“The world’s first commercial spaceline” is partnering with Y-3, the collaboration between adidas and Japanese designer Yohji Yamamoto, for fashion that is out of this world (pardon the pun): flights suits for the pilots of Virgin Galactic's spacecraft. Yamamoto first debuted his work in Tokyo in 1977, and is known for his use of non-traditional fabrics and avant-garde silhouettes. Spearheading the project is Virgin Group Design Director Adam Wells, whose portfolio includes the pioneering design of Virgin Atlantic's Upper Class seats, the Virgin America experience, and pretty much everything else still in the Virgin pipeline (including Virgin Hotels and Virgin Cruises). Wells’s job is, in his own words, to "create something that's never existed before.” In this case it’s spacesuits for a new generation of astronauts: space tourists.
The all-in-one, navy flight suit is made from a heat-resistant synthetic material called "Nomex Meta Aramid,” a fabric with similarities to kevlar and woven using a 3D-engineered pattern. Boots made of the same fabric (and leather) will have personal accents, like the pilot's name, and the outfit will be topped off with a jacket. In all, it is a three-piece uniform for the spaceline’s pilots, who will begin wearing the prototypes on upcoming test flights. Virgin's various companies are famous for their sartorial style; Virgin Atlantic's newest uniforms are by British designer Vivienne Westwood, while Virgin Australia crew sports looks by Project Runway Australia winner Julie Grbac.
Virgin Galactic suffered a setback in late 2014 when the SpaceShipTwo craft broke up during a test flight over the California desert, killing one pilot. Work on building the successor has progressed, and Virgin Galactic enjoyed a positive 2015, winning a $4.7 million NASA contract for satellite launches and adding a former Virgin Atlantic Boeing 747-400 (named “Cosmic Girl”) to its fleet. In November, retired U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Kelly Latimer, a former test pilot for Boeing and NASA, joined Virgin Galactic’s six-man pilot corps as its first female pilot.
Although the collaboration with Y-3 has only showcased what the pilots will wear, the good news is that it will extend to Y-3-designed looks for passengers for their space flights, as well as other Virgin Galactic crew, the details of which have not yet been released.