Olympics and Chill? Nope
At the Pyeongchang opening ceremonies, US athletes stayed toasty in high-tech togs.
01When the American Olympic team rolled into Pyeongchang for this year's Winter Olympic games, they came equipped. The team's opening and closing ceremony uniforms, designed by Ralph Lauren, are tapping a new heat source to combat the chilly South Korean winter.
02As part of the uniform, Ralph Lauren designed a parka and a bomber jacket that each use a heat-conducting ink to generate warmth like an electric blanket. “We’re looking back and celebrating what’s iconic and symbolic of America, and merging that with where we’re headed,” says David Lauren, the company’s chief innovation officer (and son of the brand’s founding designer).
03Lauren says the top priority in designing the uniform was keeping the athletes warm, as temperatures in South Korea are expected to hover around 15 degrees Fahrenheit. But designers hesitated to create gear for a specific temperature range.
04The heated jacket works almost like an electric blanket—except instead of wires or coils sewn into the fabric, the heat comes through a special type of carbon and silver ink bonded to the jacket lining. (In true patriotic fashion, Ralph Lauren applied the ink in the shape of an American flag.)
05The ink conducts heat in the same way a wire would, and connects to a small battery pack sewn into the garment. When fully charged, the jacket stores up to 11 hours of heating time. Athletes can adjust the temperature up or down through a smartphone app; on the highest setting, it can withstand temperatures as cold as -20º Fahrenheit.
06While the new jacket is specifically designed for the US Olympic Team, Lauren says the piece foreshadows designs to come from the brand in 2018. “Our hope is that we’ll learn enough that we’ll be able to go into production with a different, limited-edition jacket for this fall,” he says.
07If it's good enough to keep snowboarders and speed skaters warm, one hopes, it'll be good enough for the American public too—no world-class athletic talent required.
Arielle Pardes, a former senior writer for WIRED, covers people and products in Silicon Valley. ... Read More
