As part of a $500 million renovation to restore the Empire State Building’s 1930’s glory, new Art Deco-inspired uniforms are rolling out for staff this summer to kick off the season in style. The dapper uniforms are made to measure and have unique 1930’s details that fit the period and character of the ESB, like chevrons on the sleeves, custom silk ties with mini buildings, an Art Deco-style font created for patches, and a custom dyed fabric color called “ESB Burgundy.” 

With the abundance of Art Deco looks on the Fall ’08 runways, could the Empire State Building have also drawn inspiration from Italian fashion houses? Versace’s Fall 2008 Men’s Collection showed strikingly similar Art Deco-inspired suits, jackets, and accessories. Versace’s deep plum suits also resemble “ESB Burgundy.”

Now like any New Yorker, I have never visited the Empire State Building--it holds less interest to me than the Eiffel Tower for Parisians, so I don't know what the uniforms looked like pre-restoration.  One thing though is for sure: the corporate world looking for inspiration in the design community is definitely something I can get behind and support.  Enough to go to visit the Empire State Building?  Probably not.