Team Mongolia’s viral uniforms and high-fashion collabs: How Olympic fashion is taking over TikTok
If you haven’t heard already, 2024 is set to see a summer of sports like no other. First, we had the UEFA Euro 2024, Wimbledon and the Tour de France. Now it’s the Paris Olympics and Paralympics’ turn, and this sporting extravaganza currently has the fashion girlies in a chokehold. Over on X, user @jennakgym passionately posted: “I love the Olympics. Give me all the content. Gear haul fashion shows? Yes, please. Olympic Village tours? Hell to the yes. Handball matches at 3am? I’m so there. Crying, happy athletes? My drug of choice. Who needs sleep when the Olympics are on??” It’s exactly this type of vibe that’s running rampant across the fashion space.
Even if you’re not that patriotic and have managed to tune out all of the sporting fuss until now, you’ll no doubt at some point have stumbled across Olympic fashion that made you do a double take. And with this year’s Olympic games taking place in none other than one of the world’s top fashion capitals, Paris, it’s no surprise that designers from all corners of the globe are doing their best to get in on the action. But it’s not just the big guns. This year, indie designers are getting a chance to show their ‘sportified’ creations on a global stage—capturing the attention of the TikTok trend sphere in the process.
@sportdhq Some teams have revealed their Opening Ceremony outfits ahead of the Olympics starting next Friday 🔥 These two loved team Haiti's uniforms, but what's your take? Let us know which country's uniform is your favourite down below ⬇️ streetinterview olympics parisolympics olympicfashion olympics2024
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Former gymnast Sami Miro is experiencing a full-circle moment as she partners with Nike to craft a custom jacket for Gen Z icons Simone Biles, Suni Lee, Jordan Chiles, Jade Carey, and Hezley Rivera. She made a garment fit for the Gods, which embodies the superhuman strength of many of these athletes. Miro’s design, inspired by the Greek goddess of victory, aptly named Nike, evokes confidence and strength—appealing to the 89 per cent of Gen Z enthusiasts who rate fashion as important for boosting confidence.
HUMAN MADE has become the official apparel provider of BMX freestyle riders representing Japan, seeking to create designs that both look and feel good while representing this subculture of sports fans in a way that feels true to individual expression. Meanwhile, KENZO (now under Nigo’s creative direction) will outfit the French Judo Team with designs that honour judo’s Japanese heritage with an “East-meets-West” aesthetic.
Team Mongolia’s viral official kit has to be the standout star here, though. Crafted by couturier sisters Michel & Amazonka, the kit marries traditional Mongolian garments with innovative construction techniques, and the brand has committed itself to becoming one of the first sustainable brands in the region. The duo revealed that it took an average of 20 hours across six stages to create just one set of uniforms, while they spent three months on the entire design process.
It was these designs which set the internet ablaze: one Nigerian TikToker said that Nigeria always has the best Olympic fits—until he saw Team Mongolia’s. And another TikTok creator who works in fashion for a living couldn’t believe what he was seeing.
@sportdhq Ahead of Friday's Paris @Olympics Opening Ceremony, we ask people which country's uniform they think hits the hardest 💫 Team Mongolia won this guy's vote, but which country's uniform caught your eye? Let us know in the comments below 🤔⬇️ #streetinterview #olympics #parisolympics2024 #mongolia
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@regularguy_sports Mongolia Olympics uniform is the best #mongolia #olympics #paris2024 #nigeria #nigeriantiktok🇳🇬
♬ original sound - Regularguy_sports
@ryanyipfashion Mongolia won Best Dressed for sure | short video
♬ original sound - Ryan Yip
Olympic fashion and aesthetics are getting a multicultural, tech-led, innovative spin, and the internet is here for it. But it’s not only the clothes that’ll be gracing the backs of top-notch athletes that have undergone a transformation. Luckily for us everyday folk, several brands have released Olympic-inspired collections to get us all in the sporting spirit. Kith and the Team USA basketball squad have come together to create a nostalgic, retro-inspired collection that captures the essence of USA basketball’s legendary Olympic victories. They even celebrated the launch of this link-up by transforming the Hotel George V courtyard in Paris into a basketball court.
And the magician that is Simon Porte Jacquemus launched both a new collection and his directorial debut for Nike in a film that’s a love letter to Paris, featuring stars such as Serena Williams, Central Cee, Carine Roitfeld, Amina Muaddi and more.
Fashion and sports have always been inextricably linked, and what’s not to love about this current sports x culture x fashion crossover? This shift has gone beyond the TikTok echo chamber and captured the attention of a global stage, celebrating the dynamic, culturally attuned, and design-forward uniforms that signify a new era of Olympic attire for generations to come.
