QANTAS CELEBRATES 95th BIRTHDAY WITH BARBIE AND KEN

QANTAS has enlisted the help of the world's biggest supermodels, Barbie and Ken, to model the airline's uniforms from across the decades as part of its 95th birthday celebrations.

The plastic couple are currently on display at the Sydney Qantas Club, with a collection of 44 dolls strutting their stuff in historical outfits worn by flight attendants and pilots.

The exhibit showcases the changing fashions from the flying goggles and leather jackets of the 1920s to the fabulous prints the air hostesses wore during the 70s.

The Barbie exhibit is a labour of love from the late John Willmott-Potts, a former Qantas long haul flight attendant, who put together the uniforms over a 22 year period.

Qantas asked Australian born designer, Martin Grant, to create a mini version of the current Qantas uniform to add to Willmott-Potts' collection.

The outfits from the years gone by have been meticulously matched to dolls also taken from a similar era.

The dolls were originally used as part of a travelling interactive history class called 'Stitches in Time' that Willmott-Potts delivered to rural NSW schools and libraries.

Qantas group executive of brand and marketing affairs Olivia Wirth says the airline is proud to present the exhibition to Qantas devotees during its 95th year of operation.

"This collection is truly quite special and the fact that a former Qantas crew member personally created these uniforms as a hobby shows the passion our people have for the airline," says Wirth.

"We're excited to share them with customers as we prepare to mark our anniversary, especially given they have never been on display as a formal exhibition before.

"There are some eye catching uniforms that form part of our 95 year history, including the bright green and blue floral patterned Pucci dresses from the mid to late 1970s, to the bomber jackets with fur-trimmed collars worn by Qantas pilots before the second World War.

"Special mention to the  Yves Saint Laurent flight attendant uniform from the late 80s with its oversized pads and heavy gold trim that was right on trend during that era."

The plastic fantastic couple will be flaunting the designs over a four-week period in the Sydney Qantas Club.