Bob Marley's Daughter To Dress Usain Bolt's Team
Assistant Producer, CNBC.com
At the London Olympics in 2012, the public will have plenty of reason to keep their eye on Jamaica's track and field team.
One will be to see whether Olympic gold medalist Usain Bolt, who set two records in the 100 and 200 meters running races in Beijing in 2008, will be able to defend his titles.
But besides Bolt's performance, many fans will be looking at what he'll be wearing, too, as the famous sportsman will be dressed by Cedella Marley, the eldest daughter of Jamaican reggae legend Bob Marley.
Leading sportswear company Puma has teamed up with Cedella Marley to design the 2012 Olympic wear for the Jamaican track and field team, and Bolt said that the partnership will be "inspirational."
"I can't think of a better person to design our Olympic outfits than Cedella," Bolt said in a statement.
"Puma got that right ... hooking up with a legendary Jamaican. She's a great designer but also carries on the spirit of our nation through the legacy of the Marley family. It's going to be inspirational to run in London with that energy surrounding me," he added.
Rebellion, Vintage
A former track runner herself, Cedella Marley knows that that as an athlete, "when you're feeling good, you do great," telling CNBC in a telephone interview, "I want them (the athletes) to feel like they're in their own skin… I want it (the clothes) to hug their lines."
The sports lifestyle company and the offspring of reggae royalty turned designer will together design all the Olympic, podium and ceremony wear for the London summer Olympics of 2012.
"The 1970s, the 1980s, rebellion… vintage, blending the old with the new... (Grace) Jones meets Bob Marley on the track, fire in the field … Rasta, bohemian, chic, bold, vibrant," Marley said about her inspiration behind the Olympic gear.
The collaboration between Puma, Marley and Jamaica is "a dream," according to Antonio Bertone, Puma's chief marketing officer.
"No country better symbolizes Puma than Jamaica… the music, sports and lifestyle... it brings joy back into the sport," Bertone said.
London's large Jamaican population – estimated to make up around 7 percent of all Londoners - is proving ideal for the company to premiere the sports wear during the 2012 Olympics.
We "couldn't have picked a better city to have the Olympics," Bertone told CNBC.
