Fashionably decked Olympians prepared to face rigors of Games
By Samantha Critchell
Associated Press
NEW YORK — The Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City is an opportunity for athletes worldwide to show off their strength, skill and athletic prowess. It's also an opportunity to look good in front of a worldwide audience.
Associated Press
Roots, the maker of athletic lifestyle clothing, is the official outfitter of the U.S. team for the opening ceremonies, awards podium and athletes' casual wear.
U.S. speed-skating star Apolo Anton Ohno will have Nike Mojo wraparound sunglasses when he competes for the gold medal.
The common thread among the outfits is the use of Salt Lake City blue, which designer Adrian Aitcheson describes as a sky blue and patriot blue, a navy-ish shade.
The opening parade uniform includes a cotton-knit sweater in the lighter blue with red and white accents; a patriot blue wool jacket with leather trim, wool pants and a fleece beret with red lettering.
The podium award outfits are a Patriot Blue leather jacket and fleece pants.
Is Aitcheson sure those outfits will be seen?
"Of course, we are talking about Americans. They'll be on the silver medal podium, right next to the Canadians," he says, laughing. Roots, based in Toronto, also is the maker of the Canadian athletes' maple leaf-adorned outfits.
Every athlete receives the awards-podium uniform — just in case, Aitcheson says — and the leather jacket is the only garment not available to the public. The fleece pullovers, hats and other garb are for sale to armchair Olympians at the company's 200 stores worldwide.
Look for members of the U.S. speedskating team to wear Nike Mojo wraparound sunglasses.
The wraparounds provide 51 percent more panoramic vision than conventional curved models, according to the company. They also provide clean sight lines.
A hydrophobic lens coating repels sweat and water, and a ventilated nose bridge reduces slippage and fogging.
Similar glasses, with black or silver frames and gray Nike Max lenses for better color perception in strong sunlight, will be sold to the public. Speed-skating star Apolo Anton Ohno is serving as pitchman in Nike ads to be displayed at Sunglass Hut stores.
Sporting events are not the only form of entertainment at the Olympic Village. Every night top musical stars will give concerts and AntiGravity, an aerial performance group, will defy the laws of physics at the Medals Plaza.
Shelly Bomb, creative director of the group, designed "stealth and streamlined" costumes that aim to accentuate the muscle lines of the men and the curves of the women in AntiGravity.
The theme of the outfits are fire and ice.
The ice comes from the use of white shiny vinyl and cool blue racing stripes. The fire is 3-D flames embellished with rhinestones that shoot up the costumes' arms and legs.
"I wanted an ultra edgy, cool yet accessible look. Bomb says. "It also has to be sturdy and safe.
"Vera Wang designs wedding gowns and the most beautiful skaters' costumes. I can only hope I can transcend with funky, underground clothes into the athletic arena."
One of the biggest challenges, Bomb says, is that they will be performing outdoors in the middle of winter. She had a layer of Polartec, a waterproof, moisture-wicking fabric, to trap body heat inside the costume and keep their sweat from making them cold.
Another cold-weather issue was the performers' feet.
They don't normally wear shoes because their feet are one of their most important tools, but that wasn't an option in freezing temperatures, Bomb says. She gave paired high-performance socks with suede gymnasts' shoes that are made to grip.
To many TV viewers, it's the NBC team that brings the Games into their homes every night.
NBC Olympics host Bob Costas, special correspondent Jim McKay and Medals Plaza correspondent Pat O'Brien, among others, will be wearing a wardrobe designed by Joseph Abboud.
The special collection of tailored clothing and sportswear features a mix of tweeds and soft flannels in rich tones of navy and indigo, warm grays and cool olives.
Abboud has provided the wardrobe for the NBC Olympic commentators since the 1988 Summer Games in Seoul, South Korea. NBC holds the U.S. broadcast rights for the Winter Games.
