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Anatolii Belikov and his CG team pay tribute to Issey Miyake’s landmark uniforms for Lithuania’s 1992 Olympic team that the designer created gratis as a symbol of hope and freedom following the breakup of the Soviet Union.
Anatolii Belikov: What began as an interest in an archival fashion object, over time became a more personal reflection on connection: between countries, people, generations and creative disciplines.
A Japanese designer donating his time and talent to create a uniform for a newly independent Lithuania, with the original promotional imagery photographed by Irving Penn, became a strong example of the kind of unexpected cultural exchange that the project came to represent.
“The long development period eventually became part of the project itself: an archival object reconstructed, revisited, and given a new life in another medium.”
The main challenge was the lack of reference material. Original pieces are held in archives and museums, and only a limited number of photographs and details were available. We spent a year, between commercial projects, rebuilding the garment as accurately as possible.
The project was initially planned for release around the 2020 Olympics, then postponed again in 2022 when the team had to relocate after the war in Ukraine began. Returning to the work years later meant re-evaluating both the technical execution and the reason for finishing it.
The final approach was not to create a literal historical reproduction, but to preserve the character of the original uniform while reinterpreting it through 3D animation. The long development period eventually became part of the project itself: an archival object reconstructed, revisited, and given a new life in another medium.
Production: Anatolik Belikov Studio
Director/animator: Anatolii Belikov
Art Director/CG Artist: Anatolii Belikov, Artem Lebediev, Mykyta Kyrychenko
Producer: Polina Kutepova (ABS)
Original Uniform Design: Issey Miyake
Music: Mujuice
