Press Releases
2010 Canadian Olympic Team Apparel
Backgrounder
As the country’s longest-standing retailer, the Hudson’s Bay Company is the essence of Canada’s story. With the 2010 Canadian Olympic Team Retail Apparel, the nation’s most trusted iconic brand helps foster a meaningful connection for millions of proud Canadian fans and supporters from coast to coast to the Olympic hopefuls as they attempt to own the podium in 2010.
- Canadian design. The collection is based on four iconic items that have been embraced worldwide as being distinctly Canadian – the parka, toque, knitted sweater, and buffalo plaid – four pieces that capture a truly contemporary Canadian look.
- The parka: Originating from the Inuit of the Arctic region, the parka was adopted by all regions of Canada for protection from the winter cold and wind.
- The toque: Symbolic of Canadian and Quebec culture, these knit winter hats can be traced back to early fur traders in Canada.
- The knitted sweater: These knitted sweaters reflect the tradition and heritage of the Aboriginals of Vancouver Island. The essential skill of knitting was passed on through generations and across Canada, making the sweaters trademark cold-weather woolen garments.
- Buffalo plaid: Representing grit and determination, this pattern is a virtual part of the fabric of Canada. Fashion historians trace its roots back to lumberjack shirts from a mid-19th century trading post between lakes Huron and Michigan. Likely inspired by the tartans of Scotsmen working in the Canadian logging and fur trades, the large check suggests an organized group effort representative of these new settlers working together to prosper and build a new life.
- Canadian attitude. The designers’ approach to the collection authentically reflects the true attitude of Canadian athletes: training diligently and competing hard while having fun. The 2010 Canadian Olympic Team Apparel is both functional and fashionable, producing an overwhelmingly positive response on the part of the athletes.
- Canadian Stories. The 2010 Canadian Olympic Team Retail Apparel draws inspiration from many sources – great Canadian sport icons, and success stories both on and off the field of play.
- The Crazy Canucks: In the 1970s, a group of Canadian alpine skiers took the skiing world by storm the Canadian way. They earned a reputation for training hard, competing hard, playing hard - and winning.
- Manon Rhéaume: Inspired young girls to reach for their dreams and overcome obstacles by becoming the first female NHL ice hockey player. She also helped backstop Canada to a silver medal at the Nagano 1998 Olympic Winter Games and to two World Ice Hockey Championships gold medals.
- SCTV: One of our greatest exports is humor. Countless comedians, actors, writers and directors have achieved world fame by spreading our particular sense of humor around the globe. We don’t take ourselves too seriously and we know how to have fun.
- Canada wordmark. Works of such iconic Canadian designers as George Huel, who helped create the Montreal 1976 Olympic Games logo, were the impetus for 2010. Great consideration was given to the “Canada” wordmark and how it could invoke pride in all who wear the 2010 Canadian Olympic Team Apparel.
- Clean and symmetrical – the wordmark used throughout the collection is based on Avant Garde – a classic font created during the height of the modernist/post‐modernist era.
- The “A”s point upward representing the mountain ranges and slopes of BC.
- The sweeping “C” attaching itself to the “A” begins a rhythm that ends with a bulls‐eye, acts as a stopper and draws attention to the maple leaf.
- The gap between the “N” and the “A” is straight and marks the exact center of the wordmark.
- Canadian colours. The colours of the collection are represented by a traditional palette of red and vintage white, strengthened by black and combined with an athletic heather grey.
- Great Canadian graphics. Influential work of many great Canadian graphic designers from the modernist era in the 60’s and 70’s inspired the Hudson’s Bay Company design team to revisit and re-ignite a classic clean design aesthetic to the collection.
- Hudson’s Bay Company branding. Combining the crest and the stripes, the Hudson’s Bay Company logo is steeped in tradition and reflects rich heritage of the company that stood side by side with Canadians throughout their shared history.
- COC patch. For many Olympic Games, the COC patch was seen in an elongated oval which the Hudson’s Bay Co. design team has brought back for the 2010 Canadian Olympic Team Retail Apparel collection.
- The 2010 Canadian Olympic Team Retail Apparel is available only at the Bay, Zeller’s, the Olympic Superstore (the Bay, downtown Vancouver) and online at www.hbc.com.
- There is something for everyone in this collection with most items falling in the mid-range for clothing prices and being at par with other quality sportswear. We have toques for kids as low as $10 through to premium sweaters and coats for a few hundred dollars.
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