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Why hire a designer when you can also give students the chance to design workwear? That’s what the owner of an Austrian McDonald’s branch thought when it was time for new uniforms. And the result is worth seeing.
17-year-old student designs workwear for Austrian McDonald’s
For this project, Markus Bock, McDonald’s franchisee in Sillpark, teamed up with the Ferrari Fashion School Innsbruck. Fashion students were all invited to come up with a design for the fast-food restaurant’s new uniforms. The best design would be chosen and eventually worn by the employees.
Out of 70 students from years 2, 3 and 4, six finalists were selected. They got the chance to present their ideas to a jury made up of franchise and project managers, including franchisee Markus Bock and Marko Krapec, Head of Employee Experience at McDonald’s Austria. The jury was especially impressed by the design of 17-year-old Ida Lechner. The clean lines and functional details of her T-shirt stood out. “We want our employees to feel comfortable in what they wear, whether they’re flipping burgers or interacting with guests,” said Marko Krapec.
That’s why the T-shirt will be tested over the coming months. And that might take some getting used to for staff, who previously always wore a blouse. Based on their feedback, improvements will be considered.
Students designing workwear is nothing new
It’s not the first time a student has developed workwear. This is actually quite common in the aviation industry.
As far back as 1986, students from the School of Fashion Design at the Institute of Technology MARA designed the uniforms for Malaysia Airlines. Ryanair did the same in 2015 for their new uniforms, and the recently launched outfits for Brussels Airlines were also designed by a student.
It’s a great way to let students gain real-world experience in workwear design, but it also offers companies a unique opportunity. Young people often have different ideas than those who’ve been designing uniforms for years. And especially at a place like McDonald’s, where many young people work, it’s a chance to let a valuable voice be heard.
Best wishes,
Aileen