Tokyo Olympics: Luxury items that Joseph Schooling and others will be sporting
While the athletes go for gold, what will they wear? These are the luxury brands that will be present – in big ways and small – at the Games.
Swimmer Joseph Schooling and sprinter Mujinga Kambundji. (Photos: Instagram/josephschooling, mujingakambundji)
After a year-long delay, the Tokyo Olympics is scheduled to begin on Friday (Jul 23). While we’re excited to catch our favourite athletes in action as they strive for gold, we’re keeping our eyes peeled for the fashion parade as well.
Here’s a look at which luxury brands will be present at the games.
EMPORIO ARMANI
Italian designer Giorgio Armani is dressing the Italian team for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Armani has been designing the national team’s uniforms since London 2012.
The outfit features the Italian flag in a circular shape on the front of the jacket and shirt. The inside collar of the jacket has the words "Fratelli d'Italia" which translates to "Brothers of Italy", derived from the country's national anthem. The athletes will also wear matching black trainers featuring red, white and green laces.
“I always find it stimulating to look for new solutions for athletes’ uniforms, which must be stylishly elegant, yet also practical to use," Armani said of the design. Recently, Armani also designed the uniforms for the Italian football team, which won the Euro 2020 title.
READ> Euro 2020 final: Prince William, Adele, Donatella Versace react to Italy’s win
HUBLOT
Ahead of the games, Hublot unveiled Mujinga Kambundji as its brand ambassador. Kambundji is Switzerland’s fastest female sprinter, and was the first Swiss woman to break the 11-second barrier for the 100m sprint. She also holds the national records for the 60m, 200m and 4 x 100m events.
“I like to test my limits, on the track everything is a question of hundredths of seconds, a time that I’m now going to challenge with a Classic Fusion on my wrist!” Kambundji said of her appointment as Hublot brand ambassador.
OMEGA
Swiss watchmaker Omega has been the official timekeeper of the Olympics since 1932 and will reprise its role at the Tokyo Games.
To celebrate the historic sporting event, Omega has also released three commemorative timepieces. The first is the Seamaster Diver, the second a limited-edition Aqua Terra in steel, and the last an Aqua Terra in gold.
One of Omega’s brand ambassadors is South African swimmer Chad le Clos, so expect to see a shiny Omega on his wrist at the Olympics. “A steel Omega on my wrist and gold in my sights. I’m ready for Tokyo 2020,” le Clos wrote on Instagram.
RALPH LAUREN
Meanwhile, Team USA will be dressed in Ralph Lauren. For the opening ceremony, the team will don a navy blazer, a printed scarf as well as a mask designed by the brand.
The outfits feature some cool tech too. Flag bearers will be wearing a white denim jacket equipped with Ralph Lauren’s new RL Cooling technology. A self-regulating cooling device is embedded into the collar of the jacket, helping the athletes combat the Tokyo heat.
“Recognising Tokyo’s summer heat, we sought to develop a solution for Team USA that fuses fashion and function – allowing them to look and feel their best on one of the world’s biggest stages," said David Lauren, chief branding and innovation officer & vice chairman of the board at Ralph Lauren Corporation.
TAG HEUER
Joseph Schooling, Singapore’s very own Olympic pride, is brand ambassador for TAG Heuer, so expect the swimmer to wear one of its timepieces at the Tokyo Games.
On Instagram, Schooling has posted pictures of himself with a TAG Heuer on his wrist. Most recently, he uploaded a picture with the TAG Heuer Aquaracer. “Final countdown. Strength. Perseverance. Belief,” he captioned the pic, taken in the pool.
The 2020 Tokyo Olympics kicks off on Jul 23 and runs until Aug 8. Catch the live events across Mediacorp’s platforms including meWATCH.sg. For more details, visit https://www.mediacorp.sg/en/tokyo2020.
