RALPH LAUREN DEBUTS ELECTROLUMINESCENT FLAG BEARER JACKET

With just a week until the Opening Ceremony of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, Ralph Lauren Corporation and the United States Olympic Committee have unveiled the new apparel concept for Team USA’s flag bearer, which will light the way for American athletes entering Maracanã Stadium on August 5, and the official Opening Ceremony parade uniform.

Polo Ralph Lauren’s 2016 Team USA Opening Ceremony parade uniform is fresh and sporty and features an all-American palette of red, white and blue. Team USA will be outfitted in a deep navy blazer complemented by gold buttons, repp-stripe trim and a signature embroidered Polo Pony. The combination of the jacket with a classic striped T- shirt and selvedge white denim jeans with inspirational details creates a polished ensemble. Classic boat shoes get the team treatment in navy, white, and red. Striped cotton bracelets and navy grosgrain belts offer the perfect touch of sport and style.

Polo Ralph Lauren’s commemorative Flag Bearer Jacket features the integration of innovation, fashion and technology. Electroluminescent panels brightly illuminate individual elements of the Flag Bearer Jacket, spotlighting a combination of classic American tailoring out of New York with innovative apparel technology developed in Silicon Valley.

“The Flag Bearer Jacket will literally light the way for Team USA as they represent our country in the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games,” said David Lauren, executive vice president, global advertising marketing and communications. “This groundbreaking jacket exemplifies Ralph Lauren’s continued exploration of the intersection of fashion and technology. For an athlete, being chosen as the flag bearer for Team USA is an extraordinary honor, and we wanted to pay tribute to that position. Ralph Lauren is incredibly proud to dress America’s best and brightest athletes at the world’s premier sporting event.”

To further support and celebrate Team USA, The Polo Ralph Lauren Foundation has launched the “Like to Light” campaign on social media. For every post shared or liked on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook using the hashtag #LikeToLight from July 29, 2016 until August 6, 2016, The Polo Ralph Lauren Foundation will donate $1 (up to a maximum of $100,000) to the United States Olympic Committee’s Team for Tomorrow program – a community outreach program dedicated to spreading the Olympic and Paralympic values of excellence, friendship, and respect.

An official outfitter of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Teams since 2008, Polo Ralph Lauren has designed iconic parade uniforms and an authentic sportswear collection of commemorative pieces for men, women and children. The Polo Ralph Lauren Team USA Collection, is available for purchase online at RalphLauren.com, in select Ralph Lauren and Polo Ralph Lauren retail stores, in select U.S. department stores and online at TeamUSAShop.com. The collection will also be available at the USA House Shop in Rio, open during the Olympic Games.