Last week we saw the uniforms of Russian athletes for the Tokyo Olympics. Despite the WADA sanctions, the outfit turned out to be very bright, in contrast togray sets Pyeongchang-2018...
Although the Zasport company has fulfilled the requirements set for Russia - it has abandoned the coat of arms and the flag - it is difficult to call the uniform neutral. And what about in other countries? Americans and Italians sew suits in fashion houses, while Canadians have been criticized for their street style.
Not everyone liked the style of Canadians, Australia was criticized for working with a Japanese brand
The kits that Russian athletes will wear at the opening and closing ceremonies of the Games drew criticism.
“It's like a middle finger in the face of the rest of the world. Russia was allowed to have clothes in the colors of the flag. With this collection, she mocks the rest of the world with the approval of the smiling IOC, ”- the commentator of the Norwegian NRK Jan Petter Saltvedt was indignant.
Our Olympic uniform: in the colors of the flag, without the word Russia - but with a talisman
At the same time, Russia is not the only country whose equipment questions have arisen. Canadians took the path of originality, but not everyone liked it.
Last summer, the NOC of Canada presented three sets of dress uniforms: for the opening and closing ceremonies, as well as for the awards. The main direction of the collection is street style: jeans, light jackets and color minimalism. And if the jacket for the opening of the Games surprised by the fact that it resembled a leather jacket (although it is nylon), then the outfit for the closing of the Olympics caused a heated discussion among experts and fans.
Canadian athletes will enter the stadium in denim jackets from Levi's, which look like they are painted from a spray can. Designers were inspired by Japanese street fashion, and they also fit more than one symbol on clothes. The dates 1964 and 2020, the years when the Olympics were held in Tokyo, were printed on the collar, several inscriptions "Canada" in different styles were applied, and Paris, where the next summer Games will be held, was also painted on the jacket. There was a place for the Canadian flag, hieroglyphs and other inscriptions.
Many fans did not understand the ideas of the designers and criticized the form. They even called for the Olympics to be canceled, just not to see these jackets.
Canadians were condemned for originality, but Australians got it for choosing a manufacturer.
In the outfit of the Australian team, they used the usual colors for the national team: yellow and green. An important detail is the drawings of the indigenous population of the country, placed on T-shirts. The clothing depicted the meeting place of the tribe - it is also a symbol of unification, which is so often talked about at the Olympics.
Everyone liked the design, but human rights activists called cooperation with the Japanese company ASICS shameful. All because of the difficult situation in Xinjiang, where camps for national minorities are common. People are forced to work, and it is in this region of China that the largest cotton factories are located. More recently, the well-known brand H&M faced sanctions in the Chinese market, refusing to sew products in Xinjiang.
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ASICS has not yet canceled shipments from China, so the Australian NOC has been accused of involvement in forced labor. The committee immediately assured: not a single thing that athletes will wear in Tokyo 2020 were sewn in Xinjiang. However, it is almost impossible to verify this.
USA and Italy have chosen star fashion designers
The range of outfitters for the Olympic teams is very wide: in Russia they are betting on the young company Zasport, Sweden has chosen the Japanese giant of the mass market Uniqlo, Belarus is patriotically cooperating with Solo-Pinsk. But fashion houses are also competing to participate in the Games.
Nike has traditionally developed the sports uniform for the US team. At the ceremonies, the Americans will appear in costumes from Ralph Lauren. While presented options for closing the Games.
The clothes were made in the USA, they used environmentally friendly materials in the production: jackets were sewn from fabric based on recycled plastic bottles, leather elements were abandoned in favor of plant analogues.
Clothes from Ralph Laurent for the US NOC are not only an opportunity to go to the stadium wearing branded clothes. It is also mutually beneficial cooperation. The company sends profits from the sale of items from the Olympic collection to the US team.
Americans aren't the only mods on the Games. Team Italy in Tokyo is dressed by Giorgio Armani. The designer combined Japanese motives and national symbols of Italy in the outfit. For example, the country's flag is depicted on the jackets in the form of a circle - it also resembles the flag of Japan. The font on the back is in the style of hieroglyphs.
Armani paid special attention to detail: the colors of the flag are visible even on the laces of the sneakers, and on the inside of the collars there is the beginning of the Italian anthem. The full text was printed on the lining of the jackets.
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The Hungarians have a kimono, the Japanese have a tribute to the 1964 Olympics
Japanese culture often inspires designers: someone uses hieroglyphs, someone uses national symbols. The outfit of the Hungarian team reminds of an important attribute of Japan - the kimono.
The Hungarian company Nubu was given a difficult task: to combine the identity of the country and at the same time to remind about where the Games will be held. The designers did it: loose trousers and blouses with wide belts are a direct reference to the Japanese kimono, and the choice of colors is to the flag of Hungary.
The Japanese themselves chose minimalism. White and red are a predictable combination, but the ceremonial uniform of the hosts of the Olympics is also a reminder of Japan's sports history.
For the first time, Tokyo hosted the Olympics in 1964. The legacy of those Games is an important topic for the country. Then, at the opening ceremony, the Japanese came out in a memorable combination: red jackets, white hats and trousers. The outfit for this tournament almost completely repeats the design of 57 years ago: only now the top of the suit will be white, and the bottom will be red.
For the first time ever, Japanese Olympians and Paralympians will wear the same uniform at the Games - another gesture reminder of the tournament's unifying goal.
Mexico chooses from three options: all are chic
Mexicans have combined originality and national identity. True, it is not yet known in what form the national team will appear in Tokyo 2020. And it's not about late designers or production problems.
In Mexico, a vote was held - the equipment is chosen by the fans. By the end of April, they will determine which of the athletes will take to Japan.
Three designs of ceremonial uniforms reached the final. The form with the poetic name "Golden Stone of the Sun" refers to the times before the Spanish colonization: against a black background, the golden traces of ancient tribes appear.
The second option is perhaps the most laconic - blue pantsuits with a floral pattern on the lapel of the jacket. The designers were probably inspired by the artist Frida Kahlo.
The third outfit is a copy of the traditional charro costume - Mexican cowboys. Blue trousers and white shirts are diluted with important details - embroidery and the famous butterfly around the neck.
The Olympics are dying, and we are saving them: many host countries, a month-long tournament, more species - perhaps even eating sausages at speed
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On July 23, the opening ceremony of the Olympics will take place in Tokyo. Due to the pandemic, the tournament was postponed for a year, and the IOC has already announced that the number of participants in the parade will be limited. Despite all the difficulties, the Games seem to take place.
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