Nanette Lepore for Thompson Hotels courtesy of Starworks
Nanette Lepore teamed up with Thompson Hotels to create a cocktail dress for the lady staffers. For Thompson Properties, this is the first time they've used one designer across all their locations.
Though, high fashion teaming with planes, trains, hotels and restaurants are nothing new. Every year there seems to be a "trend" piece on high fashion design uniforms overtaking the work place.
But with does a designer hand always know where to put all the pockets a server needs, or the varicose veins that a girl can get from nonsensical shoes on a 12 hour shift? And what about the pervert who keeps looking down a girls dress every time she bends over to place a cocktail on those tiny 2 ft tables?
When waiting tables at Dos Caminos, owned by B. R. Guest, our black velvet ribbon timmed can-can style skirts were custom made by designer label Lafayette 148. It wasn't long though, before the some ladies protested the skirts, which hung about 10 inches above the knee, stating that they were just too impractical to serve margaritas and tacos in. Feminists asked why the guys didn't have to wear cod pieces. Others wanted to keep them, arguing they got better tips with the booty bearing skirts. I just threw tights under mine, though my orthopedic style Mary Jane sneakers didn't add any sex appeal.
Dos Caminos Restaurant was not Lafayette 148's first foray into the hospitality industry. In fact, Cintas, a company which brands itself as the creators of corporate identity uniform makers has collaborated in the past Lafayette 148 and also with Cynthia Rowley for United Airlines, Michael Kors for W Hotels.While most people may not notice the labels of their servers duds, companies like Cintas feel they do...and hope they do as well.
I think its fair to say that if you work at Taco Bell, someone designed those turquoise and purple striped polos to contribute to its corporate identity. I don't know what they wear these days, but back in 1994, that's what I wore, while shouting over a head piece to drive through customers: "Welcome to the Border! Can I take your Order?!"
I suppose there are worse uniforms to wear than my aforementioned clown-colored fast food get up. Nearly ten years ago, news broke that Hugo Boss designed the uniforms for the SS Hitler Youth.
Take a trip through the past and present with this gallery of wacky, wild and even conservative work apparel. From Oscar de la Renta for he Boy Scouts of America to Gwen Stefani's L.A.M.B. dress for W Hotels.
