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Decenio presented the Portuguese committee’s outfits for the Paris Olympics at Humberto Delgado Airport this week. The embroidery of Valentine’s handkerchiefs is the inspiration behind the garments, which range from suits for the official ceremonies to polo shirts, pleated skirts and shorts.
The suits were designed to ‘adapt to the needs of sportspeople in terms of comfort and functionality’, while combining ‘sophistication’, describes Ricardo Jordão, quoted by Público. The manager emphasised the pattern designed by hand by artisans and also the lining of the suits, on which are embroidered messages of strength left by the Portuguese to the athletes, which ‘were collected through Decenio’s physical shops and website’.
The predominant colour is dark blue, with the symbol of the Olympic committee in the colours of the national flag standing out as a detail. But there are other elements in evidence in the Portuguese garments: Olympic medals, the Portuguese coat of arms, the heart of Viana, small birds and words.
‘With these uniforms we’ve tried to do more than just dress the athlets, we’ve tried to send a message of love around the world at a time of so many wars and conflicts,’ concludes Ricardo Jordão, emphasising that all the garments are made in Portugal. ‘We want to value what is ours,’ he summarises.
The costumes have already arrived in the city of lights. On the banks of the River Seine, athletes João Rodrigues, Joana Ramos, João Silva and Susana Costa put on the costumes designed by the Cães de Pedra group brand on Wednesday 8 May.