Whose Olympic uniform is the most beautiful. About why no one likes the dress uniform of Russian Olympians Russian team costumes

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Swedish Olympic team, H&M

Few people will immediately name at least one Swedish fashion luxury brand, but everyone knows the mega-giant H&M. His design team was selected to design the Olympic Collection. sportswear for representatives of the Olympic and Paralympic teams of Sweden, representing the country at competitions in Brazil. Among the clothes, made in blue and gold shades, echoing the national flag of Sweden, it is impossible not to single out a sweatshirt, which lists the number of medals won by the Swedes in the history of the games - 696.

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Canada Olympic Team, Dsquared 2

Designed by twin designers Dean and Dan Caten, Canadian-born founders of the Dsquared 2 brand, the shape will be perhaps the most fashionable on the planet. Olympic Games this year. Among the red and white sweatshirts and t-shirts with huge maple leaves, jackets stand out - a kind of hybrid of a jacket, parkas and olympics.

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Cuban Olympic team, Christian Louboutin

Without a doubt, the biggest surprise in the history of the Olympic uniform was the collaboration between French shoe designer Christian Louboutin and the Cuban national team. The black-red-white uniform is complemented by the designer's by no means famous stilettos, but no less cute sneakers and low-heeled sandals. The local Olympic Committee has repeatedly emphasized that, unlike the uniforms of other countries, Cuban equipment was created for purely sporting purposes and is not intended for sale as souvenirs. Although in reality this fact is explained rather by the lack of financial opportunities to produce the form on an industrial scale.

Stanislav Krasilnikov | TASS

Russian Olympic team, Bosco

In the graphic and color scheme of the collection, the motifs of Alexander Rodchenko's poster graphics, Vera Stepanova's "sportswear" projects, abstract paintings by Malevich and Kandinsky are easily guessed. In a set of equipment identical for all members Olympic team, includes 48 items, from the traditional ceremonial tracksuit for the awards ceremony to flip flops. Each Olympian will receive a unique, limited edition T-shirt featuring a poster-style pictogram symbolizing their sport.

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US Olympic Team, Ralph Lauren

Designer Ralph Lauren has been creating uniforms for US Olympians since 2008 (his contract will end in 2020). This year's outfit for the opening and closing ceremonies, as in previous years, is made in the style of an Ivy League student uniform and is designed in the colors of the national flag. The only criticism she received was for the tricolor T-shirts reminiscent of the Russian flag - they were replaced with classic blue and white vests.

French Olympic team, Lacoste

The creative director of the brand Filipe Olivier Baptiste, of course, came up with a collection in the colors of the national flag, and the Lacoste branded polo was chosen as the basis for the male and female look. The form, which is decorated with the symbol of France, the Gallic rooster, turned out to be extremely functional, almost minimalistic, but at the same time not without true French chic.

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British Olympic team, Stella McCartney and adidas

Stella McCartney, like four years ago, was developing a new collection with adidas. The last few years have been spent developing new high-tech materials that are 10% lighter on average compared to 2012, and the British Chamber of Heraldry has been commissioned to design a special emblem for the Olympic team that appears as a silhouette on sweatpants, tops and T-shirts.

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Italian Olympic team, Giorgio Armani

The kit for the Italian national team was created by the pride of the nation, designer Giorgio Armani under the label of his sports line EA7 Emporio Armani. The specially filmed black and white advertising campaign for this Olympic collection featured professional models Penny Lane and Pietro Boselli, also known as "the most handsome math teacher".

The 2016 Olympics will begin on August 5 in Rio de Janeiro. At this time, the Olympic teams of different countries are already in Brazil, and serious scandals continue to flare up in the network about the form Olympic athletes. This year, a wave of indignation has swept over three countries at once - Russia, Georgia and the United States are dissatisfied with the form of their Olympic teams, and we tell you in detail why.

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2016 OLYMPICS: US OLYMPIC TEAM IN CREDITS

Perhaps the same wave of interest in sports uniforms is caused only by international ones. As for the 2016 Olympics, the famous American sports columnist Yahoo Sports Kevin Kaduk first drew attention to the fact that the form of the US Olympic team in color resembles the Russian tricolor. The reviewer noted that when the athletes' jackets are buttoned up, the print on the T-shirts in the neckline looks like the Russian flag.

Our athletes, of course, can unbutton their jackets, but the American continent would not want to look sloppy,

- ironic Kevin Kaduk.

In Russia, meanwhile, things are no better. Of course, no one placed the US flag on the uniform of the Russian Olympic team, but many Russians openly ridiculed the form of athletes in which they will represent the country on August 5 at the opening of the 2016 Olympics in Rio.

OLYMPICS-2016: RUSSIAN OLYMPIC TEAM IN PARADE FORM

The reason for the jokes was the phenomenon of “white pants” ambiguous in the post-Soviet culture. Many began to recall the image of the rogue, charming adventurer and "great schemer" Ostap Bender, who dreamed of leaving for Rio de Janeiro and walking there in white pants. In the film of the same name in 1968 with Andrei Mironov in leading role The "great strategist" pronounces the famous words:

Of course, you do not know about the existence of this city. Here is a clipping from a small Soviet encyclopedia, here is what is written here about Rio de Janeiro: one million one hundred and sixty thousand inhabitants ... One and a half million people, and all without exception in white pants

Even more ambiguous, given the Russian Olympian doping scandal, is another Bender catchphrase:

Rio de Janeiro is the crystal dream of my childhood, do not touch it with your paws

Ostap alone did not end the matter. Most of all, the comparison with Buba Kastorsky, the charismatic inhabitant of Odessa from the cult Soviet film The Elusive Avengers, caused the most laughter. Buba, like a true dandy from Odessa, walked around in a straw boater hat, white trousers and a dark blue club jacket with a white border.

OLYMPICS-2016: RUSSIAN OLYMPIC TEAM IN PARADE FORM AND BUBA KASTORSKY

The parade uniform for the Russian Olympic team was traditionally created by Bosco Sport. The women's athletes' costume consists of cream pleated skirts below the knee, blue jackets, red striped blouses and red sneakers.

Not only Russians and Americans are not happy with the form of their Olympic teams. Temperamental Georgians also raised a scandal because of the dress uniform of the Georgian Olympic team.

Immediately after the publication of the photo of the farewell of 39 Georgian athletes to the Olympics in Brazil, a storm of negative comments arose on the Georgian Internet. Some are outraged that olympic uniform Georgian athletes look more like a folk costume than a formal sports uniform. Others note that the ceremonial clothing of athletes for participation in the 2016 Olympics does not even resemble a Georgian costume, but a costume created based on the folk attire of Asian countries. Others insist that the sports uniform of the Georgian Olympic team is too warm, to which Marika Kirvalidze, the head of the press service of the Olympic Committee, answered with reason:

It's winter in Rio

The sports uniform for Georgian Olympians includes dark maroon ties made of shimmering fabric for men, and for women - purse-string bags and “papanaki” hats with braid - this is an old men's headdress in Imereti ( historical region in western Georgia - approx. editions).

OLYMPICS-2016: GEORGIAN OLYMPIC TEAM IN PARADE FORM

Georgian cartoonist Nugzar Metreveli quickly reacted to the public process and created a caricature of the Georgian Olympic uniform, which is wildly popular:

The order of the form for the Georgian national team was carried out by the Olympic Committee, which ordered the production of clothes for athletes in the Samoseli Pirveli atelier, which is engaged in tailoring according to old patterns. The atelier is owned by businessman Levan Vasadze, who is often ridiculed in the Georgian press for his old-fashioned predilection for patriarchal values.

We decided that the costumes should be made in Georgia by a Georgian company. I think it's logical. We wanted this money to be spent in Georgia,

First vice-president of the Olympic Committee Elguja Beriashvili commented on the form of the Georgian Olympic team.

Recall that Olympics 2016 in Brazil will start on Thursday, 5th of August, in Rio de Janeiro. Follow our news about the Olympics on social networks with the hashtag #‎I want_Olympic_Games_2016.

For 80 years now, there has been a law, thanks to which all members of the national team of one country are required to wear a single sports uniform during the Olympic Games. Moreover, repeating the smallest elements designing one's own or someone else's form of past years is strictly prohibited - that is why the best designers of this world and the strongest majestic brands are fighting for the possibility of developing a national form.

Most Stylish: France

Everyone jokes what if Olympic gold was awarded for the style of uniform, then France would undoubtedly have collected all the laurels. Literally every Olympics, the French confidently prove their right to be considered the most stylish nation in the world - and they really succeeded in this.

French team kit in Sochi, 2014

The best couturiers have always been involved in the design of sports uniforms in France. So at one time fashion designers Coco Chanel, Yves Saint Laurent, Pierre Cardin put a creative hand into the shape of the country. And for the past two years, the famous brand Lacoste has been designing equipment, which made suits for Winter Olympics in Sochi and the current one in Rio. The latter is still one of the most discussed: an unusual translucent poncho raincoat appeared in the clothing set for athletes. Very original.

Uniform from Yves Saint Laurent for the athletes of the Olympics in Squaw Valley, 1960

Unusual ponchos of the French team in Rio, 2016

French Olympic team kit in Rio 2016

Most uncomfortable: female form

Women were admitted to the Olympic Games only in 1900, but even then, among all sports, only tennis and golf were women's. The poor fellows performed in long skirts and high-heeled shoes - etiquette then was above victory and comfort.

Women's Olympic uniform in Paris, 1924

Denmark kit in London, 1908

Most talked about: Czech Republic and USA

For some reason, the most discussed form has always been the one that was distinguished by excessive brightness and catchy design. So, in Vancouver, the Czech team distinguished itself with its pants in multi-colored circles, and in Sochi everyone was diligently discussing the shape of the States. According to polls, the Americans themselves recognized the national form as too pretentious and lurid, and this year it was decided to reduce the degree of brightness in Rio.

Czech national team kit in Vancouver

Team USA in Sochi, 2014

This year the Americans decided to be more modest

Most controlled: USSR

In the USSR, the issue of the sports uniform of our team was taken very seriously: until 1980, the All-Union House of Models was responsible for the uniform, and then - the House of Sportswear Models. At first, the Olympic uniform was sewn in Armenia, and after perestroika, in Yugoslavia. In the nineties, our couturier Yudashkin was engaged in design. After him, for 14 years now, for appearance Our team is answered by the Russian brand Bosco di Ciliegi, which implements its ideas so successfully that, most likely, it will continue to provide our athletes with beautiful uniforms at the Olympics.

Olympic uniform of the USSR in Seoul, 1988

Olympic uniform of the Russian team, 1992

The amazing form of the Russian team in Sochi

Collection Vanguard for games 2016

Most Technological: South Korea

While all countries were concerned about the style and functionality of sportswear, South Korea could only think about the Zika virus, the epidemic of which in 2016 manifested itself both in Brazil and in South Korea itself. Therefore, South Korea became the only country where not couturiers, but doctors and scientists were responsible for the design of the form. As a result, national athletes have become the owners of the safest and most technologically advanced form in the history of the Olympic Games: all clothes and shoes are treated with special chemicals that repel mosquitoes that carry the virus.

Many people make fun of the uniform of Australia, comparing it with the uniform of flight attendants.

Official tracksuits of the Russian Olympic team

The dress uniform of the Russian Olympic team in Rio has already given rise to many jokes. Someone remembered Buba Kastorsky and was surprised that a boater was not provided for the Olympians. Someone decided that the design of the uniform was a dream come true to walk around Rio de Janeiro in white pants. For some, the uniform reminded me of the costumes of headwaiters and waiters. It seems that there was no one who would consider her beautiful and appropriate. We talked about this with Katerina Kulinicheva, a sports journalist, art critic, and fashion historian.

- What impression does the uniform of Russian Olympians make on specialists?

Dress uniform of the Ukrainian Olympic team, 2008

- In the dress uniform of our Olympians, I was upset by the secondary nature. In principle, a suit with a jacket is the traditional dress code for the Olympic Games. Olympians began to wear them even before the First World War, and until about the 60s, even the 80s of the last century, everyone walked like that.

In such blazers, club jackets with contrasting stitching, they went a lot in the 20s and 30s, including at the Olympic Games. Because of this, they periodically appear as a uniform in many national teams. But too many. Ukrainians came out in 2008 in exactly the same jackets, only in the colors of the national flag. In 2012, Belize had the same kit, only in a different color. At the same time, New Zealand had the traditional black color and also contrasting stitching, everyone said that they hit retro.

This year we have the same idea. South Korea, only everything is done more elegantly there, the line is not so wide and looks better.

Dress uniform of the South Korean Olympic team, 2016

In addition, I did not like the colors that are not characteristic of the Russian team. Nothing original was offered. They just abandoned patterns that seemed too colorful to many. When they presented the everyday kit, made in the style of the avant-garde, the leaders said that sports veterans, that is, eminent Soviet athletes, asked to make the form more modest. Understandably, the patterns irritate them: if you look at Soviet tracksuits, they were mostly dark blue, and all the trim consisted of a white stripe.

- Are there several types of uniforms for Olympians?

- The Olympic wardrobe is very large. It has competitive equipment in which athletes run, jump, swim and more. It is usually made by sports giants. There is a casual wardrobe. IN Olympic village and in general, at all facilities, the athlete is required to walk in a team uniform. He can’t walk in his clothes, so they make shorts, hoodies, sweatshirts, dresses for Olympians - whoever comes up with what. Bosco did it for us too, they do everything except competition equipment.

And there is parade equipment. There may be costumes for solemn situations - for example, meetings with the president, but this is not necessarily a uniform for a ceremony.

The form for opening and the form for closing stands alone. It may be the same, or it may be two different sets.

Parade uniform of the Cuban Olympic team, 2016

The Americans, for example, showed the form for the closing ceremony - it was made by Ralph Lauren, but they did not show it for the opening. I really liked the uniform of the Cuban national team, which was made by Christian Louboutin: according to official information, this is the uniform for the closing, but it is not clear what they will wear to the opening, maybe in it. In general, the form for opening - it can be a suit that you put on once - and no one will ever see it again.

- So these are several fashion collections?

- The Olympic uniform cannot be considered as a fashion collection in the full sense of the word. It takes a very long time to make - an average of two to three years. The customer, according to the rules, is the National Olympic Committee, and all sports uniforms, especially at events like the Olympics, is actually a series of endless approvals. It's not just the design that needs to be approved. The IOC controls just about everything.

2016 US Olympic team dress uniform

There is a rule number 50 in the Olympic Charter, which is very strict about the appearance of everything that you wear. These are very strict rules - for example, athletes are not allowed on the podium with a watch worn over a suit, they are not allowed with soft toys. The bottles they carry with them should not have anything written on them, there should be only one manufacturer's logo on the garment, it should be of a certain size, and so on.

- By what criteria, in this case, should the shape of the Olympians be evaluated?

- The public evaluates the form as it evaluates fashionable clothes. For her, the criteria are personal taste, relevance (this is when arguments like “they are not dressed like athletes” or “it’s indecent to go to the opening ceremony of the Olympics”) and compliance with fashion trends.

2016 Canadian Olympic team dress uniform

This year, Canadians are being praised a lot, for them the dress uniform for the ceremony was invented by Dsquared, and everyone praised it, because it was made in the spirit of current trends - sportscore, athleisure. Joggers, jackets with a rather unusual cut, elongated hoodies, fishtails. This form received the most applause. Precisely because it meets the current fashion for sports style in the way it is now understood.

People want to see something like that. But customers do not want to see “something like that”, and this must be understood. Therefore, it is not entirely correct to apply our ideas about fashion to the Olympic uniform. This is, if not a masquerade costume, then certainly a themed costume for a particular event. There you can reflect national identity or beat the theme of the host country of the Games: in Sochi there were earflaps because of this, in London someone walked, for example, in rubber boots and with umbrellas. It is strange to evaluate a thematic costume event from the standpoint of personal taste and, moreover, fashion trends.

But, apparently, the public does not have the tools to adequately assess such collections.

— Nevertheless, many people evaluate our collection as comical.

- With the Olympics, that's the difficulty. You need to understand that you need to dress, as a rule, 200-300 people. And everyone is different. You have two-meter volleyball players there, small broad-shouldered gymnasts, synchronized swimmers, wrestlers, judoists, heavyweight wrestlers for 100 kg of weight. It is clear that they choose something that will sit on everyone.

The costume is more or less a universal lifesaver. Another thing is that in the fashion of the 20s there are some elements that are integrated into modern suit. Dropped waist, fringe, beading: the 20s come back every three years. But this contrasting trim of the jackets is something that has not taken root, and therefore it is so strange for us to see it outside of a costume film, outside of a themed jazz party. Many did not accidentally remember Buba Kastorsky.

This is generally a very complex collection, it is impossible to please everyone. Some countries simply do not try to do this and deliberately create something outrageous. The opening ceremony will be watched by 2-3 billion people, and in any case, the weirder the better.

For example, such a great team as the Bermudas have been wearing shorts for many decades - at almost all the Games, including winter ones. This is their national costume.

Africans and the Middle East walk in national clothes very often. In London, there was an enchanting Angola team in very colorful costumes.

- National clothes - the same traditional version of the uniform as the suit, it turns out?

- In principle, I would single out three fashion strategies - this is a formal suit with a jacket, a national suit (sometimes a literal national one, sometimes with variations) and something sporty - a tracksuit, maybe, or some of its variations, some its elements.

Leading designers have created uniforms for the national teams of their countries that reflect patriotism, style, and innovative technologies.

Cuba

Christian Louboutin and French online concept SportyHenri.com have teamed up to create the Cuban Olympic team's official uniform. It is assumed that the athletes will wear it to the closing ceremony of the Games. All costumes are designed individually for each athlete and take into account the features of their figures. In the design of things, elements of Cuban culture can be traced, which has become the main source of inspiration. In addition, the designers turned to sports history countries and found in the victories of the previous generation of athletes the motivation and passion for moving forward that they wanted to transfer to the new team. For men, the suits are made in red, and in the women's uniform, a beige tint prevails. All shoes are made of delicate calfskin and are decorated with a five-pointed star, which can be seen on the flag of the country.

Australia

Mint blazers, silky gold shawls, snow-white shorts and skirts - all this would perfectly set off the tan of Australian stewardesses. To see such a kit on the athletes of the Olympic team, you see, is rather unusual. The author of the original uniform of the national team of the kangaroo was the Australian company Sportscraft, and the white rag boots were sewn by the Americans - Tom's. Her presentation matched the form: athletes - cyclist Caarl McCulloch, rugby player Ed Jenkin and others - posed in their freshly sewn suits right on the beach, on the shores of the Tasman Sea, and they were accompanied by hot Brazilian women.

Australia 2016 Olympic kit

Team America uniforms designed by Ralph Lauren for the 2014 Winter Olympics have sparked outrage. New York Magazine, for example, devoted an entire post to the colorful costumes of American athletes. “This knitted mayhem would look more appropriate at a themed pajama party than at the real Olympics,” the journalists wrote. Ralph Lauren was not offended by criticism, but took it into account, starting from scratch. Moreover, in the literal sense: the American uniform came out flawlessly snow-white, diluted with only small “patriotic” blotches of blue-red. Considering the team's consistent success in past Olympics, this year's "white canvas" is quite capable of acting as a backdrop for shining medals.

The form of athletes from the United States in 2014 was too defiant - even the Americans themselves thought so

France

If Olympic medals presented for style, the French team would certainly hit the jackpot. For the past two years, the French brand Lacoste has been responsible for the images of athletes, which does not focus on convenience alone. Even in this seemingly unfashionable sphere, the French assert their status as one of the most stylish nations in the world.

The French will go to the Olympics in Rio in a uniform made in the colors of the national flag: blue, white and red. Practical sets are made by their functional units - cotton sweatshirts, rain-resistant ponchos, windproof trench coats. And narrowed cropped trousers and snow-white, in the trends of this summer, shoes are called upon to remind you of your home.

The idea was to make something chic that reflects the spirit of the Lacoste house founded by tennis legend René Lacoste. “We managed to do it very accurately,” he says. creative director brand.

By the way, the success of the national team along this path was also noted in Sochi in 2014, where the athletes went in classic gray coats, picked up by a belt, and light cropped down jackets.

French Olympic team kit winter games 2014

Russia

The Russian team, although it follows world fashion trends - for example, dresses patriotically in the colors of its native flag, still tries to create its own. This year, for example, our athletes decided to bring the Cyrillic alphabet to the masses: their sweatshirts, sweatshirts and T-shirts are proudly decorated with the word “Russia”.

The form for the national team of our country was traditionally created by the BOSCO company, which has been working in this direction for 15 years. When working on the form, the creators relied on the concept of Russian avant-garde artists - Kazimir Malevich, Wassily Kandinsky and others. Each set of equipment included 48 items, including T-shirts with the image and symbols of the sport for each athlete.

The Russian avant-garde is one of the brightest pages in the history of our art. But the most important thing is that it is precisely the avant-garde. In this form, our team simply cannot be behind, - said the head of the Russian Olympic Committee Alexander Zhukov.

Svetlana Khorkina, Alexei Nemov and Tatyana Navka in the 2016 Olympic uniform

Canada

Team Canada at the 2016 Olympics The kit for the Canadian national team this year was presented by the design duo Dsquared2. Windbreakers with an invariable maple leaf, sweatshirts and pants with a comfortable elastic band - the creators have relied on simplicity and functionalism. The designers themselves, however, do not recognize the excessive asceticism of the costumes, describing their work with the following words: “This is an innovative mix of two different worlds: fashion and sports.” No matter how you look at it, the official lookbook does not convey the innovative motives of the collection, it remains to see the Canadians in action.

Italy

Italy Olympic kit Maestro Giorgio Armani continues cooperation with the national Olympic Committee Italy as the official outfitter. This year, the designer invited the athletes to wear waterproof jackets with long sleeves (after all, it’s winter in Brazil in summer!), Bermuda pants, shorts and classic polos with a beautiful slogan Fratelli d’Itali (“Brothers of Italy”). He held the presentation of the collection in his usual format - by arranging a fashion show in Milan.

Show new form passed in Milan

Great Britain

Stella McCartney, who traditionally joined forces with Adidas, is again responsible for the spectacular exit of the British at the 2016 Olympics this year. At the official presentation of the form, it was noted that the new clothes are 10 percent lighter and thinner than they were at the games in London. Practical British have relied on convenience.

I want to benefit the athletes, but at the same time I want to please the nation,” McCartney commented on the collection.

Symbols so dear to the British heart are responsible for pleasure: the English rose, the Scottish thistle, the Welsh leek and, of course, the union jack. Trousers, t-shirts, sweatshirts and leggings adorned the national signs.

South Korea

While all countries were preoccupied with the aesthetic side of the issue, South Korea set itself completely different tasks. The country's government is seriously concerned about the spread of the Zika virus in the southern hemisphere of the world - in Brazil, the epidemic has been raging for a long time, in South Korea, the first cases of infection occurred relatively recently. In this regard, the creation of the Olympic uniform was entrusted not to a fashion brand at all, but to a whole team of chemists and doctors. As a result, all the sewn things turned out to be closed - no T-shirts and shorts. Plus, clothes and hats were treated with chemical mosquito repellents, it is these insects that carry the infection.

The form of the South Korean national team is the safest and most technologically advanced

Sweden

H&M supported Swedish athletes for the second time. The brand has created uniforms for the Olympic and Paralympic teams that will represent Sweden at the upcoming Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Previously, the brand also dressed national teams that participated in the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Sochi. Clothing for athletes is made in the colors of the flag of Sweden - blue and gold. In it, members of the national team will appear at the opening and closing ceremonies and competitions. Later, H&M will present a sports collection similar to the uniform of the national team, items from which can be purchased by everyone. The face of the line will be transgender woman Caitlyn Jenner, formerly known as Olympic champion Decathlon Bruce Jenner.