NZ clothing for Games revealed

By JULIET ROWAN

Some of New Zealand's top athletes took to the catwalk last night to model the uniforms they will wear to the Olympics.

Windsurfer Barbara Kendall and rower Sonia Waddell were among those who strutted their stuff in the fashion parade at the Auckland Town Hall, where a cheering audience got to see the New Zealand look for Athens.

Sports uniforms were also revealed but the outfits for the opening ceremony will stay secret until the day.

The show began with competition gear, and some athletes appeared shy in the limelight. But Ms Kendall managed a bold shimmy as she modelled her grey windsurfing wetsuit.


Options for protection from the Greek sun include soft bowlers as well as white sun-visors and caps.

A feature of the lineup was tracksuit tops featuring large silver ferns - with curved rather than the conventional straight edges.

The Town Hall crowd renewed their applause and wolf-whistles when the first athletes appeared in the formal wear.

Designer sportswear label Orca had taken a slightly casual approach to a classic look - black suits and white shirts - with the men tie-less and both sexes wearing sandals.

The uniforms did not impress Auckland designer Adrian Hailwood, whose screen-printed streetwear has received rave reviews from magazines including Vogue Australia and Marie Claire.

"They look like they're from The Warehouse. It's a really drab look."

Leading New Zealand designer Kate Sylvester agreed the uniforms weren't particularly stylish.

"They certainly aren't going to set any catwalks on fire."

But she said they were probably designed more with function in mind, adding that black and white would always be a winning colour combination.