Westwood Designs Virgin Atlantic Uniforms

Vivienne Westwood  has redesigned Virgin Atlantic's famed red uniforms. Over 7,500 members of staff, including cabin crew, pilots, Clubhouse staff and Virgin Holidays employees, will wear the new ensembles - which will make their debut for the first time from July 2013, before the official launch in 2014.

The pairing may come as a surprise to many, considering Westwood's outspoken views on sustainability and unnecessary waste, voiced last weekend at a Vogue Festival  talk on fashion´s ability to change the world. However, the pair first met through the designer's ex-husband Malcolm McLaren, who Branson knew from signing the Sex Pistols to his record label.

"The one person in this world who could create unique designs is Vivienne," Branson told us. "So it's great to be working with her. What we don't want to do is work with anyone who comes up with a design and just dumps it on the cabin crew. It's glamorous, it's stylish."

Vivienne Westwood For Virgin Airlines

The uniforms are made using recycled materials - including polyester yarn that originated from plastic bottles and canvas created from reused roadside banners and leather off-cuts - and also incorporate Westwood's well-tailored, figure-hugging signatures.

"I really think that Richard Branson has really good motives for everything he does, said Westwood, before explaining her motives for creating the ethically-minded uniforms. "Fashion - actually let's call it clothing, because most of it isn't fashion - is one of the biggest polluters, it must be with all that landfill. My main focus is quality, rather quantity, and I've been saying to people, 'Buy less, choose well, make it last', Rather than just keep sucking things up."