WWD reports that Ralph Lauren will be doing its part to keep U.S. athletes cool during — and after — the Tokyo Olympics. The temperatures in the host city during the upcoming Games are expected to average a scorching 95 degrees with humidity of 60 to 80 percent — making them among the hottest (and most likely, sweatiest) Olympics on record. And with COVID-19 cases rising in Tokyo, the city in a pandemic state of emergency for the fourth time and all spectators banned, the challenges continue to mount for those who are competing.
So the last thing these athletes need is to feel claustrophobic and unfashionable in their official Olympic gear. Ralph Lauren to the rescue. The designer has just unveiled Team USA’s Opening Ceremony Parade Uniform, and this year’s duds go beyond the patriotic color scheme. This year, the uniform will offer an added feature: RL Cooling, a new wearable technology developed by Ralph Lauren specifically for Team USA.
RL Cooling, which the flag bearers will wear during the Olympic and Paralympic Opening Ceremony parades, is a self-regulating temperature cooling device that is integrated into the garment and monitors temperature. When skin temperatures rise, the device, which employs the same technology used to cool computer systems, emits a cooling sensation that athletes can feel immediately. Although only the flag bearers will have RL Cooling jackets for the Opening Ceremony, all athletes will receive the cooling device to fit into their blazers after the Games conclude.
David Lauren, chief branding, innovation officer and vice chairman of Ralph Lauren Corp., said the idea of introducing “personal thermal management” at the Olympics is intended to “start a conversation” about sustainability, a major mission for the apparel brand. “Everybody is focused on the environment and this is going to be the most sustainable Olympics ever,” he said. The idea of air-conditioning big stadiums or large offices cannot continue if we want to save our planet, Lauren said, and ideas such as this are the first step toward addressing the effects of climate change.
The jackets that the Olympians will receive will not be commercially available immediately, but will serve to shine a light on the issue, he said. But ultimately, Lauren believes this technology can be employed in everything from men’s sport coats to T-shirts in the apparel space. “The idea of being cool and feeling cool is not so far in the future,” he said. “It will get simpler, but it’s coming.”
And there’s no better place to showcase it than the Olympics. Lauren said the Opening Ceremony is the “ultimate fashion show” for American athletes and the best place for them to show off some good old U.S. innovation. He said although the athletes have been doing their best to prepare for the climate in Tokyo, it hasn’t been easy. “It’s so humid in Tokyo, it’s like soup,” he said. “They’re going to be on a global stage and they’ll all be sweating profusely. We want our athletes to feel good. And when they leave the Olympics, they’ll keep these jackets forever, so they’ll be truly special.”
The introduction of RL Cooling is one of several innovations from the company including Color on Demand, a dyeing platform for coloring cotton, and an investment in Natural Fiber Welding, Inc., a sustainable material science company that converts plant fibers into patented, high-performance materials.
Team USA’s Opening Ceremony Parade uniforms incorporate sustainability into each piece. The navy blazer is made from U.S.-grown wool; a striped T-shirt features Ecofast Pure, a pre-treatment by Dow that uses less water, chemicals and energy to dye cotton, and a striped belt made with Repreve, a recycled polyester made from plastic water bottles. The denim pants feature a back patch made from Mirum, a leather-alternative, and the entire uniform is manufactured in the U.S.
The Team USA Collection is available for purchase at select Ralph Lauren retail stores and U.S. department stores as well as online at the Ralph Lauren and Team USA web sites. Ralph Lauren has been an official outfitter of Team USA since 2008.
You can see the entire collection at ralphlauren.com here.
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