It includes a series of commemorative timepiece that retails for as much as $18,500.
As the much-anticipated Tokyo Summer Olympic Games begins today, athletes from participating countries, including the Philippines, are not exactly the only participants virtual spectators can expect. Luxury fashion brands are making an appearance at the quadrennial sporting event, too.
From official uniforms to timepieces, designers are eager to take part in the historic Games and provide support to delegations. Get to know them here.
Telfar
Liberian-American fashion designer Telfar Clemens, founder of gender-neutral, vegan-friendly brand Telfar, is the official sponsor of the Liberian national track and field team.
True to the brand, Clemens have designed unisex uniforms—a 70-piece wardrobe—for the five-man team. Vogue, in a report, has already described it as “the coolest” among Olympic uniforms. It will be reworked into a capsule collection that will be dropped online before the Games ends.
Omega
To celebrate the sporting event, Swiss watchmaker Omega—the official timekeeper of the Olympics since 1932—has released commemorative timepieces.
The collection includes three watches: a Seamaster Diver, a limited-edition Aqua Terra in steel, and an Aqua Terra in gold.
South Africa’s representative swimmer Chad le Clos, Sweden’s pole vaulter Mondo Duplantis, as well as USA’s Collin Moriwaka and Rory McIlroy are expected to sport any of these timepieces as they are Omega-supported athletes.
Tag Heuer
A number of athletes representing Swiss luxury watchmaker Tag Heuer are also expected to wear its timepieces.
For instance, Singapore’s pride in swimming, Joseph Schooling, is likely to wear the waterproof Aquaracer, as seen in an Instagram post.
Fellow brand ambassador that’s also expected to flaunt a Tag Heuer watch is British golfer Tommy Fleetwod.
Japan’s representative in women’s tennis, Naomi Osaka, is likely to be seen with one, too.
Emporio Armani
After designing the uniforms for the Italian football team which won the Euro 2020 title recently, Italian designer Giorgio Armani is also dressing the country’s delegates to the Tokyo Olympics. He has been the designer of national team uniforms since the London Olympic Games.
The design is straightforward. The jacket and the shirt feature the Italian flag. The inside collar of the outer wear bears the words “Fratelli d’Italia,” from the national anthem, which means “Brothers of Italy.” The delegation’s black trainers also reflect the Italian flag via the red, white, and green laces.
Ralph Lauren
Fashion and function make up the core of Ralph Lauren’s principle in designing the USA Olympic team’s uniforms.
At the Opening Ceremony, American athletes will be wearing a navy blazer and a printed scarf, along with a mask.
The flag bearers, meanwhile, will wear denim jackets with the brand’s new cooling technology. The self-regulating cooling device is embedded into the collar of the jacket to help combat Tokyo’s smoldering heat during the summer.
Banner Photo from @ralphlauren on IG
