Winter Olympics Fashion Favorites
Image Courtesy: Goyol Cashmere / Winter Olympics
The Winter Olympics are back, held in Milan, Italy, showcasing true competition in elite athleticism and representation of national pride. With each country represented by different designers, another fashion is always being brought to show the world. The opening ceremony had some interesting vibes, outfit choices, and amazing recognition through fashion.
The parade of nations is always intriguing. It's as if the world creates a runway, where sports collide with design, athletes are models, and identity and pride are shown through winter outerwear.
The opening ceremony was moving, with Vittoria Ceretti carrying the Italian flag in homage to Italian fashion, wearing a beautiful, elegant Giorgio Armani dress, which was incredible.
Haiti and Mongolia came serving elegantly, vibrantly, expressively, and boldly, ranking among the top two, as they have been the most talked about this year.
Stella Jean, an Italian-Haitian designer, presented Haiti with nothing short of identity and artistry. With only two competitors, they came to show it wasn't about quantity but quality, wearing pure Haitian art and heritage, hand-painted, symbolizing the red horse as a symbol of strength and resilience in their country. They looked absolutely stunning, 10/10.
Mongolia is probably tied; they looked incredible, wearing Goyol Cashmere and drawing inspiration from the great Mongol empires. The edits of their outfits online are addicting, their original video is cinematic, and this might be one of the best looks the Winter Olympics has ever seen. The traditional deels (robe) represent that you don't need to always mix modern fashion, but preserve essential traditional elements from their culture and history.
Italy, our host this year, is showcasing some of Giorgio Armani’s last designs, which deserve major appreciation. Of course, it never disappoints with clean, sleek designs, wearing mainly white, with some pops of color in the hoods to represent their flag.
France had to arrive in the fashion capital of the world ready for its inspection. I think the color palette drew me in the most, but the cream color might have been too much, giving it an astronaut-suit kind of vibe. Other outfits in their Olympic kit were not so bad, and the marble pastel vibe was giving in some other apparel designs.
Typical USA: Ralph Lauren delivered solid details this year, showing some improvement compared to previous years. It definitely gave big flag energy, which is expected, but the brown leather jacket elevated the collection, and the puffers were super clean this year.
Canada was something different with those giant Lululemon puffers, which I don't know if I love or hate, but also felt super Canadian, which works in their favor.
Brazil in Moncler was a moment. I loved the big puffer with the flag underneath was a cool reveal. Colombia looked adorable, with only one representative. I was loving the hats and the ruana-inspired ponchos. Mexico came in and unveiled a full collection called “La piel en el viento”, featuring embroidery inspired by multiple indigenous groups to represent.
You really couldn't miss Great Britain this year because their scarves claimed their country so largely, which just screams Adidas for some reason. Germany’s fits were weirdly giving ponchos, not much to say about that. Norway gave off very cute vibes. I was loving the sweaters, and they always come with some good knits. And New Zealand, with the all black, didn't hate or love it either.
It is so interesting to see how different countries come together like this every four years, and how they use sports, combined with fashion and design, to represent their countries and what it means to them. It is truly powerful how much fashion can influence pride and nationality.
Strike out,
Kaden Horn
Boca Raton
Kaden Horn is a content writer for Strike Magazine Boca. She is a free-spirited Leo who loves to write all things health, mindfulness, and beauty. A future almond mommy, who hopes to write for the benefit of all and for the peace of her own. You can reach her at kaden.horn813@gmail.com, or her Instagram @kadennhunter
