The Beijing Olympics will be Hilary Knight’s fourth, and the first sponsored by Ralph Lauren.
“That’s why I wanted to go to a fourth Olympics,” Knight joked in an interview with USA TODAY Sports. “Because the first three, I only got the outfit, I wasn’t really in fashion, and now I’m in fashion.”
Being “in the know” has its advantages. In July, Knight traveled to New York to help model the uniform for the 2022 Winter Games opening ceremony, which was featured Thursday morning on “Today.”
Summer didn’t necessarily present the ideal conditions for a photo shoot that included a jacket.
“Okay, it was really hot,” Knight recalled.
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This year the anorak-style coat has a navy blue base color with red near the collar and elbows. A “USA” logo with white letters is located near the sternum.
“It feels like it’s more streetwear and fashion, and in that way integrates that sporty feel, so it’s definitely something I would wear later,” Knight said.
The coat is accompanied by a mid-layer jacket, pants, gloves and boots that include recycled polyester fiber from post-consumer plastic bottles. All products are made in the USA.
The jacket features a technology called Smart Insulation, a first-to-market responsive fabric that expands and creates a layer of insulation in cooler temperatures. The goal is for the single-use garment to be able to go through three seasons, instead of being available for just one.
“Being a part of that process, especially when you’re learning about all the technology and innovation that they’re putting into the coats and different things that make it a little bit more sustainable than materials that we might have experienced in the past,” Knight said. saying. “So it’s really cool to be in the mix of not only modeling it, but also hearing all these other things that maybe go into a jacket that you’re wearing, but also the whole line that Ralph Lauren put together for us.” I’d say it’s an honour.
“Because a lot of the Olympics, yes, it’s about the ice (game) and athletics, but it’s also the added piece of fashion that’s involved, right?”
Ralph Lauren chief brand and innovation officer David Lauren said in a statement that high-tech smart insulation “reimagines what’s possible in the apparel landscape.”
“For the first time, you can have a singular item that provides incredible versatility and style, for a variety of temperatures, changing the way we can holistically think about the makeup of a consumer’s wardrobe,” he said.
Knight admitted that he sometimes stops a stranger wearing Olympic clothing from previous Games collections. She will ask if they were in Vancouver, Sochi or Pyeongchang.
“They’re like ‘No!’ Knight said. “I bought it online.”
The initial exchange, about Team USA gear, usually leads to a big conversation with a fan, Knight said.
And joining the Ralph Lauren team has opened Knight’s eyes to the link between sport, fashion and culture.
“Even stepping foot into the photo shoot, being able to try things out, different looks, is so uplifting,” Knight said. “And that’s something that (hockey players aren’t) used to. We’re used to pushing ourselves, in the gyms and on the ice. I guess it was a cool way to get involved in a different part of life.”
Follow Chris Bumbaca on Twitter @BOOMbaca.
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George is Digismak’s reported cum editor with 13 years of experience in Journalism