A Global Spotlight on Fashion at the Beijing Winter Olympics
There is no greater stage for athletics than the Olympics, but it also presents a spotlight on the fashion at the games. From brand collaborations with teams to the beautiful figure skating styles, the Olympics offers a chance for fashion to shine.
Many different fashion brands have established collaborations with teams at the Winter Olympics in Beijing. The styles that are created are not just designed to look good, they also have to be designed with high performance features in order to adapt to the temperatures and movements of the best athletes in the world. Ralph Lauren, the official outfitter for Team USA for over a decade now, designed garments with the classic red, white, and blue colors that adapt to the wearer's body based on the temperature. Another Team USA collaboration that continues from the Tokyo Olympics is with Skims, Kim Kardashian’s brand. The limited collection of innerwear, loungewear, and sleepwear was designed with comfort and fit being first and foremost. The collaboration was inspired by the strong and talented Olympic and Paralympic female athletes like Chloe Kim and Oksana Masters.
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Another country is getting an upgrade for their team’s uniforms and gear. After a long partnership with Hudson’s Bay, the Canadian team has formed a new partnership with Lululemon. Their last closing ceremony outfit–a denim jacket–was a universal miss, but at these past winter games, the nation made up for it with their sleek athleisure looks inspired by the maple leaf of the Canadian flag. The deep red puffer coats of the opening ceremony featured zip-off portions that could make the coat shorter, and that same zip-off could be turned into a puffer scarf.
Ben Sherman once again was behind Team Great Britain’s outfits for the opening and closing ceremonies. The brand took a classic and patriotic approach with sweaters that showcased the nation’s flag and matching beanies to go with simple navy trousers and a navy coat. Team Sweden was dressed by the popular brand Uniqlo. Sweden’s outfits included high tech garments as well as sustainable materials.
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The most fashion-focused event of the Olympics is definitely figure skating. The event brings some elegant and graceful styles as well as some more outlandish looks. U.S. figure skater, Karen Chen, wore a graceful lilac purple bodysuit with cascading butterfly and floral rhinestones down the front. This was not just any sparkly figure skating outfit; it was made by none other than Chen’s mother. Canadian ice dancing duo Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier danced across the ice wearing colorful neon orange bodysuits with rainbow swatches fluttering on their shoulders. The costumes were embellished with rainbow crystals that added even more drama and flare to the ice. Nathan Chen, a U.S. skater, wore a Vera Wang designed costume for his gold medal- winning performance. Nathan Chen’s look resembled that of a burning star. The red, orange, and purple on his top was sprinkled with white hot stars, a perfect match for his dazzling performance.
The Beijing Winter Olympics of 2022 may have already come to a close, but the new brand collaborations with nations around the world will provide good publicity and increase popularity and sales of the Olympic collections. Additionally, the understated and the loud styles on the ice will be remembered throughout history.