Gareth Pugh Teams With Richard Branson on Virgin’s New Cruise Concept
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Gareth Pugh has joined with Richard Branson to create the uniforms for Virgin’s new cruise line, Virgin Voyages.
The project has been two years in the making, and sees Pugh working alongside the likes of Tom Dixon and Mark Ronson to disrupt perceptions of vacation travel at sea.
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“For this project, we were really allowed to push the boundaries, and to redefine the idea of what constitutes a uniform. We ultimately wanted to make everything about it modern, luxurious and desirable — to allow the entire crew to look and feel like a million dollars, in keeping with the rest of the experience,” said Pugh.
Pugh’s collection allows crew members to choose from a range of looks for day and night. The collection includes sharp tailoring, body-con eveningwear and loose-fitting tunics, all inspired by British punk.
Collaborations with Virgin Voyages extend further with the brand teaming with Mulberry.
Playing on the classic, red high-heel synonymous with Virgin uniforms, Mulberry has created a red sneaker made by the San-Francisco based PLAE. The gender-neutral shoes are meant to be worn with Pugh’s collection.
This isn’t the first time that Branson has worked with a fashion designer on uniforms: In 2014 he tapped Vivienne Westwood to design the Virgin Atlantic flight attendants’ tailored red and white uniforms.
Virgin Voyages is a venture between Branson’s Virgin Group and Bain Capital. The Caribbean cruises are adult-only, and aimed at Millennials, with a focus on wellness. Vacations are billed as an alternative to Disney-style cruises packed with children, and traditional ones packed with retirees playing shuffleboard.
The first ship to set to sail in 2020.
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