The Czech Olympic Collection by Zuzana Osako: Tokyo 2021

The Czech Olympic collection by designer and illustrator Zuzana Osako, presented at the Tokyo opening ceremony, is built upon the convergence, exploration, and connection of Czech and Japanese cultures. The fundamental technological element in this process became modrotisk (blueprint)—a technique of decorating fabrics with negative printing and indigo dyeing originally from East Asia. While modrotisk gained popularity in Japan during the 17th and 18th centuries, it reached a peak of diversity and richness in Czech urban and rural textiles during the 19th century. The official Tokyo 2020 Olympic logo features a deep indigo ring, a direct reference to Japanese blueprint (aizome). Through this color and technique, Osako unified past and present, tradition and modernity, without succumbing to anachronism.

While historically modrotisk complemented Czech and Moravian folk costumes, Osako applied it to the women's jupka (jacket) and men's vest of the Czech Olympic team. In doing so, she maintained the signature seal of her design work. Expressing such authenticity and uniqueness is a personal choice and a risk, but it also reflects true experience and personality rather than fleeting emotion or tabloid-style explicitness. The integration of folk elements into clothing design has appeared in collections since before 1989, with successful blueprint designers including Arnoštka Eberhardová, Milada Jochcová, and later Liběna Rochová, Klára Nademlýnská, and Alice Klouzková. The Olympic collection features a motif of a gymnast with outstretched arms combined with a floral pattern, following the traditional blueprint palette.

A vital element for Osako—the silhouette of the female body—is represented by short, white strapped dresses decorated with sámky (fine ornamental pleats). White also features in the men's trousers and shirts. This pure white combined with subtle blueprint designs meets the criteria of minimalism and sobriety. By pairing the blue upper parts with white lower garments, Osako explicitly referenced the 1964 Tokyo Olympic entry collection. However, she enriched the blue and white with red accents on ribbons and leather footwear, nodding to the Czech tricolor. Emphasis on detail and craftsmanship extends to accessories: raffia bags and fans made of blueprint set in bamboo frames. The fan serves as a gesture of respect toward the host Japanese culture. Osako’s inclusion of fans reflects an awareness of different cultural patterns, acknowledging that the fan is essential for Japan's hot and humid summer climate—a factor also reflected in the choice of material: very fine cotton.

The collection fulfills commitments to humility, craftsmanship, and the revitalization of traditional techniques. Osako demonstrates that traditional crafts are not destined for extinction but can be transferred into wearable fashion. The collection is not ostentatious in the spirit of globalized, unified aesthetics; instead, it supports Czech national identity and promotes the quality of domestic production. Just as a symbol gains meaning only against a specific context, Osako’s collection is best understood within the framework of Czech craft. She asserts the right to emphasize cultural heritage, even if it may not be immediately clear to modern observers. Perhaps it is time to rebuild awareness of Czech identity within the context of other cultural traditions.

PhDr. Barbora Půtová, Ph.D., Ph.D. et Ph.D. Sociocultural Anthropologist and Art Historian Institute of Ethnology, Faculty of Arts, Charles University