The Italian Olympic team sports Armani in Rio

From tonight, in Rio de Janeiro, the national Italian Olympic and Paralympic teams will wear outfits by none other than Giorgio Armani. The renowned designer previously dressed the Italian teams for London 2012 and the Winter Olympics in Sochi in 2014.

"I'm very happy with this renewed collaboration," says Armani. "I find creating uniforms for athletes a fascinating exercise in style - the combination of elegance and practicality is something I've always been interested in as a designer."

Armani has created a stretch-cotton double-breasted blue suit with removable hood and straight, flat-front trousers with slit pockets. The sporty hood offsets the formal tone of the outfit, while the natural fabric ensures comfort and performance. A blue polo shirt with "Italia" embroidered in gold on the back and shoes featuring the colours of the Italian flag on the uppers complete the outfit.

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"The double-breasted cut has real aplomb," says Armani. "But it's the hood and stretch material that makes the real difference: true elegance always has an implicit practicality, and athletes are the best testimonials for that."

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