Sportscraft dresses Olympic hopefuls
SYDNEY: Apparel Group owned lifestyle brand Sportscraft appears to have established itself as Australian Olympian's brand of choice. The Waterloo-headquartered label last week unveiled the looks Australian athletes will be sporting at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.
The uniform contract, for an unspecified sum, is the third collaboration undertaken with the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) after the 94-year-old brand was selected to design and manufacture the uniforms for the Australian team for the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and the Winter Olympics in Torino a decade later.
In all, the brand measured more than 1400 potential team members with around 1000 of these kitted out in formal uniforms and a separate wardrobe for the opening ceremony.
Sportscraft general manager Sonia Wong said as with any contract of this nature there were a number of unique challenges involved in creating a collection of this kind.
First and foremost was the need for the athletes to feel confident and professional without looking "too corporate".
"The style needed to work for all shapes and sizes from the tallest basketballer to the most petite gymnast... Sportscraft is a fashion label so the design needed to be fashionable and bring together elements that are recognisably Australian while also reflecting current trends," Wong said.
The range is based around a classic tailored suit made from extra fine 120's Italian wool to combat the humid weather expected in Beijing. The men's wardrobe features a fashionable slim fit two-button jacket with matching slim leg trousers with the matching shirt also featuring striping in blue, green and gold.
Female athletes have the choice of a "man-style" suit featuring a traditional blazer and slim leg pants worn with a softly fitted gold blouse or a panelled tulip skirt and silk cravat.
Inspired by Australian oceans, the uniforms - manufactured in China at selected and approved factories - colour palette features shades of blue with gold and green appearing in silk ties and chiffon scarves.
Accessories include a handbag in high-shine metallic leather, kitten heel sandals and skin belts in patent blue leather.
The uniform launch coincided with the public airing of Sportcraft's national winter campaign which sees the face of the brand, Kristy Hinze, showcasing Sportscraft's latest looks against a backdrop of the Richmond Polo Fields.
Footwear brand Mileno was awarded the contract to supply one casual and one formal pair of shoes to each athlete. The shoes, also unveiled at the same launch, are made from a royal navy patent leather with printed silver leather lining and a patent leather-wrapped silver buckle. Men's are constructed from a black calf leather with traditional oxford stitching on the upper and black leather lining.
By Tracey McEldowney