The Olympics are coming to the fashion capital. Expect Parisian runway looks – Hartford Courant

By JOCELYN NOVECK

PARIS (AP) — Sure, it's called the City of Lights. But Paris is also the City of Fashion, one of the most influential cities fashion capitals of the world for decades, no, centuries (remember Louis XIV?)

It's no surprise then that fashion designers around the world are busy preparing their national team uniforms for their unique spotlight. When it comes to high-end clothing Olympic fashion — whether for festive opening ceremonies or for competitions — all the shows lead to Paris.

Stella Jean She will be there and personally dress each of the dozens of Haitian athletes. Jean, an Italian-Haitian designer based in Rome, estimates she has exactly two seconds on the night of the opening ceremony to make an impression on the world — an impression that could reverberate for years to come. “For these athletes, it’s a victory to be here,” says Jean, whose bright, colorful design is meant to showcase the Caribbean nation’s cultural vitality.

At the other end of the size (and budget) spectrum is Ralph Lauren, which will equip hundreds of Team USA athletes at the opening and closing ceremonies for the ninth time. Lauren, who presented a casual look of blue jeans and blazers, is of course one of the world's richest designers, along with Giorgio Armani, who has designed Italy's uniforms since 2012.

Countless other designers have gotten involved, including this year some young “independent” labels eager to make a splash. It’s also an opportunity to highlight qualities such as sustainability in fashion and adaptability, as in the designs for the Paralympics.

“Designers and manufacturers are now realizing that this can be a huge platform for them, for a lot of things,” says Alison Brown, co-host of a podcast about all things Olympics. “Keep the flame alive.” For example: “Sustainability is now a buzzword for these whole Olympics,” she says.

And the style too, because, well, it's Paris.

“You always want to represent your country and the athletes. But this time, the pressure to do it right was even greater,” Brown said.

Some emerging details on various uniform models:

Canada: Focus on inclusion and adaptability

During the design process, the team at Lululemon, which is outfitting Canadian athletes for the second time, said they listened closely to the athletes and asked how they felt in the clothing. “When you feel your best, you perform your best,” says Audrey Reilly, creative director for the athletic apparel company’s Canadian team.

She remembers listening to Alison Levine, a Paralympian who uses a wheelchair, and learning that the athlete didn't have anything suitable for training – so she wore a medical gown.

“I was shocked that a professional athlete would have to do that,” Reilly said in an interview. “So we thought, ‘Let’s investigate.’” One result was a “sit-down carpenter pant,” part of a collection that aims to be inclusive and adaptable. Other features include special zippers to make it easier to get on and off, and knee pockets so an athlete like Levine can access her phone while working out.

The collection covers every aspect of Team Canada's journey, from travel to the Games, through the opening and medal ceremonies, to training, but not competition. To combat the expected scorching heat in Paris, Lululemon, which has a four-Games contract with the team, paid special attention to ventilation and moisture wicking.

For the opening ceremony, the designers created what they call a “pride tapestry.” Hand-drawn and woven into the fabric, it features 10 animals, nine representing Canada’s provinces and one representing France. “We wanted to evoke all of Canada, from coast to coast and north to south,” says Reilly.

Haiti: “They know that their body is a flag”

Stella Jean is no stranger to creating beautiful clothes. But beauty for beauty's sake wasn't her goal in her designs for Team Haiti. It was all about the message.

“This will be the first good news out of Haiti in at least three years,” she said, the athletes’ presence a counter-message to news of political unrest, poverty or natural disasters. “So I felt a duty to say everything I could about the country.”

To do this, Jean is collaborating with Haitian artist Philippe Dodard, whose vibrant paintings will be incorporated into the ceremonial uniforms—a brightly colored skirt for women and pants for men, paired with traditional items like a chambray shirt. The designs were made from “leftover” fabrics—sustainability, yes, but not because it’s fashionable, Jean says, but because in Haiti it’s both a tradition and a necessity.

Jean calls Haitian athletes “ambassadors.”

“These ambassadors will be there in Paris,” she says, “and they all know, even though they are very, very young, how important their presence is – and that it is not just about performance. They know that their body is a flag.”

USA: “Nothing symbolizes America better than blue jeans”

For the recent Summer Games in scorching Tokyo, Ralph Lauren outfitted athletes in cool gear — literally — technology that wicks away heat via a fan located at the back of the neck.

For hot Paris, he introduces another kind of cool: good old American jeans.

“Nothing says America like blue jeans, especially when you’re in Paris,” said David Lauren, the brand’s chief brand and innovation officer and son of the founder, after revealing the design in June.

For the ninth time, Ralph Lauren will dress Team USA athletes for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies. For the Opening Ceremony, they will wear tailored navy blazers with blue and white striped Oxford shirts and blue jeans.

For the closing ceremony, the team will wear white jeans with matching red, white and blue jackets. Lauren called the closing ceremony outfits “more graphic, more fun, a little more exciting.”

India: Mix of old and new

Indian designer Tarun Tahiliani is known for his ability to blend traditional elements with a modern sensibility, and that's what he attempted to do with his menswear label Tasva for his country's Olympic team.

tahilian told GQ India When he started researching India's opening ceremony uniform, he noticed that countries tended to incorporate their national flags into the design. So he started working on a design featuring the tricolour hues of saffron, white and green.

For men, Tahiliani started by wearing a kurta, the long, loose-fitting Asian shirt, which he paired with a bundi, a traditional sleeveless jacket. He told the magazine that he wears a bundi every day, inspired by his father, who was an admiral in the Indian Navy.

Following feedback from the Olympic committee, the designer moved away from a uniform look for women, opting for a sari, which he said “can flatter any body type, and that's exactly what we want for our female athletes.”

All the designs feature saffron and green embroidery. “The aim is to create outfits that allow our athletes to represent India with pride and confidence,” Tahiliani said.

Italy: A mix of elegance and tradition

The Italian athletes will be elegantly dressed in Emporio Armani uniforms, as they have done at every Olympic Games since 2012.

The catwalk tracksuit is emblazoned with the slogan “W Italia,” short for “Eviva Italia” or “Long live Italy.” The motto could apply to designer Giorgio Armani himself, who turned 90 on July 11.

“Searching for new solutions for the athlete's equipment, which must combine elegance and practicality, is always an exciting challenge for me,” said Armani last year during the presentation of the national equipment at the Spring-Summer 2024 show of the young and sporty brand Emporio Armani.

The athletes' tracksuits are in Armani blue, which has long been the color of the designer's daily uniform, whether in the form of a T-shirt or a thin sweater.

Athletes will have no excuse for not knowing the national anthem: the beginning is printed on the inside of the collar of the polo shirts, and the entire first verse is on the inside of the jackets.

Britain: Four Nations, Not One

British clothing brand Ben Sherman, founded 60 years ago and known for its menswear, is designing Britain's Olympic uniforms for the third time and this year wants to remind the world that Britain is made up of four nations, not just one.

Its design for the opening and closing ceremonies “represents the unity and diversity of the United Kingdom, reflecting the rich tapestry of our nation’s identity,” says the brand’s creative director, Mark Williams.

Williams described in an email his new four-nation floral design, including a rose, thistle, daffodil and shamrock, as a “nod to the unique identities and histories of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.”

Williams emphasizes that the pattern is not purely decorative, but is meant to convey a message of collaboration and unity. His floral motif appears in shades of blue and red, on polo shirts, worn with a bomber jacket, and also on colorful socks, as part of a collaboration with the Happy Socks brand.

South Korea: Inspiration for a National Symbol

South Korean athletes will wear outfits inspired by the national circular symbol “taegeuk,” which occupies the center of the country's flag. The red and blue circle evokes the harmony between the negative cosmic forces of the blue part and the positive cosmic forces of the red.

The North Face's apparel designs also include one of the four black trigrams (groups of bars) from the corners of the flag, according to Youngone Outdoor Co., an official partner of the country's Olympic committee that produces and distributes The North Face apparel in South Korea. The trigram used symbolizes water.

The uniform used for medal ceremonies includes a jacket depicting the indigo blue waters off the country's east coast in an ink wash painting style, a red sash and black pants, Youngone said.

Team Korea's uniform for the opening and closing ceremonies was designed by Musinsa Standard, a private label operated by South Korean online fashion retailer Musinsa. The all-light blue uniform includes a blazer, its lining engraved with traditional white and blue porcelain patterns, a traditional-style belt, and trousers.

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Hyung-jin Kim in Seoul, Leanne Italie in New York and Colleen Barry in Milan contributed to this report.

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AP Olympic Coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games

Originally published: July 21, 2024 at 06:00