Team Speedo Stars Ryan Lochte, Natalie Coughlin, Nathan Adrian,
Dana Vollmer and Cullen Jones Collaborate with Renowned Artists to
Design Limited Edition Speedo Swim Caps for Charity
LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 9, 2013--
SPEEDO USA, a division of PVH Corp. (NYSE:PVH), today launched
its new Art of the Cap campaign, a special collaboration between
the brand and swimming’s biggest stars, now live at www.SpeedoUSA.com/ArtOfTheCap.
As part of the campaign, five Team Speedo athletes – Olympic gold
medalists Ryan Lochte, Natalie Coughlin, Nathan Adrian,
Dana Vollmer and Cullen Jones – were paired with five
celebrated artists – Dave Kinsey, Adhemas Batista, Gianmarco
Magnani, Jessica Hische and Jolby & Friends – to
design a limited edition Speedo swim cap, sold exclusively on www.SpeedoUSA.com.
The proceeds from each design will be donated to the athletes’ chosen
charities – Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy (PPMD), Right to
Play, Kids Beating Cancer, Simon’s Fund, and the USA
Swimming Foundation’s Make a Splash Initiative – helping to support
and raise awareness for five worthy causes during this holiday season of
giving.
The athletes and artists were paired based on the connection of their
personal stories, interests, and style; the charities chosen by the
athletes are all tied important, personal causes they each support.
Lochte, Coughlin, Adrian, Vollmer and Jones shared their stories with
the artists who then brought their collaborative vision to life
throughout the design process. The results come alive at Speedo USA’s
“Art of the Cap” microsite, where visitors can view new and interactive
content, including athlete interviews, images and videos; learn about
each athlete’s personal connection to their cause and each limited
edition swim cap design; and buy the cap.
11-time Olympic medalist Ryan Lochte and Dave Kinsey, a
world-renowned artist known for his emotionally charged, multi-layered
paintings and murals, created a cap with a bold, argyle design in
Lochte’s go-to shade of green. Lochte is supporting Parent
Project Muscular Dystrophy (PPMD), a non-profit
organization that seeks to end Duchenne, a form of muscular dystrophy
that took the life of one of Lochte’s close relatives. Duchenne patients
are also devastatingly restricted from almost all physical activity,
except swimming. Lochte has been working with PPMD for nearly a decade,
and proceeds from his limited edition cap will benefit the organization.
”I never thought in a million years that I would be in a position to
affect kids’ lives,” said Lochte about his charitable work. “It’s
humbling.”
Natalie Coughlin, the most decorated U.S. female Olympian of all
time, and Adhemas Batista, a Brazilian artist whose innovative
illustrations and designs feature bold, beautiful colors, created a
lyrical swim cap inspired by Natalie’s love of the ocean. A California
girl through and through, Coughlin grew up near the water and her cap’s
wave-like design and colors reflect her love for swimming and her
passion for the environment. Coughlin is a long-time supporter of Right
to Play, a global organization that uses sports to educate and
empower children facing adversity; proceeds from Coughlin’s limited
edition Speedo swim cap will go to the organization, which
reaches one million children in regular weekly activities, teaching them
critical life skills that affect positive, sustainable change.
“I thought Art of the Cap was such a fantastic idea,” said Coughlin.
“Not only does it help us give back to our charities but it gives us a
creative outlet.”
Sprint star Nathan Adrian, who won gold in the 100m Freestyle in
London, partnered with celebrated Peruvian illustrator Gianmarco
Magnani to create a swim cap that pays tribute to his hard-working
hometown of Bremerton, Washington, and its ship-building history.
Growing up near the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Adrian was inspired by
the speed, power and integrity of a battleship as it moves through the
water – attributes all reflected in the swim cap’s design; the number
08, prominently displayed on one side of the cap, is a nod to his
family’s Chinese heritage and to his first Olympics in 2008 in Beijing.
Adrian and his cap are supporting Kids
Beating Cancer, a non-profit organization founded by Margaret
Voight Guedes in memory of her son that works to ensure children can
receive life-saving cancer treatment regardless of their family’s
financial situation.
“I feel like I’m in a really blessed position,” said Adrian.
“With that position, I’ve always felt a need and a desire to give back
to people who haven’t been given the ability to live their dreams.”
Four-time Olympic gold medalist Dana Vollmer teamed up with
letterer and illustrator Jessica Hische to create her limited
edition swim cap for Speedo USA. The design comes from – and celebrates
– the heart and Dana’s own personal history of overcoming a
life-threatening heart condition to become a World Champion swimmer. A
leading advocate for heart health awareness, proceeds from Vollmer’s cap
will benefit the Simon’s
Fund, a non-profit organization dedicated to raising awareness
about the conditions that lead to sudden cardiac arrest and death in
children and young athletes.
“To put the heart first was a concept that I really liked,” said Vollmer
about her cap design. “The heart is right there on the front – it’s
what leads you, and everything else kind of flows in behind that.”
Olympic gold medalist and swim safety advocate Cullen Jones
teamed up with Jolby & Friends, a collaborative creative
studio based in Portland, Oregon, to design a swim cap for those who
“dare to be different.” Each side of Jones’ cap is unique, inspired by
vintage sailor tattoos and Jones’ strong, determined attitude with
Cullen’s personal motto of “Dare to be Different” printed on one side.
His favorite number, 41, is printed on the other as a subtle tribute to
Jones’ father whose basketball jersey number was 41. Jones’ cap benefits
the USA
Swimming Foundation’s Make a Splash Initiative, which saves
lives by providing swimming lessons to children across the United
States, regardless of their ability to pay. After nearly drowning at the
age of five, Jones has worked throughout his career to help reduce the
drowning rate among minority youth in the U.S., working closely with the
USA Swimming Foundation, and promoting diversity in the sport.
“I love the idea of Art of the Cap just because we get to express
ourselves,” said Jones. “It was a chance to express all the
different things that I like in my life and found important – and made
me who I am.”
The Art of the Cap campaign is a true first for Speedo; the brand
has launched limited edition collections inspired by its athletes in the
past, but this is the first time the athletes were personally involved
in the design process.
“We’re incredibly excited about the Art of the Cap campaign,” said Alyssa
Igawa, Marketing Director for Speedo USA. “It is a first for the
brand and our athletes, and it has been a true partnership every step of
the way.”
“Through the collaboration, we’ve given our athletes a way to creatively
express who they are and what is important to them,” added Igawa.
“Every cap sold raises awareness, raises money, and makes a difference –
empowering swimmers to look good while doing good.”
Art of the Cap marks the second campaign from Hello Design for Speedo
USA; based in Culver City, Calif., the agency signed on as Speedo USA’s
digital agency earlier this year
Speedo is a registered trademark of and used under license from
Speedo International Ltd. Warnaco Swimwear, Inc., a subsidiary of PVH
that does business as Speedo USA, holds the exclusive license from
Speedo International Ltd in North America and the Caribbean.
ABOUT SPEEDO
The world’s leading swimwear brand, Speedo is passionate about life in
and around the water, creating revolutionary new technologies, designs
and innovations, and supporting swimming from the grassroots to the
elite level, including the phenomenal Michael Phelps. In the 1920’s
Speedo made history with the Racerback, the world’s first
non-wool suit. In 2008, Speedo redefined swimwear again with Fastskin
LZR RACER, one of the fastest and most technologically advanced
swimsuits ever created; 2011 saw Speedo unveil another world first with
the Fastskin Racing System - a cap, goggle and suit designed to work
together as one. Speedo is owned by Speedo Holdings B.V. and
distributed in over 170 countries around the world; in North America and
the Caribbean, Speedo is licensed exclusively to Warnaco Swimwear
Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of PVH Corp. To find out more, visit www.speedousa.com.
ABOUT PVH
PVH Corp., one of the world’s largest apparel companies, owns and
markets the iconic Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger brands
worldwide. It is the world’s largest shirt and neckwear company and
markets a variety of goods under its own brands, Van Heusen, Calvin
Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, IZOD, ARROW, Warner’s and
Olga, and its licensed brands, including Speedo, Geoffrey
Beene, Kenneth Cole New York, Kenneth Cole Reaction, MICHAEL
Michael Kors, Sean John, Chaps, Donald J. Trump
Signature Collection, JOE Joseph Abboud, DKNY, Ike
Behar and John Varvatos.
Source: PVH Corp.
Brener Zwikel & Associates
Audra Silverman, 212-708-1703
Speedo
Public Relations
audras@bzapr.com
or
PVH
Corp.
Dana Perlman, 212-381-3502
Treasurer, SVP – Business
Development and Investor Relations
danaperlman@pvh.com
