In the '90s the New York Times noted how Alitalia was mostly renown for its "trendy aircraft interiors and flight attendant uniforms by designers like Giorgio Armani, rather than for service or punctuality". An analysis that, although cynical, accurately depicted how the Italian flag carrier airline, from the end of the Second World War up to its recent capitulation, has been the country's curse and blessing, faithfully incarnating its (aesthetic) highs and (managerial) lows.  

The aesthetic evolution of Alitalia often found a precious stage in Domus' pages, especially through adverts embodying the paradigm of the combination between graphic design and European mid-century elegance. Adverts where the Alitalia aircrafts, equipped with Rolls Royce engines, were dubbed as "the most modern and comfortable reaction planes". Luxury, exclusivity, and performativity, in one word: jet-set.