Athletes like models of fashion’s big names

LONDON—Who said sportswear can’t be chic? Ask the 2012 Olympic athletes who were like runway models walking the ramp.

The athletes’ parade during Friday’s opening ceremony might as well have been a catwalk show, with some of fashion’s biggest names—Armani, Prada, Ralph Lauren, Stella McCartney—designing the team uniforms.

Many in the fashion industry are already calling this the most stylish Olympics ever.

The Italians must be some of the best dressed athletes, scoring points with an understated monochrome kit in navy and white by Giorgio Armani, as well as waterproof blue designs for their sailing team by Prada.

Stella McCartney has worked with Adidas to design the sporting gear and “Village wear” (read loungewear) for Britain’s home team, though the outfits weren’t on show on Friday as athletes covered up in white and gold tracksuits. McCartney’s gear takes inspiration from the iconic Union flag, but she said she deconstructed it to make it “more delicate and feminine.” Look out for them on the track and at the pool: Red is sparingly used to highlight a palette that mostly features white and shades of blue—turquoise, navy and cobalt.

US team stylish

Meanwhile, the American team might have gotten a barrage of bad press for its made-in-China Ralph Lauren uniforms, but the preppy designs were still some of the most stylish in the arena: clean-cut navy blazers, crisp white trousers, skirts and shoes, accessorized with navy berets and blue, red and white striped scarves.

The Jamaican team is in the spotlight because of sprinter Usain Bolt, so it’s fitting that it also got a boost in the fashion stakes this year. Their kit, which featured the national colors as well as lightning-like prints, were designed by Cedella Marley, daughter of reggae’s iconic figure Bob Marley, for Puma. The styles were modeled by a flamboyantly dancing Bolt at a London catwalk recently.

“Cedella Marley brings island color to team Jamaica—a sea of tropical yellow, green and black,” said Avril Graham, Harper’s Bazaar executive fashion and beauty editor, on Friday.

PH team

The Philippine team wore the national-costume-inspired barong Tagalog by Rajo Laurel, one of Manila’s highly celebrated fashion designers. Laurel used the colors black, gold and mocha for the ensemble, with the barong’s embroidery featuring a modern palay-inspired design with dark cobalt and blue threads. The salakot—a wide-brimmed native hat made of nipa palm—overlaid with a thin covering of gold was the main accessory.

Other designers behind the Olympics this year include luxury label Hermes, which has designed riding jackets for the French equestrian team, and Salvatore Ferragamo, which designed the official uniform for the tiny European republic of San Marino.

Some designers didn’t get involved in the official Olympics gear, but used the Games as an opportunity to cash in and promote their brands anyway.

Karl Lagerfeld, for example, launched an Olympic-themed women’s wear collection called Team Karl at London department store Selfridges—though he reportedly said he wouldn’t tune in to watch the Games. Meanwhile, high-street chain store H&M said it was launching two pop-up stores dedicated to selling sportswear in London.

Surprising designs

Friday’s athletes parade also showcased some surprising and less popular designs.

The German team was notable for not using their national colors at all—instead, the kit was all hot pink for the women’s jackets, and cornflower blue for the men; both were paired with white trousers. The Czechs, meanwhile, wore bright blue Wellington rain boots paired with white shorts.

Spectators also made their own judgments about the much-maligned uniforms for the Spaniards and Russians, both made by Russian sportswear company Bosco. Some Spanish athletes have posted tweets grumbling about their garish red and gold outfits, and there are even Spanish Facebook groups set up to campaign against the gear.

Official kit aside, there were strong fashion showings in the spectator stand, too.

Michelle and Kate

Michelle Obama chose a white dress by J. Mendel, while the Duchess of Cambridge, formerly known as Kate Middleton, dazzled with a pastel blue satin and belted coat dress reportedly by wunderkind Christopher Kane. British Prime Minister David Cameron’s wife, Samantha, demonstrated her fashion credentials with a bold red and black outfit by London-based designer Roksanda Illincic.