Chinese models display the official uniforms of referees (grey), volunteers (blue), and technicians and staff (red) of the Beijing Olympics and Paralympic Games during an unveiling ceremony in Beijing in this January 20, 2008 file photo. [Agencies]

There are three separate uniforms for the torchbearers, escort runners and staff members. Both long and short uniform styles are available to suit the weather conditions during the torch relay and possible religious customs of different countries. What's the design concept for Olympic outfits?

Glory and dream are the core concepts. We wanted the outfits to convey messages of warm welcome, sports and energy, culture and harmony. The volunteer uniforms highlight concepts of enthusiasm, joy, participation and devotion.

What's the theme of the Olympic outfits?

With the themeof ‘Drifting Clouds and Flowing Water', the Olympic outfits embody strong Chinese elements and style. As required by the IOC, the core graphics - auspicious clouds - must be used without affecting its integrity and line consistency. It's a big challenge, but after three months we managed to complete the work.

The image of moving clouds can be also visualized as water waves, so we layered several clouds on top of each other and added shade to create a three-dimensional effect. We chose a white cloud at the waist to make the symbol more obvious. The graphics feature a strong, athletic and striking sporting style, creating a mood of enthusiasm and joy.

Not only will the graphics extend the ideas of harmony, perfection and a continuum, they will also reflect ancient Chinese philosophical ideas. I hope the Olympic outfits will entice more people to know more about Chinese culture.

Why did you choose to put graphic designs on upper body and what effect do you wish to achieve?

We tried to put the graphics on different places on the uniforms and adjust the graphics proportionally. We also wanted the outfits to look impressive and recognizable. At first, we set the graphics on lower on the body but we found it makes the wearers look shorter. If a photographer needs to shoot the upper body he will miss the uniforms' distinguished features or miss the graphics completely. Putting core graphics on the upper body produces a flowing effect and when people walk, the clouds look like they are moving." Graphics on relatively larger areas – on the front and back - ensures the lucky clouds have a more integral role to play and avoid severe graphics distortion when people move.

Why did you choose red, blue and gray as three main colors for the Olympics uniforms?

We studied uniforms in the past and found white and blue were used many times. We wanted to make a breakthrough and show our cultures are the same. The different colors make the uniforms easily recognizable to people who need help. Chinese red, similar to color on the Forbidden City wall, for the BOCOG staff, signifies passion and action; blue, a refreshing color, is suitable for the large number of volunteers; and gray, the color of Great Wall bricks, represents calm and fairness, which is what the technical staff need the most.

Initially, we chose red for the volunteers but later we gave up the idea. Imagine 100,000 volunteers in red appear in the stadium during the summer, and it could make the viewers uncomfortable . But blue helps you feel cool and relaxed. We hope the uniforms make everybody look healthy and passionate.