Earlier this month, R.M.Williams unveiled its ninth consecutive uniform range for the Australia Paralympic Team ahead of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Paralympic Games. In this Q&A, the brand's head of design Jessica Lawrence reveals the technical aspects of the range.
How did you approach this Paralympic Games uniform project?
This is my first time working on the Paralympic uniforms, although I’ve been with R.M.Williams for more than four years. It’s truly a coveted project.
While I can’t compare directly to previous Games, I can share how we approached the Milan 2026 brief. We always begin by looking back, reviewing past uniforms, understanding athlete feedback, and identifying what they want to evolve or make distinctive for this Games.
For Milan, the team specifically asked us to bring together Italian sophistication and Australian spirit. That meant elevating material choices – beautiful wools, moleskins and refined finishes – and ensuring the colour palette and silhouettes felt coordinated, contemporary and proudly Australian.
How many athletes did you make uniforms for?
We produced 50 complete uniform sets in total, including 15 sets for the competing athletes.
Can you run us through the design process?
The design window was quite condensed this cycle. We began in March and delivered the full uniform range ahead of the October launch.
Within that period, we:
- custom-dyed all fabrics to the correct colours
- developed the colour palette for the linings featuring The Journey artwork
- created bespoke magnetic metal snaps for the jackets
- prototyped footwear and apparel
- completed fittings and final production of all garments
The uniforms remain confidential during development, so fittings are conducted using “proxy” garments that allow us to capture sizing, mobility needs and technical requirements for each athlete. The Paralympics Australia leadership team facilitates this process so we can ensure every piece fits and functions flawlessly.
It’s genuinely a whole-of-business effort. Our apparel and footwear designers worked closely with product developers and technicians across Sydney and Adelaide. With such a tight timeline, the entire team prioritised this project.
Did this project push the brand to explore new design or production techniques?
Absolutely. Our top priority was to create an accessible boot option. The technical team successfully engineered a new configuration on our Gardener last that combines both a lace-up and a zip, improving ease of use without compromising the iconic silhouette. It’s an innovation we’re extremely proud of.
I’m particularly proud of the jacket and coat linings. They feature The Journey, an artwork by Rheanna Lotter, a proud Yuin woman and founder of the Aboriginal art collective Ngandabaa.
This artwork has been a unifying visual across Australian Paralympic uniforms since 2016, symbolising connection, progress and the shared journey of athletes and supporters. Being able to honour that legacy in a new way for Milan was incredibly special.