Speedo LZR Racer Elite - Redesigns
I have always been a huge fan of sportswear. Sportswear is more exciting than most people realize as it's really all about innovation of fabrics and technology. Speedo’s revolutionary LZR Racer swimsuit was so effective that it was able to reduce race times by around 2%. During the The Beijing Olympics 94% of all swimming races were won while wearing a Speedo LZR! The Federation Internationale de Natation deemed it unfit to use the Speedo LZR Racer swimsuit and it was banned from competion - many considered the suit "technological doping."
This caused a surplus of the suits. Instead of sending the products to a landfill Speedo had a more responsible solution. They chose to work with London College of Fashion, University College Falmouth and University of Huddersfield's students to create new designs.
Here are a couple of the re-designs that I saw at Fashion Press Week!
Speedo have created a new range of the LZR Racer Elite that are fully approved by FINA. Here's a bit of info from Speedo's press release about why the Speedo LZR Racer Elite is so special:
LZR Pulse Fabric:
The Speedo LZR Racer Elite is constructed from Speedo’s unique LZR Pulse fabric. Ultra Lightweight, powerful and water repellent, LZR Pulse reduces muscle oscillation and skin vibration through compression. This fast drying fabric is water repellent and also offers low skin friction drag.
Unique 3-D Three Piece Pattern:
The Speedo LZR Racer Elite is constructed with Speedo’s unique 3-D, three piece pattern. Derived from more than 400 body scans, the 3-D, three piece pattern is dynamically engineered to optimize the shape of the swimmer.
Bonded Seams:
The Speedo LZR Racer Elite range utilizes a fully bonded construction. As in the revolutionary LZR Racer, which was the world’s first fully-bonded competition swimsuit, the Speedo LZR Racer Elite features ultrasonically welded, bonded seams to create a smooth yet flexible streamlined surface.
Hydro Form Fit System:
The Speedo LZR Racer Elite is engineered (with the LZR Pulse fabric) to provide a streamlined shape across the whole body. This provides flexibility with optimum economy