It’s always an honor to be named as the official apparel brand of a country’s Olympic team. H&M announced today, April 17, 2013, that it will be the official brand for the Swedish athletes for the Winter Olympics and Paralympics in Sochi 2014, and the Summer Olympics and Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro 2016.
The four year contract with the Swedish Olympic Committee and Swedish Paralympic Committee will see H&M create outfits for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies. The collection will also include a full and extensive wardrobe for all the Swedish teams to wear in the Olympic village for both training and leisure. The pieces will be developed in collaboration with the Swedish Olympians, who will give their input and test the garments in the collection. They will also be collaborating on H&M’s new expanded sports collection, as H&M strengthens its commitment to function and performance in sports clothing.
“It is such an honor for H&M to dress both the Swedish Olympians and Paralympians for the upcoming Games in Sochi and Rio. The designs will bring together sport and fashion in a totally new way and have Swedish heritage as a proud influence on the collection,” says Ann-Sofie Johansson, H&M’s head of design.
“I am very pleased to announce this long-term partnership with H&M, starting with H&M equipping the Swedish Olympic team for the Winter Games in Sochi 2014. H&M’s approach is innovative and exciting, involving a group of our athletes in the design process. We are proud to be working with H&M, a Swedish brand which is known throughout the world,” says Stefan Lindeberg, chairman of the Swedish Olympic Committee.
“To represent our country wearing clothes from a Swedish company will strengthen the team, our team spirit and image to the outside world, especially when it is an internationally renowned brand like H&M. I’m really happy that H&M has invited us to take an active part in creating the clothing that the Swedish team can wear with pride during the Olympic Games at Sochi in 2014 and Rio de Janeiro in 2016”, says Anja Pärson, former alpine skier and multiple Olympic medalist.
The Olympians will also give their input to H&M’s expanded Sport concept, offering their knowledge and experience to create a new and extensive range of sportswear pieces for H&M’s customers worldwide. Debuting in January 2014, the result will mean an H&M sports collection that has been tested by world class professional athletes, where performance and function are paramount, always with great style and at a price that will make it available to all.
