A RARE collection of Air France flight attendants' uniforms since the 1930s will be shown at a gala dinner in Melbourne tonight. The dinner will also mark the launch of an exhibition of photographs, Star Spotting in Saint-Tropez, jointly sponsored by Saint-Tropez Tourisme and Air France, featuring a galaxy of jet-setting celebrities, such as Brigitte Bardot, Elton John, Princess Diana, the Rolling Stones and Karl Lagerfeld, papped as they holidayed in the exotic French Riviera port since the 1960s.

The exhibition runs from Friday until January 31 in the Sofitel Hotel, also the venue for tonight's dinner and two fashion shows: Air France's historic uniforms, and the other of Saint-Tropez' unofficial ''uniform'', the iconic French bikini.

Air France regional manager Tom Reeves said the uniforms were as relevant a subject for the catwalk as bikinis. ''Because the fashion touch ... is a very important part of the airline industry,'' he said. ''And the uniforms have always been done by the best designers.''

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