The 2018 Winter Olympic Games will begin in less than 10 days and its athletes aren’t the only ones vying for the best scores. Ralph Lauren partnered with the United States Olympic Committee to become its official outfitter of Team USA in 2008 – but the games have also seen athletes dressed in Giorgio Armani (Italy), Lacoste (France) and Prada in the past.
How did we get from competition clothing to runway merchandise? Joe Hancock, PhD, professor in the Westphal College of Media Arts & Design, says pricey Olympic couture can thank the mass manufacturing of athletic apparel that boomed in the 20th century, which sparked the popularization of “athleisure” apparel brands.
You really can’t put a date on the beginning of Olympic fashion, he explains. It has always existed as traditional athletic apparel: Your sweat pants and t-shirts and sport wear, your polo shirts, blazers and slacks. It was in the 1930s and ‘40s when tennis champion Rene Lacoste embraced the short-sleeved shirt for a better range of arm-movements, which, in turn, led to the polo collar, designed to protect the neck from sun during play.
The ideology of an athletic uniform has always been there, but the adoption of wearing them as an everyday fashion was really revolutionized in ‘70s and ‘80s – think Jane Fonda and the resulting popularization of luxe exercise apparel.
Today, the novelty and consumer demand of designer Olympic fashion follows along the lines of sporting events, — meaning, we want to buy it while it’s happening. Take a look at the upcoming Super Bowl LII – Philadelphians and Eagles fans everywhere are trademarking, creating, buying and selling team fashion.
So why partner with Ralph Lauren?
Ralph Lauren is the Henry Ford of the American fashion industry, explains Hancock. He embodies so many elements that are the foundation of what it means to be an American. Born in The Bronx to Jewish immigrants, Lauren studied business in college before dropping out and serving in the United States Army. He built Ralph Lauren Corporation into a global multibillion-dollar enterprise while ensuring charitable initiatives also benefited from the brands success.
“We want to capture the spirit of the team and bring it to life through clothing,” said David Lauren, chief innovation officer. “From the frontier-style gloves, which is about the 1800s, to the reinvented denim in modern silhouettes which is the 1900s, and all the way up to today, with the jacket, which is heated with the most technologically advanced system out there.”
The 2018 Winter Olympic opening and closing looks are classic Americana, says Hancock. While there have been instances in the past where uniforms have seemed to have been influenced by the host city, like the beret-type hats from the 2012 London games – there doesn’t seem to be any major nod to Korean culture. However, there are two items with “PyeongChang” printed in English and Korean available for purchase online.
Hancock noted that this year’s uniforms provide an apparent homage to the historical icons of Americana but with the built-in advancements of the modern age. The jeans are stretch-denim, the jackets are self-heated – but many responses have been relatively negative. Many have flat out called the uniforms “ugly,” he explained.
Social media has chronicled these responses, with one user likening Lauren’s “frontier-style gloves” with the popular meme “WHAT ARE THOSE.”
While responses have been overwhelmingly critical, Hancock points out that, sure, people are hating and claiming these uniforms are “ugly,” but the reality is that most of the items are already sold out.
For media inquiries, contact Emily Storz, els332@drexel.edu or 215-895-2705
