cleaners to security, I had to ensure that a few key elements were covered like comfort, durability and sustainability all while looking modern and stylish.”

MEL uniform fit check

Grbac said several garments are unisex, including five different trouser styles for all genders to choose from, and most items are interchangeable as it was important to Melbourne Airport that the team has flexibility and for pieces to mix and match.

“Melbourne Airport was a dream to work with as they immediately saw my vision. They celebrate innovation, appreciate high quality and understand that it’s the small details that make a garment special. As a designer, I felt very supported and celebrated.”

The sleek black separates – channelling Melbourne’s famous colourway – feature a subtle branded ‘MEL’ in white on the double-breasted blazer pocket however there’s also a punchier version in watermelon pink for volunteers to stand out to travellers.

There is also a three-quarter-length black overcoat with a 100 per cent sustainable fabric outer and custom jacquard lining featuring the logo and flight path branding.

No detail was missed – buttons feature the flight path and bumbags and staff-fave white trainers are part of the uniform.

Grbac’s favourite piece in the MEL uniform collection is the bomber jacket: “It’s so cosy and very chic. I wanted it all to be matt black with modern rubber patches to add a bit of an edge and we finished it off with the quilted lining.”

“During the whole process, we ensured we heard the feedback on the designs – things have been changed and been refined along the way. The staff love the final look and I know the teams are so excited to wear it.”

Putting the MEL traveller first

Melbourne Airport Head of Traveller Experience Wendi Pearce told Karryon the four-year project marks the second phase of a pre-COVID traveller-centric experience initiative.

“We did lots of research with customer-facing organisations and travellers, and something that came through loud and clear was travellers saying as soon as they step into the terminal, their anxiety goes up 30 per cent – we call it the ‘plus 30’ factor – and they latch on to anyone who looks vaguely like they know what they’re doing,” she said.

“Stage one of the ‘Stepping Forward’ program focused on staff training in key values and behaviours and stage two is transitioning everyone who’s customer-facing into a common co-branded uniform, putting the traveller at the centre.”

A uniform MEL

Pearce said the project took a long time to execute, working with suppliers to transition from individual uniforms to a co-branded Melbourne Airport collection that incorporates each company’s colours.

“Melbourne is black – the ‘Melbourne Black’,” Pearce said emphatically of the city’s sartorial signature. “And then we then introduced their brand colours. So say, for Programmed, it’s a pop of green, for Wilson, it’s a pop of red, for ISS, it’s a pop of blue.”

“The two big things were it had to be ‘Modern Melbourne’ as the MEL uniform has an eight- to 10-year cycle, and it had to be really comfortable and practical, because people can do 20,000 steps in a shift, or they can work for 12 hours. So we pushed really hard on performance.

“Our goal was to have the largest, most sustainable corporate uniform in Australia. We didn’t want to miss that opportunity, so we took our time to make sure we nailed it.”

Pearce said ultimately, the entire MEL uniform project was driven by placing the traveller at the forefront of the experience.

“I think the big takeaway for me is that uniforms are highly emotive because you’re dealing with literally thousands of staff who all know their own body best,” she added.

“My biggest learning after so much consultation is just the importance of listening to people. It’s actually quite a privilege to design something that people feel really good in.”