Ralph Lauren will be the official outfitter of the US Olympic and Paralympic Teams for London 2012, designing the opening and closing ceremony parade uniforms.
Ralph Lauren previously designed the teams’ uniforms for the 2008 Games in Beijing and 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver.
In addition, Ralph Lauren will design a collection of village wear apparel and accessories inspired by the 1948 Olympic Games in London. The vintage motifs will mix with modern styling in American colors of red, white and navy and new Olympic team logo.
The Ralph Lauren 2012 Olympic Collection features reissued heritage pieces from the 1930s and ’40s, including fleece warm-ups, a cricket-collar shirt and sweatshirts with USA appliqués. Reproductions of track & field designs feature an updated 1948 crest.
Outerwear and first-time Olympic-branded accessories include tote bags, hats, towels and eyewear.
The collection for men, women and children will be available for purchase in May in Ralph Lauren retail stores, Team USA shops, select US department stores and online at www.RalphLauren.com and www.TeamUSAShop.com.
As part of the involvement with Team USA for the London Games 2012, the designer announced a partnership with athletes serving as brand ambassadors, including members of the gymnastics, swimming, beach volleyball, Paralympic basketball teams, and others.
The upcoming Olympics look set to be one of the most stylish yet, with the UK team last week revealing its outfits alongside designer Stella McCartney. Meanwhile, Giorgio Armani has designed both the sporting and formal wear kits for the Italian Olympic team from Armani’s sportswear line EA7.
