Visit our KARMA instore shop and showroom in Sandton, Wynberg—where your corporate brand vision comes to life.
Visit our KARMA instore shop and showroom in Sandton, Wynberg—where your corporate brand vision comes to life.
We’re thrilled to collaborate with LIFT Airlines on its new uniform collection, marking the airline’s first uniform refresh since launching in 2020.
As LIFT continues to grow and evolve, so too has the need for a wardrobe that reflects the brand’s confidence, maturity and momentum today.
From the outset, the brief was clear: create a collection that reflects LIFT’s growth and evolution while staying true to the warmth, flexibility and approachability that passengers have come to know.
Working closely with the airline, KARMA developed a wardrobe that balances style, practicality and individuality, resulting in a collection that reflects both where the brand is today and where it is headed next.
Every successful uniform project begins with understanding the people who will wear it. Before considering colour palettes, silhouettes or styling details, the focus was on creating garments that would support employees in their daily roles.
LIFT’s teams work in dynamic environments where comfort, durability and professionalism are essential
From cabin crew and airport staff to support teams behind the scenes, each role comes with its own set of responsibilities and practical requirements. This understanding shaped the foundation of the collection and guided the design process from start to finish.
The collection was built around three key principles:
Rather than creating a rigid set of uniform rules, the goal was to design a wardrobe that empowers employees while ensuring a cohesive and professional brand presence.
By putting people first, we were able to create a collection that feels as good as it looks.
Once the employee experience had been established as the foundation of the project, the next step was bringing the LIFT brand to life through design.
Every brand has a story, and uniforms play an important role in telling it. For LIFT, the story is one of innovation, growth and a fresh perspective on air travel.
The new uniform collection introduces a sophisticated charcoal colour palette, offering a premium alternative to traditional black aviation uniforms.
Paired with LIFT’s signature yellow accents, the collection creates a strong visual identity that is both contemporary and unmistakably recognisable.
The design direction focused on three objectives:
Importantly, not everything changed. LIFT’s iconic white sneakers remain part of the airline’s wardrobe, preserving one of its most recognisable and distinctive features.
This balance between evolution and familiarity helped ensure the collection feels authentic, modern and true to the LIFT brand.
One of the defining features of the collection is its wardrobe-based approach. Moving away from a traditional one-look-for-everyone approach, the collection gives employees the flexibility to choose from a range of garments while maintaining a consistent brand image.
This concept was guided by three principles:
For men, the collection includes collared shirts, crew-neck T-shirts, tailored charcoal trousers and a contemporary waistcoat featuring asymmetrical fastening details.
For women, one standout addition is a modern jumpsuit that combines the elegance of a dress with the practicality of trousers.
Developed specifically with airline employees in mind, it offers a sophisticated yet functional solution for day-to-day operations.
The wardrobe concept gives employees greater freedom to select garments that suit their role and personal preferences while remaining aligned with the overall brand image.
It is a modern approach that recognises individuality without compromising consistency.
Ultimately, the collection reflects the way people work today: flexible, dynamic and collaborative.
Looking back on the project, what makes this collaboration particularly rewarding is the shared vision behind it.
Both KARMA and LIFT approached the process with a commitment to innovation, quality and creating something that genuinely serves the people behind the brand.
This project was never just about designing clothing. It was about creating a wardrobe that reflects an airline’s evolution, celebrates its people and enhances every customer interaction.
Through collaboration, thoughtful design and a clear understanding of the brand’s objectives, we were able to bring that vision to life in a meaningful way.
For KARMA, working on this new uniform collection has been an opportunity to showcase how strategic design can support both business goals and employee experience.
More importantly, it demonstrates what can be achieved when two South African brands come together to create something purposeful, practical and inspiring.
As LIFT enters its next chapter, we’re proud to have partnered on a project that reflects the airline’s evolution and the people behind it.
More than a uniform refresh, the collection is a celebration of collaboration, thoughtful design, and a shared vision for the future, highlighting the impact of innovative Aviation Uniform Design.
