Inspired by Assouline's jet-setting new tome, The Art of Flying, we present a five-step guide to chic air travel
If we learned anything from Karl Lagerfeld’s aviation-inspired S/S16 collection for Chanel this Autumn, it is that flying, unfortunately, is not what it used to be. Where once wiling porters rushed back and forth pushing trolleys piled high with Louis Vuitton monogrammed luggage, accompanying expertly preened passengers turned out in all their finery for the experience, nowadays there is only an anonymous, exhausted throng, crowded around Pret a Manger or the fragrance section at duty free, or waiting impatiently in line at the complaint desk. Air travel simply isn’t the the exclusive affair it started out to be, and while this allows passengers around the world to travel from A to B inexpensively, and without fuss, it does alleviate the magic.
The Art of Flying, a new book published by Assouline this Autumn, seeks to rectify this situation, and happily it does so without either an astronomical rise in airfares or exclusive first class airports. Tracing air travel from its inception in the early 20th century, through the ‘jet age’ of the 1940s and 50s and all the way to its current configuration, the book examines flight from a decidedly elevated perspective, and there’s neither a hastily discarded perfume sample nor a sad in-flight dinner to be found. Duly inspired, AnOther has compiled a guide to flying fabulous. Come fly with us…
1. Dress for the occasion
It’s a long way from lounging around departures in slouchy tracksuit bottoms and a sweatshirt, but when London businessman W.H. Pilkington boarded one of the first commercial passenger planes to Paris back in 1919, he had no choice but to don a flying suit complete with helmet, a thick leather aviator jacket, and goggles. While we don’t suggest mirroring Pilkington’s industrial attire – you’ll be hard-pressed to find the open-air cockpit to necessitate it these days, in any case – if air stewardesses are obliged to dress for the occasion in their matching two-pieces and flawlessly executed chignons, so should you. Oversized sunglasses, a large bag and a cosy scarf make for chic but practical solutions to the trials of travelling, while luggage presents a whole range of options. Whether you opt for a heritage-inspired Globe-Trotter, complete with leather straps and reinforced hardware, or a leather Gucci carry-on in the house’s trademark red and green, it should be slung around with nonchalance.
2. Supply your own soft furnishings
An airline’s own fleece blankets, while often a welcome shield against the cold which comes with altitude, don’t afford much in the way of luxury. If you’re looking to exude a first-class glamour, you’d be better advised to bring along your own cashmere – be it a blanket, a beloved jumper, or a simple but nonetheless much-appreciated pair of socks.
3. Make the most of the in-flight entertainment
Flying is one of few activities which, by elevating its passengers above the reach of either timezones, phone reception, or the inescapable force that is WiFi, forces a certain disconnectedness from daily life. It presents the perfect opportunity then, to catch up on a novel or sit back and enjoy a movie, with a perfect miniature cocktail in-hand. (Of these, we'd suggest having several.)
4. Or, befriend your fellow passengers
There is no better testament to the serendipitous pleasure of in-plane conversation than that which brought about Hermès’ Birkin bag, named after the young English actress Jane after a serendipitous meeting on a flight. "I remember it well,” Birkin has remembered in an interview. “I’d been upgraded by Air France on a flight to London, and was sitting next to a man. I'm not quite sure what type of bag I had with me – my husband, Jacques Doillon, had reversed his car over my basket, crushed it on purpose not two days before. Little did he know that on this airplane journey, when everything fell out of whatever bag I had, the man next to me said: 'You should have one with pockets'. I said: 'The day Hermès make one with pockets I will have that', and he said: 'But I am Hermès and I will put pockets in for you'."
From business decisions and luxury accessories to everso romantic trysts (please note, there is little room for the Mile High Club here), if there’s nothing to watch, we’d recommend turning to your neighbour for your in-flight entertainment.
5. Arrive in style
No flight is complete without a horde of paparazzi to receive you, fresh-faced and ready to explore your destination, at the other end. Request a plane with a staircase descent for maximum photo opportunities, and, if the paparazzi are lacking, drop a hint at a celebrity companion to ensure they come flocking. All that remains is to smile demurely, and wave.
The Art of Flying is out in December 2015, published by Assouline.
