Ahoy matey...

Such sad news yesterday with the collapse of Thomas Cook the travel operator.

All those people losing their jobs and hundreds of thousands of travellers affected all over the world.

Commentators are saying that perhaps their demise was inevitable as the brand didn’t move with the times. 

That’s certainly a claim that can’t be levelled against Virgin, who the other week announced that they have asked Gareth Pugh to design a capsule collection of uniforms for the crew of Virgin Voyages' adults-only cruise ships.

The crew kit includes a shirt with an angular graphic that looks like a stylised sailor's necktie and a black dress with a dramatic red cape.

Other dresses include one with a angular boat neck and thick black straps and another that is an asymmetric smock dress, both in the Virgin brand's signature red.

Pugh has also designed a uniform featuring a black harness that loops over the shoulders, crossing over at the back to form a belt around the hips, which looks like a cross between a utility belt and bondage-wear.

"For this project, we were really allowed to push the boundaries, and to redefine the idea of what constitutes a uniform, we ultimately wanted to make everything about it modern, luxurious and desirable."

The uniforms will be paired with a gender neutral red trainer by PLAE for all crew members to wear, instead of the red high heels that are often paired with other Virgin uniforms. PLAE designed the shoes to have environmentally friendly linings made from coffee grounds.

Virgin Voyages is a new "adult-by-design" cruise line that will sail under the ethos of "No Kids. No Kidding". The company's first cruise ship – christened Scarlet Lady – will launch in spring 2020.

British designer Tom Dixon has designed interiors for the cabins of Scarlet Lady, which are called Rock Star Suites. There are eight types of room design including the Massive suite, which comes with electric guitars. Holiday-makers will be able to take advantage of amenities such as an overnight swimsuit drying service and a rooftop nightclub.

Everything in that last paragraph makes my buttocks clench.

I would rather be stranded on a desert island than sleep in one of those rooms.

But hey, that’s just me. This will look like paradise on the high seas for some and like we always say here in The KIngdom, whatever floats your boat…

Queen Marie

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