Another step towards cultivating the Prague brand in tourism. The employees of Prague’s towers and tourist information centres will have a new sustainable dress code from the workshops of Czech family businesses.

 The dress code is intended for the employees of Prague’s towers, tourist information centres, the historical tram line No. 42 and the guide dispatching services. It aims to create a unified visual standard for official tourism services guaranteed by the City of Prague, and thus be clearly distinguishable.

In the tender for manufacturing the dress code garments, Prague City Tourism employed the principles of socially and environmentally responsible public procurement and innovation. In the public contract, it expressly declared its interest in the participation of small and medium-sized companies and prioritised suppliers that create job opportunities for persons with medical, social or cultural handicaps. Last but not least, the company applied the principle of environmentally responsible public procurement by stipulating a requirement for the maximum distance of the production facility from the company’s registered office, in an effort to reduce the carbon footprint of product manufacturing and transport.

Owing to this configuration of the public contract, the uniforms were manufactured by two Czech family businesses. The cotton garments were supplied by the Vimperk-based family firm Vavi, owned by Jiří and Věra Vávra. The wool pieces were produced by the Vitapur social enterprise run by spouses Vlasta and Martina Veselík. It includes the Schindler knitting factory in Krásná Lípa, where the Veselík family preserves and evolves the tradition of manufacturing knitted goods. 

“We are thrilled that we managed to select Czech family businesses with a wealth of tradition to create the garments and support a structurally affected region,” says Jana Adamcová, Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors of Prague City Tourism, with respect to the environmental and social impact. “We would like our approach to inspire other large companies and institutions,” she adds.

“The textile industry has been a source of wealth for our region since the mid-19^th century. We were part of the most industrially advanced area of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and the fame of local textile production in Europe was maintained even in the inter-war and post-war period. It was only after 1989 that social changes led to the gradual disappearance of most of the local textile factories. Structural impairment also had a major impact on the social sphere. Nevertheless, the Schindler knitting factory in Krásná Lípa has managed to preserve the craftsmanship of local knitters to this day. And it is great news for us that its premium textile products will be showcased through new uniforms at important tourist sites in our capital city,” says Jan Kolář, Mayor of Krásná Lípa.

The design of the summer and winter versions of the new attire was created by Prague-based designer Vladimír Staněk. He used the symbols of individual Prague’s towers to promote a deeper interest in the city’s history, incorporating them into each part of the uniform through patterns and motifs. The individual garments combine a specific royal blue shade with bronze-gold, enhancing the image of Prague as a premium destination. Staněk works with knits and knitted fabrics made of high-quality materials, which are comfortable for everyday wear. The collection covers all seasons and is designed to give ladies and gentlemen plenty of freedom to create the most pleasing personalised combinations to suit their personality.

“Our collaboration with the City of Prague has been wonderful. I designed the new dress code to perfectly reflect the class and atmosphere of the royal city. The colour combination is meant to catch the eye at first glance, just like the symbols that alternate on the garments,” comments designer Vladimír Staněk, adding: “I knew the pieces would be worn by people of various heights and proportions, which is why, for instance, the sleeves are cut in a raglan style that makes the garments look great and flatter everyone.”