The big reveal of the Team GB kit back in March isn't the only big collection launch that Stella McCartney and Adidas are working on. This week the sports brand announced the launch of the official British villagewear collection.
Unlike the main kit, the village wear range is geared at catering to the needs of the athletes when they are not competing so all of the pieces are relaxed and comfortable, whilst also playing with bright colours to keep things interesting. 'The inspiration for the villagewear collection was to create a more relaxed kit that remained stylish yet comfortable for the athletes,' McCartney said in a statement. 'It was also important to unify the team, as the one piece of information hat really stuc with me when I talked to the athletes aout this project, was how they want to feel as a team in the village, to feel like they are one voice and one nation.'
We're not even half way through 2012 and the year has already proved a big one for Stella McCartney. Already this year she has celebrated turning 40 years-old, although you would never guess from seeing her in the flesh, and it also marks the 10th anniversary of her label. Not bad for a designer who was initially snubbed by the fashion industry and publicly criticised by Karl Lagerfeld after she was announced as his successor at Chloé back in 1997. 'I think they should have taken a big fashion name,' he said at the time. 'They did, but in music, not fashion.'
Despite the initial criticism, McCartney couldn't be doing any better right now. According to the most recent reports, profits at her brand are up by 4.4% and her freestanding stores internationally now tally up at around 24 including her amazing new Brompton Cross space which houses all of her lines including her much loved kidswear collection - and that's not all. Back in 2010 she was announced as the first fashion designer charged with creating the Olympics kit for the British team.
