Lululemon: A New Look for Team Canada
Olympic Canada
Lululemon made its debut at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games as the designer of Team Canada’s uniform. On September 23, 2021, the company announced that it had entered a contract to be Team Canada’s supplier for the next four Olympiads until the 2028 Summer Games. Lululemon paid Team Canada an undisclosed sum of money, a strategic move that puts the Vancouver-based sportswear brand on the world stage.
Lululemon took over from Hudson’s Bay, which held the position for 16 years. Hudson’s Bay had designed popular Olympic and Paralympic apparel, such as the red knit gloves for the Vancouver 2010 Games.
The 2022 uniform was created with the intention of inclusivity and versatility. Lululemon Vice President Chantelle Murnaghan states that Olympians and Paralympians “can really customise or personalize their experience based on expectations, body types, [and] thermal preference.”
Lululemons’ down puffer jacket is reminiscent of Team Canada’s 2006 uniform, designed by Hudson’s Bay. The 2022 coats offer a modern twist on the reemerging oversized jacket trend. Lululemon’s design contains inner straps so, according to the Lululemon website, “you can wear it like a backpack if you overheat.”
Garments are accessible to Paralympians. For example, back zippers make it more comfortable for athletes in wheelchairs to sit down. Karen O’Neill, CEO of the Canadian Paralympic Committee, states, “we’re always interested in looking at performance, innovation, accessibility and inclusive clothing, and oftentimes that doesn’t come right off the rack, particularly when you’re dealing with world-class performance.”
“It can be as simple as an enlarged tab on a zipper for someone who might have challenges with mobility or locomotor,” says O’Neill.
Lululemon’s marketing campaign includes Team Canada athletes as brand ambassadors, such as Dawn Richardson Wilson of bobsleigh, Liam Hickey of Para Ice Hockey, and Paul Poirer of figure skating.
Historically, Team Canada’s uniforms have been a display of fashion. At the opening ceremony for the Calgary 1988 games, athletes sported cowboy hats and fringed shawls designed by Sunice apparel.
The opening ceremony uniform for Barcelona 1992 consisted of multicoloured button-down shirts tucked into matching bermuda shorts. The bold pattern was a staple of the decade.
Hudson’s Bay’s Tokyo 2020 design included a spray-painted denim jacket for the closing ceremonies, paying homage to the host city’s vibrant fashion scene.
Lululemon’s Olympic uniform kit incorporates trends such as an oversized streetwear look in its joggers, crewnecks, and puffer jackets. Other modern pieces include the cropped hoodie and bucket hat. The garments are “perfect on and off the podium,” according to the Lululemon Guest Education Centre. They are marketed to the public in addition to being worn by athletes.
The 2022 collection also maintains a contemporary look through its colour choices. Lululemon’s predecessor, Hudson’s Bay, used the bright red and white palette of the Canadian flag in its uniform design. Lululemon opts for a deeper red with elements of maroon and beige or light grey rather than white: colours that are relevant to current fashion.
Customers have noted that the brand has a high price point in comparison to the Hudson Bay’s designs. For example, the Hudson’s Bay mittens sold for $10, and Lululemon’s similar “Quilted Mittens on String” is priced at $68.
Deb Reid, a Team Canada fan and Olympic merchandise collector from Toronto, says she was “surprised to see the prices,” as “$68 for a pair [of mittens] is too much.”
The sales of the Hudson’s Bay red mittens have raised over $34 million for the Canadian Olympic foundation since 2010. Lululemon’s fundraising item is the $38 cross-body Future Legacy Bag, for which 10 per cent of proceeds are donated. The total amount fundraised through Lululemon’s item has yet to be released.