Sydney 2000 Olympic Games Closing Ceremony uniform
Object No. 2001/84/346
The textile and clothing manufacturers, Woolmark and Mambo, referred to Australia's landscape and culture when designing uniforms for the 2000 Australian Olympic team. The result was a blend of ochre, green and gold garments that reflected a unique and casual lifestyle. This is a surplus uniform for the male Australian athletes, comprising a shirt, trousers, belt, bag and sandshoes. Maria Italiano, the Olympic Uniform Project Manager for Woolmark, revealed the inspiration behind the uniform designs: "In keeping with the purely Australian feel of rustic colours and youthful design, both opening and closing ceremony uniforms reaffirmed our unique, casual lifestyle, with the bonus of being made of Australian Merino wool". The uniforms, which convey a relaxed and youthful image of Australia, were particularly appropriate for a team whose average age was 22 years. Andrew Gaze, the flag-bearer for the Australian Olympic team, also praised the youthful image, and stated at the media launch: "this is an outstanding, young uniform. The colours make a strong statement about Australia". The outfit was modified slightly for the closing ceremony to include a short-sleeved Mambo shirt that featured the design, "Suburbia", by Reg Mombassa. This pattern also appears on lining for the jackets worn at the opening ceremony. In its entirety, the outfit demonstrates the youthful and energetic Australian identity that the Sydney Olympic Organising Committee conveyed throughout the Games. Moreover, it reflects the work of Australian designers and manufacturers, and their international exposure during the opening and closing ceremonies. The costumes demonstrate the youthful and energetic Australian identity that the Sydney Olympic Organising Committee conveyed throughout the Games. Moreover, they reflect the work of Australian designers and manufacturers, and their international exposure during the opening and closing ceremonies.
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Summary
Object Statement
Ceremonial uniform, comprising of shirt, trousers, bag, shoes (pair), packaging and belt, Sydney 2000 Olympics Closing Ceremony, athlete, mens, various materials, designed and made by the Woolmark Company / Mambo / Nike, Australia / Vietnam, c. 2000
Physical Description
Uniform, for closing ceremony, made for an Australian male athlete. The uniform includes a Mambo shirt in "Suburbia" fabric, a pair of green trousers, a green belt, a green and gold shoulder bag, and a pair of Nike sandshoes. Shirt: short sleeved and collared with six clear plastic buttons down the right side of the shirt. Made from 60% new wool and 40% polyester. Shirt features the Mambo "Suburbia" design. The collar and sleeves are blue with yellow and red clouds the rest of the shirt is made up of a suburban street scene - houses, trees, telegraph poles, parked cars and dogs and chickens running along the street. The Mambo logo appears in the centre back of the shirt above the clouds in the design. Double stitched seams. There is a 14mm split in either side of the shirt from the hemline up the side seams. Trousers: green with green button and zip at centre front, six belt loops around waist. Back pocket and hip pockets close using zips. Yellow tabs are attached to these zips. Below the back pocket are the outlines of silver stars in the Southern Cross formation. There is another pocket below the left hip pocket that opens and closes using a flap with Velcro. The trouser legs taper slightly towards the bottom. Seams are double stitched. Inside the trousers the waist is lined with yellow material. Bag: satchel style, synthetic canvas material. Made up of three vertical panels of colour green, yellow then green. The middle yellow panel is outlined down either side by 15mm webbing. The webbing is reflective silver outlined on either side by fluorescent yellow and dark green. The middle yellow panel of the flap that closes the bag features the outline of silver stars in the Southern Cross formation. Also on the flap in one of the green panels "Australia" has been machine embroided in yellow cursive writing. The flap opening and closing the bag has a curved edge that has been hemmed using black edging. The bag closes with 2 adjustable black plastic squeeze clip fasteners and black Velcro. The squeeze clips are on the bottom corners of the bag and the bottom corners of the flap. On the front of the bag underneath the flap used to close the bag, there is a white Woolmark label featuring the Olympic rings and black text "Official Supplier of Formal Uniforms to the / 2000 Australian Olympic Team for the / Games of the XXVII Olympiad". Below this label across the yellow panel of the bag is a black zip pocket. On the front of the pocket "Australia" has been machine embroided in green cursive writing. There is a yellow pocket on the back of the bag in the middle yellow panel. Some of the stitching on the seam near the opening to the pocket has come undone. The shoulder strap of the bag is grey 55mm webbing. The shoulder strap can be adjusted using a black plastic seat belt style clip. It also has an adjustable padded shoulder pad that is green on the outside and grey underneath. The inside of the bag is lined with yellow on the back, base and sides. The inside front of the bag features a green flap that is divided into three compartments providing inside pockets for the bag. There are two large pockets one of which closes with a strip of black Velcro and a small pocket for a pen. The tops of both pockets are hemmed with black edging. The inside seams are also hemmed with black edging. Shoes: pair of sneakers, white leather lined with soft white toweling. Nike tick logo in silver outlined in black stitches down either side of both sneaker. Nike tick logo is also on the heel of the shoe, in silver stitches outlined in black. A white material label is stitched to the tongue of the shoe. The label is stitched to the outside of the tongue, bent over the end of the tongue and stitched to the inside. On the part of the label that appears on the outside of the tongue Nike is written in black over the top of the silver Nike tick logo. The part of the label on the inside the tongue gives the shoes manufacturing details. Another label is sewn into the inside of the shoe detailing the shoes size. Both labels state the shoes were made in Vietnam. The laces are white. They have been threaded through a metal label which has been engraved with "Cortez / '72". The sole of the shoe is white rubber with a silver stripe extending from the middle of one side of the sole to the middle of the other side. On the base of the sole are zigzag grooves providing grip. The Nike logo in stamped into the middle of the sole. Packaging for shoes: rectangular, cardboard, brown with orange section on left-hand side and orange ends. Lid is attached to back of box and has 2 holes cut out from each side. White ticks are evident of top and two sides of lid and text "Just do it" on front right-hand side. Left side of box has barcode and white text in a table that gives product details of style and size. Belt: green polyester webbing with 2 gold stripes, and a green metal-hinged buckle. The buckle features a southern cross motif and "Australia" vertically in gold.
PRODUCTION
Notes
Designed by Mambo and the Woolmark Company. Trousers made by Mambo and the Woolmark Company. Shoes are made in Vietnam for Nike. Box for shoes are made in Taiwan for Nike. This uniform was made c. 2000.
HISTORY
Notes
Unused Made for and owned by the Olympic Coordination Authority/Sydney Organising Committee for the Olympic Games, and donated to the Powerhouse Museum after use in the Games.
SOURCE
Credit Line
Part of the Sydney 2000 Games Collection. Gift of the New South Wales Government, 2001
Acquisition Date
5 October 2001
Copyright for the above image is held by the Powerhouse and may be subject to third-party copyright restrictions. Please submit an Image Licensing Enquiry for information regarding reproduction, copyright and fees. Text is released under Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivative licence.
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