The high-speed train company, Eurostar, unveiled a new uniform for the first time in over a decade, with a particular focus on inclusivity.
The new uniform collection features 54 items, including a graffiti neckerchief, skirts, ties, and green Dr Martens boots, which can be worn by any staff member, regardless of their gender.
The collection with a "metropolitan flair” was created by French designer Emmanuelle Plescoff, known for her work with Christian Lacroix.
However, the final product involved the collaboration of 80 staff ambassadors over a two-and-a-half-year process. This included staff working on trains across the channel and on the continent.
Images of the new Eurostar uniform. Credit: Eurostar
Representing Brussels in the project was Valéry Paquay, the Eurostar manager at Brussels-Midi station.
“Since the very beginning, we were involved in the project. We were very free to express ourselves,” he said. “It was very interesting, because there were different cultures as well.”
The inclusivity aspect was also a goal from the beginning, according to Paquay. “It was the objective of the CEO that the new uniform was elegant, chic, iconic, and inclusive,” he said. “Society is changing, and everybody should be able to feel like themselves.”
Valéry Paquay wearing the Eurostar uniform. Credit: Eurostar
While Paquay is not a designer himself, he knows his way around a uniform, thanks to his experience in the railway industry, which began in 2001, when he first started as a steward for what was then Thalys.
“It's quite a challenge to design a uniform,” he said, adding that staff members have a range of tasks that the uniforms must be tailored to, including going on the tracks in case of an issue.
The perfect uniforms, he said, needed to be comfortable, functional, fit different temperatures, and be durable.
To ensure this was met, Paquay put the initial designs to the test. “I wore it on the platform so my colleagues could see the uniform, could touch the uniform, and to give some feedback,” he said.
The official presentation of the new Eurostar uniform collection in Paris. Credit: Eurostar
The final uniforms, in the words of the designer Emmanuelle Plescoff, form a “collection that balances simplicity, reliability, and a metropolitan flair."
Notably, Plescoff's designs took inspiration from the European destinations of the train services, such as the "French elegance" in the navy blue colour, or the neckerchief design inspired by Belgian and Dutch street art.
The uniforms were finally officially introduced to 2,600 Eurostar staff members earlier this month. So far, Paquay says the reviews from both passengers and staff have been positive.
Although the Brussels-Midi Eurostar manager prefers the more traditional items in the new uniforms, Paquay sees the flexibility of the collection as a positive change for the staff.
"The new Eurostar uniform truly embodies all the values that the brand wants to represent,” he said.
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