ON BOARD | WINTER 2014 | 87

such as preferring a skirt for women when their husband would be just as satisfied with a regular pair of shorts or a skort without sensing the advantage of one over another”.

Helen MacLeod from Sea Design has been in the business for 25 years and has witnessed the crew uniform going from classic to more contemporary looking. “Uniforms should not be considered an afterthought. It is rather like the icing on the cake. The uniform is the ‘front window’ for the yacht and a lot of thought is required. That is the reason why the owners want uniforms that represent them. Sometimes they’ll want them to match the colour of the hull, sometimes they want the collar or the sleeves to be a different colour, the possibilities are endless as what we offer is tailor made. Although, they tend to require a larger range of colour than before. They also want some more technical fabrics; one that resists water or dries quickly.”

Worldwide deliveryLike many uniform companies, Sea Design delivers worldwide. “We have to,” says Helen “even if shipping costs are expensive and often taxed with customs duties, the yachts remain faithful to the uniform company they do business with. Obviously, it makes it easier to re-stock them as the company keeps all records on file.” Also, she declares that most of the time, the budget for the uniforms is accounted for. Whether the yacht is doing a top up, or an entire rotation, which is reassuring when you know the size of the budget that yachts allow on clothes and footwear.

However these small detail changes are quite common nowadays. In fact, it seems that the basic plain crew uniform hardly exist anymore. Owners always seem to want more and challenge the Crew Uniform companies. Like the owner of the 66m SY Aglaia; on top of having his sail representing a painting (exhibited in his living room) he decided to have all the crew’s swimwear done the same way. Of course, we’re not only talking about the exterior of the garment, but also, the interior, the Velcro with the name of the yacht etc...

Family matters Anna Bardakou from Suit Form has been in the business all her life as her father was a famous tailor in Piraeus who over time dedicated part of his company to the yachting business. She confirms that embroidery designs and prints are basic and common requirements, however she recalls a very interesting request from one of her clients: “What our clients ask for the most is to be distinguished. And they mean it, in the sense of ‘from far-away’! As a fashion designer, I apply all the knowledge I obtained working in the Italian fashion houses, applying the rule that, clothing design is made by 3 factors: form, material and colour. Two years ago, we received a special request: to perfectly hide a Motorola radio under the ladies uniforms. Their uniforms had a tight fitting and the radio was big and heavy and difficult to hide. More than being surprised, I felt stimulated to overcome this challenge. With accurate research, a series of reflections and trials with the industrial designer Lara La Porta, together with a team of Italian artisans, lead us to the final resolution, an idea that was above the client’s expectations.”

Although we clearly see the evolution of crew wear, the fact that the original outfits were done by designers makes us realise that although owners have always wanted the best looking uniforms for their crew, they have just followed the trends across the years.

MATTERSstyle

Custom Uniform ShopFocused almost entirely on Custom Design, their philosophy is to give the clients exactly what they want. By matching design concept, colour and styling with the interior or the exterior of the yacht, Sylwia helps to make the client’s uniforms an integral part of their yacht design. Although the In House Creations are focused mainly on delivering modern styles, they are also able to produce more conservative and classic looks in more up to date cutsand using much higher quality fabrics, than the available off the shelf items. So why not have it your way? We make it happen.For more details Tel: +34 693 366 014 or visit www.nuuq.eu

Sea DesignBased in the yachting capital Antibes, Sea Design has been the leading distributor of uniforms for superyacht crew for the past 20 years. Priding themselves on the creation of uniforms that are both stylish and modern, whilst practical and comfortable to wear, Sea Design provides style and service which is delivered on time and within your budget. A wide range of crew uniforms are available, from elegance to gourmet wear, all requirements can be met. Sea Design’s own range of formal crew eveningwear, created for style and comfort includes women’s blouses, skirts, trousers and cardigans and men’s shirts, trousers and pullovers. Shorts, polo shirts, trousers and t-shirts are also available within Sea Design’s range of day wear. For more details Tel: +33 (0)4 93 74 74 53 or visitwww.sea-design.com