Global Runway: The Most Iconic Uniforms of the 2024 Paris Olympics
With a good dose of fashion and political history
From the rise of athleisure to tennis skirts as everyday wear, and high fashion collaborating on soccer jerseys, sports and fashion continue to be in the limelight. Throw in a moment for each country to be on the global stage at the Paris Olympics and you have the perfect storm for some incredible fashion and storytelling.
As
broke down in this week’s installment of her Fashion 🌀 Spiral: Athleisure & Fashion in Sports, the Olympics were a turning point for sportswear in fashion starting in 1976 when Halston designed uniforms for US athletes. At the time, the nation was experiencing a financial crisis, recovering from Watergate, and of course, living with impact of the unpopular Vietnam War. The shining light for US culture was New York’s party scene, specifically Studio 54 and Halston was at the center of that world. As such, Halston and his designs were the perfect emblem for Americans to rally around.
In the 80s the country shifted to an idealized view of America, embracing the “Great Out West” theme, designed by Levi Strauss & Co. And since 2008, Ralph Lauren has been the official US Olympics designer. At the time of the 2008 Olympics in China, the move to Ralph Lauren was to exude political strength as China was becoming a rising power. Ralph Lauren with a preppier and more refined outfitter was a symbol of Americana and status (Fashionista goes into great detail about all these eras, so if interested in more take a read here).
Around the world, the Olympics fashion offers a glimpse into the soft power of each of the countries and an opportunity to share stories of their heritage, resilience, beauty and political power. For the 2024 Olympics in Paris, fashion is a big component and inspiration with luxury conglomerates like LVMH taking on major sponsorship roles with several luxury houses involved in the design of the uniforms.
For designers around the world, designing Olympic uniforms offers brands and designers visibility and a chance to share their story on an international platform unlike any other. The designs and teams that I was most inspired by incorporated cultural motifs, fabrics, and stories with an eye toward progress, hope, and of course bringing home the gold. Here’s my selection for the top uniforms that you’ll see starting Friday. Let the games begin!
5th: Sierra Leone, Labrum (Foday Dumbuya) x adidas
Sierra Leonan migrant, Foday Dumbuya, founder of London-based Labrum (they also designed the Arsenal 24/25 Away kits to much criticism) designed the kit for Sierra Leone. The bold cobalt and white kits feature the cowrie shell, initially used as a form of currency in Africa and are now a symbol for wealth and prestige.
Dumbuya started Labrum in 2014 as a menswear collection telling the untold stories of West Africa to bridge Western and West African culture. In an interview he shared, “The reason why I created LABRUM London is to rebel against those negative connotations about Africa, about immigrants, about people movements. I realized and then I learned so much from the stories that my parents taught me about the culture, the rich culture, the music, the food — this is beautiful, but society make you feel that’s not really beautiful”.
4th: Czech Republic, Jan Société (Jan Černý) x Alpine Pro
Jan Černý is a prominent figure in Czech fashion and founder of Jan Société where he integrates streetwear with a local context of Czech craft and industrial legacy. His brand won the Czech Grand Design Fashion Designer of the Year in 2013 and his work for the Paris Olympics are a nod to both Czech fashion and Paris (he interned at LV in Paris). The most distinctive piece from the collection is the oversized splattered trench coat, where he was inspired by the idea of athletes floating on the Seine. The ink blue pattern is an ode to the work of graphic artist and painter Vladmir Boudnik who was born in 1924, the year the Olympics were in Paris last.
3rd: Nigeria, Actively Black
Actively Black is a four year old brand based out of Los Angeles that has made headlines for its kit. The founder, Lanny Smith is a former professional basketball player, and started the brand to bring black voices and perspectives to activewear dominated by Nike, adidas, lululemon, and others. As he recently told the Times, “I was a top-ranked basketball player starting in the sixth grade. I got all the best Nike gear growing up. And then you realize they’re just looking for the next Michael Jordan, the next LeBron James, the next athlete to market and sell product. Billions of dollars have been made off Black culture, Black talent and Black consumerism, and I felt like those brands hadn’t adequately reinvested back into the Black community”.
For the opening ceremony, Team Nigeria will be wearing a classic block print shirt in green and white. The print is inspired by the Nigerian flag and the shirt is made from a Funtua cotton from the Nigerian state of the same name. Men will wear a long vest over track pants as a nod to a traditional senator suit, while women will wear a style inspired by classic buba dresses. Accessories will include traditional headgear for men and women, the gele and fila hat.
2nd: Haiti, Stella Jean
Stella Jean is a Hatian-Italian fashion designer who has gained prominence for her unique collaborations with artisans around the world including Ghana, Benin, Mali, Burkina Faso, Pakistan, and Peru. Last fall as part of her SS24 collection she shared with Vogue that she was designing the collection for Team Haiti, “It’s not the biggest team, but we’re trying to make them the most elegant,” she said. And she definitely succeeded in that.
Jean understands the importance of fusing fashion and craft, while maintaining a level of reverence for the culture and people. For Haiti’s Olympic kit, she collaborated with Haitian painter Philippe Dodard, whose piece “Passage” is incorporated in the uniforms. The women’s uniform is a full skirt with Dodard’s artwork, with a chambray shirt made from Haiti’s traditional “blue cotton”. The men will wear pants in the same motif paired with a work jacket inspired by the traditional Guayabera shirt that pays homage to Jean’s grandfather (her mother is Haitian).
Haiti is in the midst of political chaos with Port-au-Prince, the country’s capital, under a state of emergency following local gangs shutting down airports, seaport, and targeting police stations. Jean’s goal is to remind people of the strength and resilence of Haitian people through their clothes. As she shared in a statement, “They [Haitian Olympic team] are 15 living symbols of rebirth and renewal that extend beyond what is usually shown”.
1st: Mongolia, Michel & Amazonka
Couture house, Michel & Amazonka, were not Mongolia’s first pick for the Olympic kits, but after another bid withdrew the duo had four months to create the uniforms. The couture house is headed up by sisters Michel and Amazonka who were inspired by the Naadam festival in Mongolia which occurs in the summer and is focused on competitions in wrestling, horse racing, and archery dating back to the 12th and 13th century.
For the uniforms they combined Deel, a traditional Mongolian dress, and an ornately embroidered vest filled with symbols of Naadam, the Olympics, and the Mongolian flora and landscape. The kit has gone viral since release, and the sisters are in awe of the response, “We are still in a state of shock. Every hour new articles and posts pour in with our names and it is incredible to see how many people loved our design worldwide. Like, how did they reach our facebook and instagram to see our uniform? What is happening?”.
Team Mongolia definitely won the uniform of the year for me. Epic and preservationist both in one look. Stunning. I appreciate this reminder. Hope you're well this week? Cheers, -Thalia