HSY to design PIA's new cabin crew uniforms, first worn on the 31 October Dreamliner flight from London

PIA has picked designer Hassan Sheheryar Yasin (HSY) to dress its cabin crew, and the new uniforms enter service on 31 October 2026 on the first flight of the airline's Boeing 787 Dreamliner, from London to Islamabad, Dawn Images reported on Thursday. Business Recorder also carried the announcement.

How HSY was chosen

The design was picked at a competitive showcase in Karachi, where HSY was up against some of the best-known names in Pakistani fashion, among them Maheen Khan, Deepak Perwani, Faraz Manan, Amir Adnan, Nomi Ansari, Munib Nawaz, Ismail Farid and Generation, according to Dawn Images. The judges were:

• Shamoon Sultan, founder and chief executive of Khaadi
• Nilofer Shahid of House of Meeras
• Nabila, the stylist, with four decades in the industry
• Hina Tayyaba Khalil, vice-chancellor of the Pakistan Institute of Fashion and Design (PIFD)
• Naseem Tehrani, who spent 33 years at PIA

PIA's press release describes the uniforms as made for long-haul work, with soft, breathable fabrics and structured tailoring. HSY said designing for the national carrier was about "capturing our collective pride and the genuine warmth of Pakistani hospitality", and that he wanted the crew to feel "extraordinarily confident and comfortable". No cost has been published, and the airline has not yet released photos of the full range.

Why PIA uniforms matter

PIA's crew uniforms have been a fashion story before. In 1966 the French couturier Pierre Cardin designed its A-line tunic and hood, a look Dawn Images credits with defining aviation chic around the world, and in the 1970s Sir Hardy Amies, dressmaker to Queen Elizabeth II, also designed for the airline.

The 31 October flight

The uniform debut is tied to the Dreamliner. PIA is taking two Boeing 787-9s from Norse Atlantic for its UK routes from early November (details here), and it has also announced Islamabad to Birmingham flights from 1 December. The airline also has a new chief executive, former Salam Air head Adrian Hamilton-Manns.

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