Early Saturday morning, the banks of the Seine in Paris became the world’s most watched stage for the opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games. With up-and-coming and established French designers showing at the opening ceremony, it quickly became clear that the Olympics would be as fashionable as the city of Paris itself.
The Olympic opening ceremony has several purposes: to celebrate the host country and visiting countries from around the world, and to light the Olympic cauldron and signal the start of the Olympic Games. This year, the Olympic flame completed its journey around the world when French greats Marie-Josée Perec and Teddy Riner lit a giant cauldron resembling a hot air balloon in the Tuileries Gardens.
The visiting players paraded down the Seine on boats, waving their home country’s flags in front of cheering crowds. We loved the ceremonial aspect of the show, but it was the musical performances and high-fashion Easter eggs that really won us over.
Below, we’ll take a look at some of our favorite fashion moments from the Olympics so far, all of which serve as visual proof that these are the most fashionable Olympics ever.
Image: Louis Vuitton
The Olympic Torch will be kept safe in a custom Louis Vuitton case
One of the most exciting moments of the Opening Ceremony is watching the Olympic flame complete its journey from Olympia, Greece to the host city. For the 2024 Olympics, the final torchbearer was Louis Vuitton Men’s Creative Director Pharrell Williams, who took over the flame for the final time (known as a “torch kiss”) from French journalist Mohamed Bouhafsi and French actress Laetitia Casta in front of the Basilica of Saint-Denis.
He then carried the flame to the top of the cathedral, where he lit the lantern before the opening ceremony and handed it over to the flame keeper. After the torch was extinguished, it was placed inside a specially designed Louis Vuitton monogrammed trunk, which couldn’t be more symbolic.
Image: @ayanakamura
Aya Nakamura shines in Dior
Performer Aya Nakamura’s custom Dior Haute Couture gown adorned with golden feathers was a work of art: Nakamura wanted the dress to evoke a phoenix rising from the ashes, with its elaborate golden feathers flaring from a corseted torso and skirt.
Image: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
Lady Gaga performs in Dior cabaret on the Seine
As a tribute to French performer Gigi Jean-Marie, Lady Gaga performed “Mon Truc en Plumes” in Dior haute couture at the opening ceremony. Many were surprised by Gaga’s feathered outfit, especially the fact that it was designed by Dior. Jean-Marie was Yves Saint Laurent’s style muse for many years, and Yves Saint Laurent designed many of his feathered stage costumes, so some wondered why Saint Laurent hadn’t been tasked with recreating Jean-Marie’s iconic look.
Image: Getty Images
Telfar designs Liberia’s opening ceremony uniforms
Telfar designer and founder Telfar Clemens designed the uniforms worn by Liberia’s five-man team at the Opening Ceremony, a striking black-and-white design with subtle special touches like mesh-paneled sleeves and a V-shaped neckline that is said to represent the shape of the African continent.
Image: Sarah Steer/Getty Images
A hooded female rider rides into battle
The opening ceremony concluded with a hooded female rider galloping across the Seine on a mechanical silver horse. The female rider, representing Joan of Arc, who was canonized as France’s patron saint in 1920 (almost 500 years after her death) and is considered one of history’s greatest martyrs, appeared to ride into battle in armor created by French designer Jeanne Julio.
Image: Jean Société
The Czech Republic wears a Rorschach coat
One of the most eye-catching uniforms shown at the opening ceremony was provided by the Czech Republic, and was designed by Jan Cerny, who worked as an intern at the late Virgil Abloh’s Louis Vuitton.
Designed by his label Jan Société in collaboration with Alpine Pro, the genderless collection takes inspiration from vintage Czech uniform designs, most notably the coat, which is a cross between a Czech baronnárk and a classic French trench coat and features a blue Rorschach print inspired by artist Vladimir Budnik.
Image: @michelamazonka
Mongolian Golden Accents
Perhaps the most talked-about uniforms at the Olympic opening ceremony were those worn by Mongolian athletes. The flag-bearers wore detailed gold-embroidered tunics, called dirs, over white shirts. They were designed by Michel & Amazonka, the label that previously designed Mongolia’s uniforms for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and the 2022 Winter Olympics. They reportedly had only three months to create the 120 uniforms after another designer backed out at the last minute.
Image: Matthew Stockman/Getty Images
Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo dress up as characters
The Wicked press tour officially kicked off at the Paris Olympics, where co-stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo reprised their characters’ roles at the opening ceremony. The pair each wore 1950s-inspired dresses, Grande by Thom Browne and Erivo by Louis Vuitton (in Elphaba’s trademark emerald green hue, of course). If these outfits are any indication, the Wicked press tour will be full of five-star outfits.
Angela Law
