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In view of the Olympic Games, which begin next Friday, the press and broadcasting stations have saturated the American television with all things Beijing. Thus, it is not surprising that there has been a trickle down effect, inspiring companies not directly associated with the Games to design collections around themes of Asia.

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PUMA, medal bag (small) $ 49; medal bag (large) $ 79 by George Omerod, first prize, Central Saint Martins student competition. At the Puma Store, Union Square and SoHo locations.

sports brands take advantage of this summer Beijing 2008 Olympic Games with Chinese-inspired clothing and accessories collections. The Olympics the most politicized in recent history notwithstanding, the event has attracted as much attention as brands such as Fila and New Balance are racing to exploit the tendency of the East.

The Olympics are a hook for many firms, according to a marketing expert, Renee Peet, the branding company that helps companies market and sell their products. "We started to see about a year and a half or two years ago, applications of how to co-brand around the Olympics," she said.

New Balance has created two lines of shoes lifestyle: a collection that plays China mask the mood and characters of traditional Chinese Opera, and elements 576 Collection, based on Chinese Taoist philosophy.

"China is top of mind for the people that would, with the Olympics underway in Beijing," the product manager for New Balance, Alana Choquette said.

limited edition collection society elements, which recently hit stores, has been designed with wood, water, earth and spirit, supposed to represent three of the types of energy changing with another, according to Taoism. Details such as leather Peel the black and green "wood" sneakers are meant to convey the texture of the crust or sediment. Meanwhile, the blue and white "water" shoes have rubber soles transparent which gives the optical illusion of floating bubbles.

However, New Balance China Mask collection, which will be launched globally in August, represents the mood with color: black rage, red for anger, and so on. The suede shoes with mesh accents feature embossed graphics and re-creations of Chinese masks are visible on the signature New Balance N along a party shoes. "

"This is the first collection which was designed by China, which is exciting given the link with the Beijing Olympics," said Ms. Choquette's collection of masks, which is the product of a competition design sneaker place across Asia.

"We are seeing a large number of trends of Asian influence. ... The Olympics will give a boost and that make people more aware, "said Ms. Peet.

The current influx of Asian products on the theme include Fila boost its collection of well-being, in this incarnation of the teachings of the East as the focal point.

"We were talking about Eastern philosophy and was a real turning to yoga and Pilates, and it's not a coincidence that the Olympic year in China," the director of design and apparel for Fila, Freya Tamayo said.

The collection of well-being, which hit stores earlier this month, has a very "Zen feeling" and includes environmentally friendly fabrics such as cotton, soybean and bamboo Lycra (whic.