LONDON VAUXHALL DEALERS

The final piece of the London Olympics design jigsaw has been unveiled, with the first appearance of the Games podiums, the costumes worn by medal bearers and the bouquets presented at medal ceremonies.

In a distinct break with previous events, all but the floral arrangements have been created by students, a decision organisers say highlights the intention to provide a legacy to the city's young people.

Similarly unprecedented is the fact that the majority of the designers are not British nationals. Of the five co-creators of the "royal purple" podiums, which feature a zigzag edge to mimic the jagged lines of the official 2012 logo, two are South Korean, one from China, one is French and the other is a US national. All were Royal College of Art (RCA) students when Olympic officials launched a design contest.

The designer of the two outfits for female medal bearers and athlete escorts, fitted one-piece creations in the same colour, is another overseas RCA student, Trine Hav Christensen, from Denmark, whose final MA show at the college opened this week. The accompanying hat was created by a Briton, Zara Gorman, who left RCA in 2010.

For the first time at an Olympics, some of the medal bearers – all of whom are volunteers – will be male. Their sharply cut purple suit was designed by another recent RCA graduate, Tom Crisp from Kent.

London 2012 bouquets by Jane Packer

The only established designers were used for the flowers, created by the studio of celebrated London-based florist Jane Packer, who died part-way through the process late last year.

Niccy Hallifax, who is organising victory ceremonies at London 2012, said the decision to use students was based on London's promise at the bidding process for the event to use the Games to help the city's young.

"The designs are very contemporary, very British, but also take on board our brand and/or stories," she said. "It was really important for us that, certainly with the podium and the costumes, we're launching the next generation of designers."

Once the decision was taken to use RCA students, Hallifax said, it was inevitable that those involved would come from the range of backgrounds. "We are a multicultural country and the RCA in particular draws people from all over the world. The creative industry is very strong in the UK, and the art colleges in particular.

"It was very important to us that we were truly inclusive. It's about bringing the world to London. The designers reflect that."

The bulk of the attention is likely to be focused on the volunteers' outfits, which Hallifax described as having "a very fresh look, which doesn't overpower the athletes".

Medal-bearer outfits have had a chequered history at previous Olympics, with designers generally opting for a variant, or pastiche, of the national outfits, such as the close-fitted cheongsam-type dresses used in Beijing in 2008, or the traditional, rural-style outfits seen in Athens four years before.

This can have its perils for nations where the national outfit is less clear – for example the awkward-looking bushranger coats and hats seen in Sydney in 2000.

The 2012 outfits have opted for a modern look, albeit one that, at first glance, veers closely towards the sort of clothes usually seen on airline cabin crew.

The designers said they had attempted to incorporate British elements: Christensen said the zips dotted around her women's outfits referenced punk; Crisp said he was inspired by Savile Row. Gorman said her sleekly cut hats were influenced by the lines of Olympic buildings such as the velodrome.

London 2012′s official scent of victory has been revealed – a potent combination of mint, rosemary, English lavender and wheat.

Organisers have unveiled the look of all victory celebrations by revealing how the podiums, ceremonial costumes and medallists’ flowers bouquets will appear this summer.

And it appears their favourite novel must by Alice Walker’s The Colour Purple.

Over 805 carefully choreographed victory ceremonies will be staged over 30 venues and for the first time in Olympic history the medal bearers will also be male.

The costumes and podium have been designed by a team of students from the Royal College of Art while UK florist Jane Packer has crafted a victory bouquet that combines a rose, the most iconic of English flowers, with traditional herbs.

“The victory ceremonies mark the moment athletes can celebrate and share their achievements with fans in the stadiums and a worldwide TV audience,” said London 2012 chairman Seb Coe.

“I’m delighted that we have worked with not only with established British designers but also with the next generation of designers to create this special moment for them.”

© Sportsbeat 2012