How fashion is preparing to triumph at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games
As the world prepares for the grand spectacle of athleticism, camaraderie, and cultural exchange at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games (scheduled from July 26 to August 11), fashion is poised to emerge as a prominent feature of the event.
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Every Olympic Games brings together a unique blend of innovative sportswear, national pride, and global trends, presenting a captivating display of athleticism and style that captures the attention of audiences worldwide. The partnerships between Olympic athletes and apparel brands are some of the most coveted deals in sports marketing, providing unmatched brand visibility and prestige. Fashion labels compete to showcase their logos in front of hundreds of thousands of spectators, as well as millions more tuning in from home.
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However, the fashion world is expected to play a bigger role in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games than ever before. This is because Paris is where fashion takes centre stage, and fashion weeks are an integral part of the city’s culture. During the games, athletes and designers will come together to celebrate not only athletic achievements but also sartorial creativity and style.
First and foremost, the upcoming menswear and haute couture seasons—scheduled for June 18 to 27—will coincide with the final preparations for the games, which open on July 26, intensifying the atmosphere. While this season may present more logistical challenges than usual due to blocked thoroughfares and iconic venues requisitioned for the games, Pascal Morand, executive president of the FHCM, assured BoF that “this won’t be a tiny fashion week. 2024 will be a great year for Paris—including Paris fashion.” In essence, the heightened international spotlight on Paris will make this season a pivotal moment for brands. And perhaps, depending on contractual obligations and sporting commitments, brands may also feature athletes on their Paris Fashion Week runways, building upon past initiatives by several labels, from Louis Vuitton and Marine Serre to KidSuper, which would be particularly significant given the current context.
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Then, it will be the athletes’ turn to showcase brands during their high-profile and widely-watched athletic pursuits, beginning with the Opening Ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics on July 26. The ceremony will not take place in a stadium but along the Seine River, providing the most picturesque setting for a sporting event.
Louis Vuitton presented the Medals Trunks and Torches Trunks, special trunks created for the upcoming Olympic and Paralympic Games, as part of LVMH's Premium Partnership with Paris 2024. Photo courtesy of Louis Vuitton
This fashion statement in sports involves not only a diverse array of fashion houses and designers tasked with creating Olympic uniforms worn by various national teams. As the fashion world is well aware, LVMH secured a historic sponsorship deal with the Paris 2024 Olympics, ensuring the group’s status as a premium partner throughout the events. Several of its most iconic and quintessentially French houses are poised to unveil brand-specific initiatives.
LVMH and Berluti revealed Team France’s outfits for the Opening Ceremonies of the Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024. Left to right: Alexandre Léauté, Arnaud Assoumani, Alexis Hanquinquant, Karim Laghouag, Laure Thibaud-Obry, Estelle Mossely, Nando de Colo, Pauline Déroulède, Marie-Florence Candassamy, Gloria Agblemagnon, Oriane Bertone and Paul-Henri Mathieu. Photo by Kacper Kasprzyk, courtesy of Berluti
Louis Vuitton, Dior, and Berluti will have the opportunity to be sponsored (Berluti has already announced its plan to design the outfits for Team France for the Opening Ceremonies of the Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024 on July 26 and August 28); Möet Hennessy, the drinks division, will sponsor and supply champagne for celebrations; and the high jewellery label Chaumet will create the medals for the competition. Additionally, there is a lot of buzz around athletes being appointed as brand ambassadors for high-end fashion brands.
Given the city’s revered status as a global fashion capital, the 2024 Olympics in Paris will be a perfect combination of sports and fashion. With its illustrious history of haute couture and avant-garde design, Paris will set the stage for an Olympics where athletics meet runway glamour.
If you thought all of this was already impressive, think again. Condé Nast and FHCM have joined forces to introduce Anna Wintour’s “Vogue World” event in Paris this June. Vogue World: Paris is scheduled for June 23 on Place Vendôme, marking the beginning of haute couture week with a tribute to the Olympics. The event will showcase fashion content curated by Carine Roitfeld, Ib Kamara, Juan Costa Paz, and Palais Galliera curator Alexandre Samson.
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“Vogue World: Paris will be a kind of opening ceremony, one that celebrates 100 years of fashion and sport, as well as this extraordinary city,” said Vogue Global Editorial Director and Condé Nast Chief Content Officer Anna Wintour. During the press conference announcing the event, Wintour was joined by the Executive President of the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode, Bruno Pavlovsky, and a number of French Olympians, including fencer Enzo Lefort. As Vogue World: Paris’ fashion selection will showcase French designers, current and past, as well as houses that historically present their collections in Paris. There were also designers Simon Porte Jacquemus, Olivier Rousteing (creative head at Balmain), and pop sensation Pharrell Williams, who serves as the creative lead for menswear at Louis Vuitton.
Last but certainly not least, Louis Vuitton has unveiled its latest project, the City Guide Paris Sport, to showcase the enthusiasm of the fashion world surrounding the 2024 Olympics. This deluxe volume captures the vibrant sports scene of the City of Light across 184 pages, exploring its rich history alongside its prominent figures. The guide portrays each neighbourhood with its unique culture, heritage, favoured sports, and local legends. It is enriched with a stunning array of photographs and illustrations showcasing the diverse sports and athletes. Additionally, the volume accompanies the 2024 edition of the City Guide Paris, scheduled for release on June 14, offering an insider’s urban guide to the must-see places in the City of Light.
Angelo Ruggeri
Journalist, Master’s Programme Tutor & Fashion Styling Course Leader, Milan