In Pictures
Vancouver-based activewear brand Lululemon has unveiled Team Canada’s summer athlete kit for the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
This marks the second time the Canadian brand has dressed its home country's Olympic and Paralympic teams but the first time it is creating athlete kits for warm weather.
Calvin McDonald, chief executive at Lululemon, said in a statement: “For Paris 2024, we had the opportunity to deepen our partnership with the Olympians and Paralympians who represent Canada on the global stage.
“We took an innovation-first approach to design a collection driven by athlete insights, so they can feel and perform their best in Paris. All of us at lululemon are honoured to support these athletes, both as individuals and a team, as they represent their country this summer.”
Lululemon adds that athletes inspired “every element” of the collection and during the design process, it led product testing and feedback sessions with 19 Canadian Olympic and Paralympic athletes across 14 different sports to understand their unique physical and mental needs during the Games.
The result is kits that blend function and style through innovative construction and performance fabrics, featuring ultra-lightweight and stretch fabrics, customisable drawcords, and newly engineered pocket shapes and placements, as well as thermal comfort with SenseKnit technology and sweat-wicking fabrics to enhance breathability through ventilation.
Audrey Reilly, Team Canada creative director at Lululemon, said: “One of the biggest innovations in the kit is the idea of cooling the body. Temperatures will be high in Europe in July – September so this had to be a key focus. We used close-to-body summer base layers created in our SenseKnit technology, perforation, and sweat wicking yarns to let moisture move away from the body.”
Team Canada and Lululemon launch kit for Paris 2024 Olympic & Paralympic Games
Lululemon Team Canada Summer Athlete Kit for Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games Credits: Lululemon
In addition, Lululemon has ensured adaptability so that the kit could support more bodies and abilities with features such as magnetic-close zippers, pull-on loops, and sensory touch guides. The two adaptive styles, the Seated-Fit Carpenter Pant and the Seated-Fit Packable Rain Poncho are intentionally designed to deliver functionality and comfort in a seated position.
Zak Madell, Lululemon ambassador and Team Canada wheelchair rugby player added: “My biggest takeaway from this process was Lululemon’s commitment to working with Paralympians to make the pieces accessible and adaptable.
“It’s not only about looking good, but also about feeling good – and I can’t imagine a better way to show up for Canada. I know this kit will be a part of my daily wardrobe moving forward because of the attention to detail.”
Athletes, coaches, and support staff will wear Team Canada apparel, all featuring Canadian-inspired prints, throughout key moments at the Games, including the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, medal ceremonies, media appearances, travel, and daily life in the Athlete Village.
Lululemon Team Canada Summer Athlete Kit for Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games Credits: Lululemon
The opening ceremony uniforms sport a jacquard bomber featuring a one-of-a-kind print that celebrates the diversity of art, architecture and nature found in Canada, while the podium uniforms have been designed to layer up or down created for unpredictable weather with water-resistant and windproof trousers that convert into shorts and a convertible jacket with zip-off sleeves in a graphic red and white print.
For the closing ceremony, Lululemon has collaborated with Whistler-based artist Mason Mashon of the Saddle Lake Cree Nation on a print that interprets signs of illumination in nature, including the Aurora Borealis.
The Team Canada official kit also includes an Olympics-themed running shoe, a packable rain poncho, and a hooded jacket and high-rise shorts to wear to media interviews.
Lululemon Team Canada Summer Athlete Kit for Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games Credits: Lululemon
Select looks from the collection will also be available in stores and online in Canada, with Lululemon adding that Team Canada apparel and accessories will launch online in the US and select stores in Paris in the lead-up to Paris 2024.
For Paris 2024, Lululemon is also expanding the ‘Future Legacy’ programme, in partnership with the Canadian Olympic Committee and Canadian Paralympic Committee, to include a Team Canada ball cap, scarf, and mini belt bag. 10 percent of sales from all Future Legacy items support the Canadian Olympic Foundation and Paralympic Foundation of Canada to help Canadian athletes access the resources, equipment, and funding they need.
Lululemon Team Canada Summer Athlete Kit for Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games Credits: Lululemon
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