Tuesday, November 19, 2024
Sports

Olympic opening ceremony: Mongolia, Haiti and Chinese Taipei among fashionable outfits

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  • Brianna Williams, ESPNJul 25, 2024, 09:50 AM ET

The opening ceremony for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris offers the world’s top athletes a moment to shine well before any podium appearances.

Unlike most of the upcoming Olympic events, gold, silver, and bronze won’t be the highlights on Friday. Instead, Olympians will proudly wear denim, cashmere, cotton, and other fabrics in their opening ceremony uniforms.

Together, these ensembles highlight the intersection of fashion and sports, offering a global stage for cultural expression and unity.

Here are some must-see opening ceremony uniforms from around the world:

United States of America

Designer: Ralph Lauren

America is renowned for its red, white, and blue, but this time the spotlight is on the blue. The nation’s athletes will don navy blazers, striped button-up shirts, and denim jeans. These blazers are adorned with patriotic trim and display the Olympic logo.

Australia

Designer: Sportscraft

The country’s national colors of green and gold provide the base shades for the ensemble.

Both men and women will wear a green linen blazer paired with stone-colored shorts or a green and gold ombre pleated skirt.

The blazer features the Australian Olympians’ Oath, on the inside jacket pocket and the names of all 301 Australian Summer Olympic champions are inscribed on the jacket lining.

Canada

Designer: Lululemon

Thanks to Lululemon, Canadian athletes won’t have to choose between style and comfort. The athleisure brand prioritized inclusivity and adaptability while celebrating the country’s history. The red outfit features a hand-drawn “tapestry of pride” in the fabric, incorporating 10 animals — nine representing Canada’s provinces and one symbolizing France.

Chinese Taipei

Designer: Justin Chou

Chinese Taipei’s Olympic opening ceremony is inspired by artist Paul Chaing’s “Mountain Range of Taiwan” painting. It further pays homage to the country by highlighting its national flowers and traditional good luck tokens.

Czech Republic

Designer: Alpine Pro

The Czech Republic’s Olympic opening ceremony attire draws inspiration from its national flag, which consists of two horizontal stripes of white over red with a blue triangle at the hoist. Underneath the white and blue outer layer is a polo shirt featuring a gradient design of all three national shades, complemented by blue slacks.

France

Designer: Berluti

Men and women of the host country will wear tailored midnight-blue tuxedo jackets and matching pants (or option of a wrap skirt for women) paired with white button-up shirts. Inside each item, the phrase “Artisan of all victories” is embroidered on a label with gold thread.

The ensemble will be accessorized with patterned pocket handkerchiefs, scarves, and hand-varnished belts, along with lapel pins in blue and red, reflecting the key colors of the French flag.

Great Britain

Designer: Ben Sherman

For the opening ceremony, Team Great Britain will don a white bomber jacket with navy sleeves, adorned with a floral embroidery on the back. This design, incorporating the rose, thistle, daffodil, and shamrock, symbolizes the unity of the United Kingdom’s four nations of ​​England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The ensemble will be completed with a knitted polo that bears a geometric red-and-blue pattern and light blue trousers.

Guatemala

Designer: Jaspe

Guatemala’s design features a vibrant palette of green and blue. Women will wear green dresses paired with blue vests, while men will sport blue button-up shirts and green slacks. To complete the look, both ensembles are accessorized with blue hats and black shoulder pads adorned with colorful traditional prints.

Haiti

Designer: Stella Jean

Local artist Philippe Dodard’s “Passage” painting takes center stage in the uniform’s skirt and trousers with a dynamic print. The women will complement the vibrant pattern with a woven shirt and belted blazer. Men, on the other hand, will wear light bluefield jackets inspired by the classic Haitian Guayabera shirt.

Ireland

Designer: Laura Weber

Ireland’s all-white outfits celebrate the country’s century-long participation in the Olympic Games.

Each athlete’s jacket includes a distinctive embroidered patch on the sleeve, showcasing a beaded, sequined, and stone-studded design of the athlete. As a symbol of good luck, the jackets also feature a shamrock brooch crafted from four embroidered four-leaf clovers.

Kazakhstan

Designer: Unknown

Kazakhstani athletes will sport white shirts with ties beneath striking blue blazers, complemented by white skirts or trousers. Adorning the bottom of the blazers and the sides of the pants are a series of symbols, each rich with historical significance. Among the illustrative elements are “müyiz” (horns), embodying strength, courage, and protection, while “kaz moiyn” (gooseneck) captures the essence of flexibility, agility, and grace.

Malaysia

Designer: Unknown

Malaysia’s opening ceremony uniforms honor the Malayan tiger, the country’s national animal. The jacket proudly displays an eye-catching print of orange and black stripes, echoing the tiger’s majestic appearance. The ensemble is finished off with sleek black pants.

Mexico

Designer: Men’s Fashion

The Mexican Olympic team will don a striking pink and white outfit featuring sleeve prints inspired by the cities of Oaxaca, San Miguel de Allende, and Michoacán. The black t-shirt underneath the jacket is meant to pay homage to El Ángel, a monument that commemorates Mexico’s War of Independence centennial.

Mongolia

Designer: Michel & Amazonka

The ivory-colored ceremonial garments pay homage to the Mongolian deel, a classic calf-length tunic. Elements such as the Soyombo symbol and the mythological Gua-Maral deer are intricately woven into the vest’s gold stitching.

According to the designers, each outfit took around 20 hours to craft.

Republic of Korea

Designer: Munisa Standard

Inspired by the national “taegeuk” circular symbol, the uniforms also incorporate the meaning of one of the black trigrams from the flag, symbolizing water.

South Korea’s light-blue look features a blazer with a lining engraved with traditional white and blue porcelain designs, paired with a belt and slacks.

Sri Lanka

Designer: Lovi Ceylon

The Sri Lankan team will be dressed in silk and other natural materials, featuring designs that honor the country’s traditional clothing culture. Hand-made embroidery and beadwork inspired by the attire of the 19th-century royal court will be on display in the ensemble.

Spain

Designer: Jomasport

The opening ceremony look features a gradient skirt for women, showcasing the national red/yellow/red color combination. Meanwhile, the men wear light-colored pants. Both ensembles are paired with crisp white tops and striking red blazers.


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