Lululemon is continuing to celebrate its home country as the official outfitter of Team Canada. This marks the second time the activewear company has dressed the Olympic and Paralympic teams but the first time it is creating athlete kits for warm weather.
“Paris 2024 marks the next chapter in our partnership with Team Canada, and we’re excited to have deepened our collaboration with top athletes to design an athlete kit with their needs at the forefront,” said Lululemon chief executive officer Calvin McDonald. “We are proud of our first collection for the Summer Games, and we worked closely with athletes to create innovative products that prioritize comfort, functionality and style, with a focus on supporting more bodies and abilities. All of us at Lululemon are honored to support Team Canada throughout their Olympic and Paralympic journeys, and we can’t wait to cheer them on as they compete on the world’s biggest sporting stage.”
When designing the uniforms, Vancouver-based Lululemon worked with 19 Olympic and Paralympic athletes across 14 sports to understand their physical and mental needs. The result is kits created from lightweight, sweat-wicking fabrics that feature temperature control, customizable drawcords and newly engineered pocket shapes and placements, according to the brand.
The opening ceremony uniforms sport a jacquard printed bomber and short that is intended to celebrate the art, architecture and nature found in Canada, while the podium uniforms feature pants that convert to shorts and a jacket with zip-off sleeves in a graphic allover print. There is also an Olympics-themed running shoe as well as a hooded jacket and shorts they can wear to media interviews and a separate closing ceremony outfit that features a print created in partnership with Whistler-based artist Mason Mashon of the Saddle Lake Cree Nation. That print interprets signs of illumination in nature including the Aurora Borealis.
Melissa Humana-Paredes, a beach volleyball player and Lululemon ambassador, weighed in: “My favorite thing about the collection is that it’s inclusive, made to fit each athlete. It is beautifully designed, so that I can use my creativity to make each piece my own.”
For the Paralympians, the uniforms include braille, magnetic zipper closures, pull-on loops, sensory touch guides, and other specially designed features. The two adaptive styles, the Seated-Fit Carpenter Pant and Packable Rain Poncho, were created for athletes who will be competing in a seated position.
“The biggest takeaway from being involved in this process has been seeing the genuine care in finding accessible and adaptive solutions to develop the final kit,” said Zak Madell, a wheelchair rugby athlete and Lululemon ambassador.
Select looks from collection will also be to the public starting online on April 16 and in stores in Canada on April 17. Prices include $198 Canadian for the convertible pant and $248 Canadian for the convertible jacket, $68 Canadian for a high-rise short and $188 for a translucent hooded jacket. The opening ceremony bomber is $398, the shorts are $98 and the running shoe is $198. The packable rain poncho is $298. Additional Team Canada apparel and accessories items will be offered online in the U.S. and in select Paris stores before the Games begin in July.
