For nearly two decades, Eddie Lau has helped to define Cathay Pacific’s image. The legendary Hong Kong designer created three generations of crew uniforms, unveiled in 1999, 2004 and, most recently, 2011. For Lau, the assignment goes far beyond clothing a workforce; it’s a reflection of Hong Kong’s character and Chinese elegance.
When he was just 11 years old, Lau was apprenticed to a Shanghainese master tailor in Tsim Sha Tsui’s Mirador Mansion. Driven initially by the instinct to learn a skilled trade that would help him to support himself, the young designer honed his craft while gradually cultivating a keen eye for fashion and style.
By his early-20s, Lau had saved enough money to study at London’s Central Saint Martins. “Only when I arrived did I realise there was such a thing as ‘design’,” Lau recalls, more than 50 years later. In 1978, he made history as the first Hong Kong designer to show at London Fashion Week. Yet he soon understood that he would need to go further than copying European couturiers; he sought a visual language that felt his own while being rooted in Asia. Turning towards Eastern silhouettes and tailoring traditions, Lau created his iconic 1979 “East is Red” collection – a landmark body of work that established his international reputation.
Lau is perhaps best known to the public for his work dressing cultural icons including Roman Tam, Leslie Cheung and Anita Mui. “As a couturier, the key is to read a person like a book. When a client comes to my studio, I look to her choice of lipstick, whether glossy or matte, for clues to who she is and what she desires.”
Redefining the Cathay Pacific look
In 1997, Cathay Pacific invited leading designers from Japan, the UK and Hong Kong to compete for the commission to create a new uniform capable of representing an iconic Asian brand in the new millennium. Lau believed his understanding of both Eastern and Western aesthetics made him uniquely suited to the task. His elegant translation of Cathay Pacific’s Brushwing logo into a sculpted collar helped distinguish his proposal from those of his global competitors.
The first challenge was identifying a signature colour. Cathay Pacific had been associated with red since the 1960s, selected for its auspicious connotation in Chinese culture. Yet red comes in countless shades, each with its own character. Unexpectedly, Lau found inspiration in a supermarket. “I bought a whole basket full of Coca-Cola bottles to study the secret behind the brand’s enduring identity – and discovered it lies in the red colour that has remained unchanged. I had to find a single shade that would be instantly recognisable.” He supervised repeated testing, comparing dyed fabric swatches on board, after disembarkation and through airport terminals to ensure the colour remained consistent under different lighting conditions.
The result was a warm, vibrant “rose red” that fulfilled his central objective: “I wanted passengers to be able to spot a Cathay Pacific crew member in a crowd whenever they needed assistance.”
The essence of champagne, caviar and roses
Lau has one non-negotiable principle: before beauty and impeccable tailoring, a garment must never burden the person wearing it. From subtle refinements in 2004 to a daring, comprehensive redesign in 2011, practicality remained paramount. Observations made during flights led Lau to shorten the women’s jacket and introduce double side slits to the skirt, giving cabin crew greater freedom of movement when bending or stretching. For the men’s uniform, he moved beyond conventional Western tailoring, introducing an olive-green waistcoat and a stand collar jacket inspired by the Zhongshan, or Chinese tunic suit.
For the Inflight Service Managers, Lau turned to a palette of champagne gold, black and red.
“Black is hard to work with, but elegant,” he says. “First class calls for something that can genuinely hold the room.” The colours evoke the romance of premium hospitality: champagne, caviar and roses. “Bon appétit,” Lau smiles.
Achieving a timeless beauty
For Lau, great design never dates. And the pieces that stand the test of time are rarely conceived in an instant. Instead, they evolve through observation, experimentation and refinement. Meaningful design, he believes, begins with understanding a place on its own terms. Designers must immerse themselves in a setting, absorb its atmosphere and pay attention to the quality of its light.
That balance between function and beauty is exactly what the designer has achieved for Cathay Pacific. Woven into the uniforms’ rich palette and distinctive Brushwing collar are the adaptability and confidence that define the airline and its home city. Each time a flight departs, its crew represent more than a commitment to service. They embody a culture of hospitality that transcends borders, helping the world to feel a little closer.