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The Olympics have historically served as a world stage for the intersectionality of fashion and sports. With Paris as this year’s location, fashion will be even more prominent due to the city’s strong historical ties to the fashion industry and its influential role in shaping the fashion world. This event exemplifies the global and cultural spirit, with each athlete representing not just themselves but their homeland. The Olympics provide a world stage that allows brands to increase their visibility, perception, and audience.
Growing brands like Telfar made their Olympic debut in partnership with Team Liberia at the 2020 Tokyo Games, where they reimagined their uniforms and other team apparel. Creating designs for a team that thoughtfully incorporates culture, body types, science, and other factors while achieving a modern and unique look for athletes is a testament to true creativity. Legendary designers like Stella McCartney and Issey Miyake have successfully taken on the challenge of designing Olympic wear, showcasing their exceptional creative abilities.
The first Olympics occurred in 776 BC however, uniforms and clothing gained significance in the 1896 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece. During the year of the Athens games, athletes still wore their clothing and used badges, armbands, or bibs to distinguish themselves from competing countries. The opening ceremony consisted of men in single-button blazers, tailored pants, and a skirt for women. In subsequent years, many new iterations began regarding fashion development at the Olympic games. Following World War II, the Olympics increased dramatically in size and presence due to media development during that time.
By the 1970s, athletes were seen in a myriad of different uniforms with varying colorways corresponding to the functionality of their sports, weather conditions, safety protocol, cultural references, and relevant sportswear trends. While Fashion and sports have proven their need for one another on stages as early as high school sports to stages like the Olympics, this new era of Olympics culture feels slightly different.
At the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China, Ralph Lauren became the official outfitter of Team USA. The brand designs look for opening and closing ceremonies and other miscellaneous garments. While the fashion house remains true to its original ethos, upholding the standard of American Fashion, it is timeless and truly an American staple. Athletes like Sha’Carri Richardson, Coco Gauf, Simone Biles, and more have served as faces for the USA Olympic team and their individual sports.
Most recently, Richardson was featured on the August digital cover of American Vogue, wearing a Ralph Lauren bodysuit and shirt combination paired with gold Nike sneakers, thanks to her long-standing partnership with the brand.
Thanks to these Zillennial athletes curating a massive social media presence around the world-renowned event, they are inspiring the next generation to intersect more fashion and sports moments. Many young Olympians are taking to TikTok to unbox their stacked Olympic kits. From Team Canada being pushed by Lululemon to the USA receiving goodies from Skims, we can only wish to get our hands on these Olympic-branded gear.
With Paris as the backdrop of this year’s Olympics, fashion will undoubtedly take center stage. Brands like Nike, New Balance, and Athleta tap these superstars to be the faces of their brands, showing their undoubted support for young athletes. The intersectionality of style and sports provides a collaborative environment for athletes and creatives to enhance their brands. Gen Z athletes often capture viral style beyond the Olympics, whether tunnel walks, red carpets or brand partnerships. Collaborating with emerging creatives will enable many new brands to take off while showing a different side to the sports figure.
Vogue highlighted this relationship with their third Vogue World event, transforming the heart of Paris into a lively dance and runway production. The event celebrated a century of sports and fashion that showcased the city’s pivotal role in both.
Paris and fashion are inseparable, and their relationship transcends all boundaries. This Olympics, we will see how emerging and legendary designers reimagine modern-day sportswear.