Canada's Olympic athletes will be sporting a touch of green in their traditionally red and white uniforms at the Beijing Games — not only as a colour but also in the eco-friendly fabrics used for the clothing line.
Models and Olympic athletes model the clothes that will be worn by Canada's Olympic athletes in the athletes' village at the Beijing Games during a fashion show in Toronto Wednesday. (J.P. Moczulski/Canadian Press) The Hudson's Bay Company unveiled the athletes' clothing line for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games in Toronto on Wednesday.
The outfits use such materials as bamboo, organic cotton and cacona, which is derived from coconut.
Designer Tu Ly said the move to environmentally sustainable materials was made easy by a larger worldwide trend that increased the availability of such products.
"It was a real movement in every part of our lives, so it was hard not to be conscious of it," Ly said in an interview Wednesday with Canadian Press prior to the unveiling of the clothing line.
Designers also adapted the clothing to the high temperatures expected in Beijing after consulting with athletes who took part in the 2004 Summer Games in Athens. Those athletes said they were unprepared for the heat in Greece.
With that in mind, the clothing for the Beijing Games was made using fabrics that provide UV protection, four-way stretch, odour resistance and wicking and cooling properties to help keep athletes comfortable.
While some of the designs use only the traditional red and white colours of the Canadian Olympic team, others feature a busy blend of symbols and patterns in a mix of muted tones.
Colour and design inspiration came in part from the five aspects of Chinese astrology — earth, wood, fire, water and metal — the designers said in a press release.
Also used are such Chinese symbols as the lucky number 8, represented both as a numeral and an octagon.
Olympic rower Krista Gulien models one of the shirts featuring the colours of the five elements of Chinese astrology. (J.P. Moczulski/Canadian Press)
The line also includes a multi-functional piece called the B-tube, which designers say could be sported as a bandanna, hair band or even a mask to filter smog while in China, where air pollution is a concern for athletes.
"We felt that this time around, we wanted the athletes to make it their own," Ly said of the piece.
Sports fans and style-watchers eager to see the other line of Olympic clothing, which will be donned by athletes during the Aug. 8 opening ceremony and on the medal podium will have to wait until the Games for the unveiling.
Many pieces will be available for sale as replica wear at the Bay, Zellers, on the Hudson's Bay Company website, as well as during the Olympics at Canada House and the BC Pavilion in Beijing.
Each Olympic team member will receive 25 items, including jackets, pants, shorts, hoodies, T-shirts, shoes and luggage, as well as "team only" products such as the opening ceremony outfit and medal podium jacket.
With files from the Canadian Press
