44 — Sunday, January 19, 1992 - North Shore News FASHION Olympic sports sport new designer look THE 1992 Olympics will be winning points for style. The games plan to hit new heights in fashion, both on and off the playing field. Carol Crenna - FASHION STATEMENTS It is not the competing athletes who . will be taking the fashion spotlight this February, however, it is the Winter Olympics televi- . Sion sports commentators who are _ acquiring a new loock.- And they are not playing with amateurs for the new image. Top designers’ including Anne Klein, Ferragamo, and Alfred Suag have. joined the team, creating fashionable wardrobes for the CBS commentators and hosts of the games which wili be held in Albertville, France. CBS Sports, official broadcaster of the 1992 Olympic -Winter Games, held Feb. 8 to 23, has contracted a Los Angeles ward- robe service to coordinate the clothing. This is an agreement unprecedented in Olympic history. CBS hopes to use the unique Opportunity to ‘‘unify its on-air appearance. while respecting dif- ferences among nouncers and selected designers.’’ Style enthusiasts will be glued to the screens along with sports en- _thusiasts to view host Tim Mc-" Carver sporting clothing by Amer- ican designer Joseph Abboud, and co-host Paula’ Zahn wearing ‘custom designs by Ferragamo: Other CBS co-hosts of the Olympics include Andrea Joyce, who will model new looks by Anne Klein H, and Jim Nantz, Greg Gumbel, Harry Smith and James Brown will be in designs by Joseph Abboud.. Announcer and former Olympic figure skating gold medalist, Katarina Witt, will show designs by forward-thinking American designer Carmelo Pomodero. And commentator Tracy Wilson, who previously won the figure skating bronze medal, wears new designs by Alfred Sung. The worldwide coverage of the upcoming Olympic Winter Games wiil provide exceptional exposure for these designers, who may very well introduce a new category to the international sports competi- tion — the best dressed people from behind the scenes. The ‘‘best dressed’’ athlete has already been established as a side- line ‘‘category,’’ especially to fashion press. The clothing of the Olympic athletes has become an anticipated aspect of the games and has in- spired the competitors to wear in- novative new gear to promote their country with a ne. augle. They have recogaized the im- portance of ‘‘standing out in che crowa’' as an individual, not sim- ply becoming one of the many vy- ing for a medal in a traditional team uniform. The competing athletes in the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, . South Korea, and Calgary, Alber- individual an-— \ SN TOP DESIGNERS including Anne Klein, Ferragamo and Alfred Sung have created fashionable wardrobes for CBS television commentators and hosts at the 1992 Winter Olympics. . ta, created a widespread explosion of sports—inspired fashions that became mainstream street wear. Colors in red, yellow, orange, green, blue, and black and white, which depicted national emblems, became hot fashion colors in lycra activewear and nylon outdvor gear. Racing stripes, lace body stock- ings, wrestling tops, cycling shorts, ski accessories and sportive swimwear are Olympic trends that are still seen in fashion today. Olympic medalists such as Ca- nadian Carolyn Waldc, who won the gold meda! in synchronized swimming in 1988, introduced clothing lines of their own soon after the games. Waido’s clothing line is sold in department stores across the country. This year, the designers chosen to represent the CBS crew show there is an obvious slant on the American market. Three of the five designers chosen are from the U.S. and there are 52 other coun- tries competing in the Olympics. But if you want to support Ca- nadian labels along with listed teams in the upcoming events, here are the designers to watch. Spot the trends yourself. ALFRED SUNG Alfred Sung trained at the Chambre Syndicale de la Couture in Paris before working as an assistant designer on Seventh Avenue. It was here that he gain- ed the experience needed te ac- quire his eye for balance and sim- plicity which are his hallmark. He soon opened his own shop in Toronts, and in 1979 he form- ed The Monaco Group with part- ner Joseph Mimran. The Sung Collection was quick- Sees 3 page 17 Crenna’s quick snips KORET GETS younger in 1992 .... Koret Canada, one of Van-. couver’s largest manwfacturers of ladies’ clothing, has introduced a. new line called Match Makers | which continues to cater to the- firm’s traditionally older custom er. The company’s originai Koret collection now focuses ona younger market and has been upgraded, featuring higher quatity fabrics. The clothing is said to have a more “updated and pro- gressive’™ look. The changes have been evolving” for the past. four years, and the new look was completed in the Koret holiday collection,. which’: included a fine crepe and. lace’ grouping and a= black - vel group. Watch: for the firm’s spr. ing line, available | in 1 departmen stores. : e e ° MARQUIS OF London: ventures to Europe... Marquis of Londox Manvfacturing, - a. 49-year-old leather firm in Vancouver, col sidered to be the largest” in Western Canada, has . recently. decided to expand to both Hong Kong and Europe. : - Though the firm has establish itself firmly in the United Stat selling at stores such as Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus; i has never made‘a serious effort to. break into. the: European market until now. quis of London’s: first ° show: ii Europe. Eighteen months. ago, the fii travelled to the international women’s wear show. in. - Japan, and now. has. its ov showroom in that city. The ‘fir cessfully deveiop that market. : NEW STORES open aon Despite’ the recession, the following : new: boutiques have. receniiy opened: Vancouver. work have been Christa’s Boutique, o Fourth Avenue in Vancouver, car- ries Vancouver designer clothing’ and accessories including labels such as Julie Shilander, Aura and Billy Joe, and several manufac-. turers’ lines. lago-Go Vogue Design is a new store on Granville Street that car-_ Ties only young Vancouver de- signer clothing and accessories. ~ Retailers with highly specialized merchandise have also opened. The Great Pretenders in | Oakridge Mall carries only jewelry . and jewelled accessories that are copies from Tiffany’s, Cartier and — Bulgary. : Several new stores carry. a distinct collection of art, creative~ home furnishings and fashion ac- cessories which are both imported and from B.C. designers. They include Amsterdamage, an art gallery/store on Main Street, and Beauregard Collections, a great Sante Fe and California design shop on West Fourth. ~ Avenue. Tangram Designs, new to. the Marine Building on Hastings Street, sells home furnishings, ° fashion accessories, jewelry and a <: small selection of clothing im-. ported from Japan and Europe. =.