FASHION Magazine

Forget sports! It seems the London 2012 Olympics will be an international battleground of the sartorial sort after Prada announced today it would be designing the Italian sailing team’s uniforms. The all-blue, slim-fitting uniforms will feature prominent Prada logos on the sleeves.

The news is merely another drop in the ocean of Olympic haute wears. The USA once again hired Ralph Lauren to design its 2012 collection. This year the designer took a decidedly traditional turn with abundant whites and preppy polos (though with some unforgivable popped collars). Stella McCartney’s hotly debated collection for the UK has been receiving some serious media attention including complaints that it’s “too blue” and “won’t look good on out of shape soccer fans.” And then there’s Giorgio Armani, whose sportswear diffusion line, Emporio Armani EA7, promises to inspire its athletes in its latest video.

All things aside, this is all starting to sound a lot like Paris Fashion Week. But with the Olympics’ incredible viewership (it’s estimated to be around 4 billion people) and its serious commercial potential, it’s no wonder these designers want to put their name on a tracksuit.

So where does Canada fit into all of this? The Hudson’s Bay Company has created patched denim jackets (Olympic Canadian Tuxedo anyone?) and a wide variety of sweaters, tees and jackets. It’s a casual collection to be sure, but a definite commercial hit.

Who will reign supreme on the catwalk in the opening ceremonies? Only time will tell. But for now, we just hope this move towards designer uniforms means we’ll never have to see another one of those backwards Poorboy caps again.

View every look Kate has worn since her engagement » Well, it’s official: as of this morning a new piece of Olympic merch will become more popular than our infamous Team Canada red mittens. Kate Middleton just met the Great Britain Olympic hockey team and wore a pretty printed scarf that’s part of the official […]

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For most of us fashion-minded folk (or maybe just me), one of the only times we can get it up for a sports event is the Olympics. The patriotism and the larger-than-life-ness of it seem to get me every time. Coming off the high of 2010’s Vancouver Winter Games, it’s only fitting that there’s some early hype for the London Summer Games, which are set for July 27–August 12, 2012. Today, the Bay kicked it off by launching the full collection (including some winter-appropriate items that can be worn now).

Pictured on some of Team Canada’s cutest athletes (mind you, my personal fave, Alexandre Despatie, is missing), the collection is patchwork-y, graphic-y, heritage-y, and awesome. It’s also super affordable, with the whole shebang ranging from $15–$100.

Check out the collection »