London Olympics to inspire designers

The London win for the 2012 Olympics will greatly inspire designer collections as much as it will influence high street sales. Stella McCartney was quoted as saying: "I would love to get the team looking extrafine in our gear," she said, referring to her new sports performance line, Stella McCartney for Adidas. Julien Macdonald said he was over the moon. "My favorite events are the gymnastics and tri-athletics, and my designs for the Games would be very glamorous." According to the London Retail Consortium, a body that represents retailers in and around the city, the Games, which will take place in London's East End, should generate an extra 521 million pounds, for the retail sector.

"Retailers generally benefit from this feel-good factor as it usually means people have a positive attitude toward everything - including spending their money," said a spokesman for the LRC. It's the first time since 1948 the Olympics have been held in Britain and, in 2012, London will become the first city to have hosted the modern Olympic Games three times. A spokeswoman for Topshop said the store would definitely mark the Games in some way, and was already gearing up to handle extra shoppers with an expanded store format that will be unveiled in October.