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Divia Harilela

Contributing writer for Style by SCMP, specialising in fashion, beauty and lifestyle


Olympic fever has gripped the nation  and is generating excitement  in the most frivolous arena of them all: the fashion world.
Gucci was first out of the blocks earlier this year when it launched  its sports collection along with a sexy advertising campaign starring  mainland 'it boy' Huang Xiaoming.
The luxury brand says it didn't create the line specifically to celebrate the Games, but since the launch almost every big luxury brand has followed suit, from homegrown label Qeelin  to designers such as Ralph Lauren and Dolce & Gabbana.
Given that China will soon be the world's largest consumer of luxury goods, what better way to pay tribute to the country's biggest event?
In the next few weeks, consumers can expect to see a dazzling array of designer products hit the shelves.
At jewellers Qeelin, designer Dennis Chan  has created the limited edition Bo Bo Champion, a panda bear encrusted with black diamonds, rubies, green garnets and yellow and blue sapphires. Only 88 pieces will be available worldwide.
'It's a natural extension of our previous work, which blends Chinese culture with  western aesthetics, but it's also refreshing and sporty,' says Chan.
Prada's Olympic collection features printed T-shirts, tricks, tote bags and a pouch made of nylon decorated with cartoons of sporty teddy bears partaking in activities such as weightlifting and swimming.
Ferre in its corner has created a special tee for guys, while Celine's contribution is a collection dedicated to tai chi. Celine has also created a pair of shoes with renowned Shanghainese brand Feiyue.
Dunhill, known for its luxurious boys toys, has stepped up to the plate, or should we say table, and designed a table tennis  set together with game manufacturers Jaques of London. The fully equipped table is made from solid wood (which has a leather cover) and includes a professional standard paddle and ping-pong ball.
French jeweller Cartier  has opted to celebrate its long-term relationship with the  mainland with the launch of a collection of jewels inspired by Chinese arts, culture and heritage. Many pieces include symbols and animals that are considered lucky, such as the carp and the antelope.
Van Cleef has gone down a similar route with its China collection, based on the colour red; the collection is only available in its mainland boutiques.
Meanwhile, official timekeeper Omega has created a range of Olympic-inspired timepieces and is hosting various exhibitions around Hong Kong, such as Great Olympic Moments in Time, which counts down the event.
While most brands have chosen to design products for retail, others such as Dolce & Gabbana and Ralph Lauren have taken their commitment one step further and designed clothing for teams participating at the Games.
Dolce & Gabbana is outfitting the Chinese  football team, while Lauren has created an entire wardrobe for the US Olympic and Paralympic  teams, including items such as  the timeless polo knits and white chino Bermudas, all with the iconic  Polo pony and team logo. Many of these will also be available to purchase in store.
Thinking outside of the box is department store Lane Crawford, which opened a store in Beijing last year. Its contribution, 'The Collective: Synergy in Fashion', is a project involving 12 top designers who have been enlisted to create a one-of-kind garment related to a particular Olympic sport. Big names such as 3.1 Phillip Lim,  Alberta Ferretti, Alexander McQueen, Givenchy, Pucci, Neil Barrett, Rick Owens and Stella McCartney have each designed a garment from their favourite Olympic sport with no restrictions.
'We wanted to collaborate with designers and approach sports and fashion in a new way - with no limits on creativity,' says fashion director Sarah Rutson Pang.
The end result is  dazzling and includes unique items such as backless shuttlecock top from Martin Margiela,  Burberry  Prorsum's mink-lined waterproof parka jacket and Stefano Pilati's silk jersey gown with printed wing sleeves for Yves Saint Laurent.
'The Lane Crawford project actually makes me part of the Olympics so I was extremely excited to participate,' says one of the designers, Ennio Capasa,  of Costume National.
After being unveiled at an exhibition in Beijing and displayed in store, the pieces will go under the hammer with all of the proceeds benefiting Unicef's Special Relief Funds for Children affected by the Sichuan earthquake.
While not all projects are as glamorous as Lane Crawford's, local designers are also getting into the spirit of the Games.  In July, as part of Hong Kong Fashion Week, a group of Hong Kong designers including Harrison Wong and Timbee Lo [Wai-him] will showcase 100 outfits created around a sports theme. Local retailers such as Salad and Tough have also created fun T-shirts, along with EQ:IQ and Shanghai Tang. I.T has also commissioned Fred Perry to design a special red Polo tee.
Now all that's left for us to do is sit back and relax - preferably in Ferretti's grey chiffon gymnastics costume - and watch the biggest sporting event in the world.



Name Games