Burton goes denim & plaid to outfit the US Olympic snowboard team

Earlier this month, Burton unveiled the US Snowboard Team Uniforms for the upcoming 2010 Winter Olympics.  And in sharp contrast to other nations, the Vermont based company has  given the team a distinct ‘un-uniform’ edge – utilizing well worn denim plus a special red, white and blue plaid.  When the US Snowboard Team steps onto the World’s stage this February in Vancouver, they will look and feel unmatched with designs that speak to both individuality and heritage, key hallmarks of the Burton brand and the snowboard culture.

The Olympic uniforms feature a fresh and progressive style while also managing to pay tribute to more classic Americana fashion staples. The pants seamlessly integrate the look of real, worn, vintage denim (very cool), and the jackets feature plaids adorned with leather patches and chenille crests with both pieces incorporating the performance benefits of Gore-Tex fabric.

All product development at Burton is rider driven and this Olympic outerwear is no exception. Burton held a roundtable discussion with top pro-snowboarders and Olympic hopefuls Elena Hight, Mason Aguirre, Danny Davis, Kevin Pearce, Jack Mitrani, Luke Mitrani, Steve Fisher, Scotty Lago, and Louie Vito to review design concepts for the outerwear before arriving at the final creation.

“Since its inception, Burton has been a rider driven company,” said Jake Burton, Founder and Chairman of Burton Snowboards. “For the creation of the US Snowboard Team uniform, we listened carefully to the riders’ needs and used their input to ensure that the final fit, fabrics and overall design would maximize their performances and take these riders to the podium. It was also absolutely critical to ensure these Olympic uniforms were worthy of bearing the Burton name.”

“Although we are creating a uniform, our first objective is to express the individuality of snowboarding. As such, we are taking vintage American looks and interpreting them in a very unique and unexpected fashion.” says Greg Dacyshyn, Senior Vice President of Creative at Burton.

Looks like they’ve successfully managed to straddle both patriotic and street-influenced factors for the Games. What do you think?

National Love Your Body Day

A headline from the Tucker Center blog alerted me to the fact that today is Love Your Body Day. The Tucker Center, by the way, is a think tank at the University of Minnesota  that studies  girls and women in sport. Lots of great resources and definitely worth checking out.

So, today is the 12th annual National Love Your Body Day sponsored by the National Organization for Women (NOW).

According to NOW, “This campaign is a giant shout out to the fashion, beauty, diet and advertising industries: No more fake images! Show us real women, diverse women, strong women, bold women. And to the women and girls who are targeted by messages telling them that the key to success and happiness is manufactured beauty, we say: It’s okay to “Be You” — the true you is beautiful.”

How do you celebrate Love Your Body Day?
NOW has a list of suggestions:

• Host an indulgence party,
• Stage ‘real women’ beauty pageant,
• Watch a thought-provoking movie, or
• Promise to do more.
• Take the love your body quiz, and encourage your friends to do it, too.
• Don’t forget to enter NOW’s poster content!
• No matter how much time you have, you can find the time to love your body!

If you sometimes feel that Hollywood and the fashion, cosmetics and diet industries work hard to make  us believe that our bodies are unacceptable and need constant improvement, this is your time to fight back.

The Tucker Center, NOW and other advocates for women want to  see real women in realistic portrayals, doing the variety of things women do in their daily lives….including images of female athletes, coaches, and referees in action and “on the court”.

See if you can be one of those making a difference. Love YOUR body.

Avril Lavigne expands Abbey Dawn clothing line

Avril Lavigne’s  has expanded her line of punk style clothing for juniors (sold exclusively at Kohl’s).

The Canadian singer named the line Abbey Dawn after the childhood nickname given to her by her dad. She explains that “My alias name was always Abbey Dawn in my hotel rooms.”

The inspiration for Abbey Dawn came out of Avril’s closet. “It’s who I am and what I think is cool and anything I’d wear.” she says.

All the items in the line were co-designed and approved by the 24 year-old rocker, who says it’s hard to name her favorite piece since she loves them all so much.

For the target market, the clothes are fun but probably best worn in small doses. The takeaway is that it’s okay to borrow looks from well-known celebs and personalities but better to come up with your style.  Reminds me of one of my fave quotes:

“Always be a first-rate version of yourself instead of a second-rate version of someone else.”
-Judy Garland

Oh, and if Abby Dawn isn’t quite your style, you might want to check out Miley Cyrus’ new line at Walmart.

U.S. Open players step up the fashion game

The U.S. Open tennis tournament kicks off next week, and the competition is going to be fierce— both on the court and on the fashion front.

Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova are collaborating with Nike on their respective clothing lines, and this year you’ll see  Fila-sponsored Kim Clijsters, Caroline Wozniacki wearing Stella McCartney and Vera Zvonareva wearing K-Swiss .

Here’s a sampling of U.S. Open looks that might catch your eye.

It’s not just the gals sporting new fashions for the Open. Rafa Nadal will wear Nike yellow and black in honor of New York City’s taxi cabs while Andy Murray will be sporting a Fred Perry ensemble in Scottish blue featuring a polo shirt and tailored white shorts.

And what will the always fashionable No. 1 seed Roger Federer be wearing? A red-and-black Nike collection featuring his monogrammed logo underneath the buttons on his polos.

Maria Sharapova’s new Cole Haan ads

She may have been out of competition for months with a shoulder injury but women’s tennis star Maria Sharapova has been keeping busy.

Late last year, Cole Haan announced the  three-time Grand Slam champion would be the face of a new sportswear clothing line debuting this spring.

The new line, called Cole Haan Sporting, includes men’s and women’s footwear and accessories. Sharapova collaborated on the looks for the fall 2009 season, the company said.

The former world number one has a longstanding passion for fashion and is considered a style icon. So it seems fitting that Cole Haan Sporting (a subsidiary of Nike) will embody sport style with Sharapova repping the brand.

Fila to debut new women’s Tennis Heritage collections at U.S. Open

If you’re a tennis player (or fan), you’ll be happy to know Fila has come out with a new Fall collection — just in time to gear up for the US Open. The collection is called Heritage, with colors that are basic but bold, and a fit that is sporty, yet feminine.

The brand’s design team dipped into the archives for inspiration to create the new line combining signature Italian styling with state of the art performance fabrications.

You may have seen a few pieces from the new collection on Fila athletes competing in U.S. Open Series. Kim Clijsters began her comeback to professional tennis wearing Fila apparel and footwear. Clijsters, 26, returned to professional tennis this week after a two-year retirement wearing a Fila skort (pictured).

The centerpiece of the collection, the Heritage dress includes a feminine mesh ruffle at the cap sleeve and bottom hem. The draw-cord at the bottom hem allows the wearer to “customize” the look by either cinching the skirt or keeping an a-line shape. Fully utilizing the excellent draping qualities of the fabrication, the line melds old with new with a feminine twist. The collection’s cami-tank is a favorite of Anna Chakvetadze.

The full 2009 Tennis Heritage Collection will unveil August 31 at the U.S. Open on Chakvetadze  and Agi Szavay.

In a clear contrast to more flashy contemporary lines, the Heritage Collection uses old school red, white and blue solids accented by bold, contrasting stripes with several pieces featuring flag-like diagonal stripes, a nod to Fila’s design cues and players from the early 70’s.  Of course the color theme is  also very apple pie and U.S.A.

Each Heritage piece is adorned with the embroidered F-box Heritage patch logo to clearly define the special line. The fabrics are all performance — no throw back to the 70s there.

And the new Fila Alpha shoe coordinates beautifully.

Find the latest looks online at Fila

School Daze: Back to school trends & deals

NikeID
One of the original kings of customization, NIKEiD has launched a back-to-school iPhone app that gives teen girls (sorry, guys!) the opportunity to create custom kicks and apparel on the fly. No longer limiting designers to traditional computer access, the new NIKEiD app lets consumers choose designs and color combos for a number of styles of both shoes and clothing items. Since it wouldn’t be complete without a social media twist, the app also allows users to share their final design ideas with friends on Facebook so they can get those much-needed second opinions before making the actual purchase.

Sears
Using music as a showcase for their back-to-school looks, Sears has hired Disney t(w)een queen Selena Gomez to lead the Sears Air Band Casting Call, a competition to find a fifth member for Sears’ Arrive Air Band, which will be performing at this fall’s MTV Video Music Awards. Four separate TV spots feature Gomez’s call for the fifth band member, with each featuring back-to-school duds from Sears’ music-inspired fashion categories, including rock, pop, hip-hop and skater (not quite sure what “skater” music sounds like). Interested 8- to 16-year-olds are directed online to the Sears Arrive Lounge, where kids can submit their audition videos and vote on the contestants. In addition to contest info, the site features current band member profiles and video interviews, games, and of course, a Style Room where visitors can check out the clothes, make purchases, and share the items and looks with friends (or perhaps more importantly, parents) via email.

Macy’s
Thanks to the department store’s upcoming partnerships with two iconic teen style mags, Macy’s shoppers will soon be privy to the expert style skills and lifestyle advice of both Teen Vogue and Seventeen. Teen Vogue will host a number of in-store events in which stylists from the magazine will aid teen shoppers in creating a cutting edge back-to-school wardrobe with Macy’s merchandise. Judges will select a wardrobe champ at each location, with winners receiving a $5,000 Macy’s shopping spree and a spot in a future Teen Vogue fashion spread. Seventeen will infiltrate Macy’s locations with a number of fashion shows and mini-makeovers for teen shoppers. While the actual dates and locations have yet to be announced, the events will take place at the end of this month and into September – just in time for adolescent clothes horses to put their best looks forward for the “fashion show” that is the first week of school.

(via Trend Central)

Sports Authority
Back to School also means Back to Sports for a lot of students. To suit up for a championship season, Sports Authority is offering some great online promotions:

• 25% off Any Single Item at SportsAuthority.com Friends and Family Sale! Exclusions Apply. 8.13 to 8.16
• Shop Back to Sports and Save 15% off $100 at SportsAuthority.com! (exclusions apply. Ends 8.31)

So, with school almost back in session, it’s time to reset your clock and get back in gear!

Polo Ralph Lauren debuts U.S. Open Tennis Collection

With the U.S. Open tennis tournament quickly approaching (competition begins at the end of August), a number of questions are being lobbed around: Will defending champion Serena Williams make another run for the Grand Slam title? Will Maria Sharapova be ready to compete after her troublesome shoulder injury? Who will be ranked No. 1 going into the tournament?

One thing about the U.S. Open that remains certain is what the on-court officials will be wearing: Polo Ralph Lauren.

The fashion house, a sponsor of the hard-court tournament for the last five years, has just debuted the ball boys’ and girls’ outfits, which include red, white, and blue shirts and dresses that feature the label’s signature sportswear details, such as a large polo player and pony and a diagonal banner stripe on the front and back of the clothes.

Style meets performance at U.S. Open

Danish tennis sensation Caroline Wozniacki will represent the new fall/winter 2009 adidas by Stella McCartney tennis range at the U.S. Open at Flushing Meadows.

Currently ranked No. 9 on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour, Caroline has been selected to become the exclusive new face of the tennis line and will be playing in apparel and footwear from the distinctive sport performance collection at all upcoming tournaments starting with the U.S. Open.

Pretty Hot: Key silhouettes in the Tennis collection are inspired by college cheerleaders, featuring vibrant eighties inspired skirts combined with feminine rouching and gathering as well as elegant draped sleeves giving a sophisticated playful feel and an unexpected twist on and off the tennis court. The collection also includes adidas CLIMALITE® technology plus footwear including the Skynde shoe which features Barricade V tooling and technology.

Since 2007 Caroline Wozniacki has been part of the adidas Player Development Program, a service that helps nurture young tennis talent through a unique mix of advice and support, giving an extra helping hand towards building a successful career. Together with the player’s own coaching team, the adidas Player Development Program strives to complement with additional training services, advice and motivation.

The U.S. Open will take place August 31st – September 13th where Serena Williams will defend her title.

WNBA design contest brings fans creativity to the court

Get out your Crayolas and Sharpies. The WNBA wants to make someone a design superstar.

For the second consecutive season, adidas is giving WNBA fans the opportunity to combine their passion for the game with their creativity to design a shooting shirt that will be worn on court during the 2009 WNBA All-Star Game on July 25 in Connecticut.

Fans can log onto WNBA.com/idesign from June 8 to July 5, 2009 and submit their designs. The winning design, as determined by a panel of WNBA and adidas representatives, will be manufactured by adidas, the Official Outfitter of the WNBA, and worn on court by all players participating in the 2009 WNBA All-Star Game. Fans can also rate and comment on each submitted design online.

The winner will receive a trip for two to the 2009 WNBA All-Star Game and will be acknowledged during the game. The winning shirt will be sold on nbastore.com, at the NBA Store on 5th Avenue in New York City, and in-arena at the Mohegan Sun Arena during the All-Star game.

Last year’s winner, Meghan Farley, designed a creative shooting shirt incorporating each WNBA team logo united within a silhouette of the WNBA logo. Her shirt, which all players wore on court during the 2008 WNBA Finals, was sold online at wnbastore.com and was the top-selling item during its first on-sale date.

For more information, log onto www.wnba.com/idesign.

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