Last Updated: 2024.05.14
UNIQLO Unveils Beautifully Simple, High-Performance Uniforms for Sweden's Athletes at the 2024 Major Sporting Meet
Sweden's Official Clothing Supplier Worked with Athletes to Perfect Design and Function.
Collection Marks First Use of Molecular-Recycling Fabrics (Clothing-to-Clothing) by UNIQLO.
UNIQLO CO., LTD.
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UNIQLO today unveils the official clothing for Swedish teams at the coming major summer sporting event, commencing July. Building on its partnership with Sweden across previous events in Tokyo and Beijing, UNIQLO has continuously improved Sweden's uniform through direct insights from its elite athletes. The new collection, themed The High-Performance Simplicity of LifeWear, blends simplicity, beauty, and sophistication, fitting the glamorous Parisian backdrop perfectly. Marking a world-first for UNIQLO, 16 collection items feature a polyester fabric made using molecular-level recycling technology to turn used clothing into new clothing.*
Swedish athletes modeling their new uniforms
The latest uniform collection has been designed to support Sweden's athletes across several contexts at the event. In addition to in-competition use, the collection includes comfortable apparel for use during ceremonies, training, travel, media engagements and rest periods. Design marries simplicity and minimalism with navy-blue base coloring and tonal colors of the signature Swedish blue and yellow. The result is a calm, urban aesthetic that transitions seamlessly from competition venues to the vibrant streets of Paris. The new collection again expresses three fundamental values shared by UNIQLO and its partners, the Swedish Olympic and Paralympic Committees: quality, innovation, and sustainability. Embedding these values across the collection helps prepare Sweden's athletes to perform at their absolute best on the international stage.
*The percentage of recycled polyester varies by product.
Speaking of the official uniform launch, Tadashi Yanai, Chairman, President & CEO of UNIQLO parent company, Fast Retailing, said, "The success of Swedish athletes wearing UNIQLO apparel has always impressed us. We are delighted to support Sweden with our LifeWear at the 2024 Games. For this collection, we were once again inspired by Swedish culture, which values beautifully-simple design and modern lifestyles, as well as by the athletes themselves."
Åsa Edlund Jönsson, Secretary General of the Swedish Olympic Committee, said, "I thank UNIQLO for providing such outstanding apparel since the Tokyo and Beijing Games. UNIQLO has painstakingly reflected opinions of Swedish sporting bodies and athletes, meeting our extensive requirements for design, quality, fit, functionality, and sustainability. All of us involved in the development project are thrilled with the results."
Bo Sköld, Secretary General of the Swedish Paralympic Committee, said, "We are thrilled to unveil the official apparel for the Paris Games, developed together with athletes over several years. I look forward to seeing the athletes in UNIQLO clothing perform at their best at the Games, through which we hope to work together to encourage healthier lifestyles through LifeWear and the power of sport to contribute to better living and social progress."
Official clothing for Sweden's teams
Opening and closing ceremonies
Athletes' village
Training
Mixed zone
Apparel for sports (as of May 14)
Golf, badminton, table tennis, tennis, wheelchair tennis, canoeing, rowing, sailing, archery, shooting, skateboarding, breakdancing, swimming, and beach volleyball.
Table tennis
Tennis/Wheelchair tennis
Sailing
Quality
High-performance fabric
To ensure comfort while competing, exercising or relaxing in the heat, UNIQLO used high-performance fabrics* . These include fast-drying DRY EX, Ultra Stretch (stretches vertically and horizontally for great comfort), AIRism (wicks away sweat to maintain comfort), and UV Protection fabrics.
*Fabric varies by product.
Innovation
Pioneering alongside athletes and external organizations
The Weather Simulation Chamber at UNIQLO's headquarters in Tokyo analyzed historical Parisian climate data, testing extensively across replicated temperature and humidity conditions for the city in summer. Monitor tests of prototype garments at the laboratory provided biometric data and input on comfort and performance factors, leading to enhanced breathability and heat-release functionality across the collection. Design improvements include moderate silhouettes that fit comfortably without restricting movement, stand-up collars that enhance necklines, and bonded pants hems to eliminate sewed seams for aesthetics and comfort. UNIQLO collaborated with a research institute to test sneakers for superior breathability, cushioning, and stability.
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The Presentation 3D Knit Jacket for opening and closing ceremonies showcases a beautiful silhouette and exceptional mobility by drawing on WHOLEGARMENT technology* . This makes it possible to produce entirely seamless designs with a single thread. Underarms, chest, and upper back areas are prone to perspiration, so the jacket features increased air permeability to allow perspiration and heat to escape.
*WHOLEGARMENT is a registered trademark of SHIMA SEIKI MFG., LTD. -
Presentation 3D Knit Jacket
Sustainability
98% of newly-developed items in the collection comprise recycled materials
UNIQLO significantly increased recycled material content for this collection, from approximately 33% in the Tokyo Games to approximately 50% in the Paris Games, using fabrics derived from yarn discarded during manufacturing, and recycled polyester. Recycled materials now constitute a significant percentage of the collection, much higher than Fast Retailing Group's overall rate of 8.5% for new products introduced in 2023. Notably, 98% of newly-developed items in the collection are made using recycled materials.
Halving greenhouse gas emissions by the collection
Since the first collection for Sweden at the Tokyo Games, UNIQLO has roughly halved greenhouse gas emissions associated with the development and production of Sweden's uniform* . This was achieved by reducing the total volume of apparel provided by approximately 20% compared to the Tokyo Games, and by using approximately 50% recycled materials. UNIQLO and Sweden's passion for sustainability has been instrumental in driving this improvement and has also brought momentum to Fast Retailing's progress against its 2030 emissions targets.
**Key materials only. Calculations are made using information registered in industry databases and other sources.
In a world-first for UNIQLO, 16 items from the collection incorporate molecular-level recycling (clothing to clothing) derived from used clothing collected at UNIQLO stores. This marks the first time UNIQLO has created new fabrics recycled using clothing provided by its customers to create new products. UNIQLO produced 5,400 items for the collection by this recycling process.
Process used for molecular-level recycling (clothing-to-clothing) in this collection
Durability testing
In its pursuit of perfect apparel, UNIQLO has established its own evaluation methods for quality control. For Sweden's unform collection, UNIQLO commissioned an external laboratory to subject some collection items to rigorous durability testing, based on international standard ISO6330* . After 30-60 washes in tests, results revealed almost no change in appearance, and no loose stitching.
*Washing conditions vary by product.
Sweden's Official Clothing Special site
https://www.uniqlo.com/se/en/contents/feature/sweden-olympic-paralympic-collection
About UNIQLO TEAM SWEDEN
UNIQLO TEAM SWEDEN was formed for the 2024 Summer Games. It comprises eight top Swedish athletes slated to represent their nation at the coming major summer sports tournament in Paris, as well as one legend. Its role is to publicize worldwide UNIQLO's partnership with the Swedish Olympic and Paralympic Committee and its initiatives. Team members will also participate in the UNIQLO Dream Project, a sports event UNIQLO that holds in Sweden for young people and children, and will appear in LifeWear PR campaigns.
Profiles of UNIQLO TEAM SWEDEN
| SOC Athletes | |||
1 |
Anton Dahlberg |
Sailing |
|
2 |
David Åhman |
Beach |
|
3 |
Jonatan Hellvig |
||
4 |
Lovisa Karlsson |
Sailing |
|
5 |
Truls Möregårdh |
Table Tennis |
|
6 |
Vanessa Kamga |
Discus Throw |
|
| SPC Athletes | |||
7 |
Emil Andersson |
Table Tennis |
|
8 |
Smilla Sand |
Table Tennis |
|
| Legend | |||
9 |
Stefan Olsson |
Wheelchair Tennis |
|
About UNIQLO partnership with Sweden
In January 2019, UNIQLO became the Main and Official Clothing Partner of the Swedish Olympic and Paralympic Teams under an agreement that continues through the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Milan Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, in 2026. It has also undertaken the UNIQLO Dream Project with Sweden's Olympic and Paralympic committees to provide opportunities for young people to learn about sports, with top athletes showing them how to stay active and healthy. By April 2024, around 50,045 children in Sweden participated in this initiative. UNIQLO and the two committees will continue engaging in activities that bring the power of clothing and sport to people the world over.
