Olympics innovation from Ralph Lauren
Ralph Lauren has unveiled Team USA’s parade uniform for the opening ceremonies of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games on July 23rd, and the Paralympic Games on July 24th. The brand is also introducing a new wearable self-regulating temperature cooling device called RL Cooling which is seamlessly integrated into the jacket to be worn by the team’s flag bearer during the ceremonies.
The RL Cooling system disperses heat from the wearer’s skin through a device that monitors and optimises temperature. The brand says it uses the same technology that is employed to cool the world’s most advanced computer systems and that the cooling sensation can be immediately felt and is long-lasting, even in the most oppressive heat.
Ralph Lauren first began exploration in this field with the debut of a heated jacket at the Olympic Winter Games in South Korea in 2018. Research conducted by Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy, an agency of the US Department of Energy, suggests that personal thermal management is a portable and localised solution that if scaled has the potential to reduce the reliance on mass energy-intensive cooling systems, like HVAC systems for personal comfort.
The launch of RL Cooling builds on the brand’s work to pioneer sustainable innovation – most recently demonstrated by Color on Demand, a more sustainable dyeing platform and its investment in Natural Fiber Welding, a material science company developing the use and reuse of plant fibres and materials in patented, high-performance materials.
Team USA’s 2020 opening ceremony parade uniform also incorporates sustainable materials with its navy blazer made from US-grown wool, a striped T-shirt powered by Ecofast Pure, an advanced pre-treatment solution by Dow that enables cotton to be dyed with less water, chemicals and energy, a printed scarf, shoes and a mask made from verified US-grown cotton, a striped belt made from Repreve recycled polyester and a slim denim pant with a back patch made from Mirum, a renewable leather.
The Ralph Lauren 2020 Team USA Collection is available for purchase in select Ralph Lauren retail stores and US department stores, and online at: