The 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris officially kicked off Friday with a vibrant opening ceremony celebrating the best athletes in the world, a storied host country, and the worldwide diversity on display. Paris, of course, is one of the world's most fashionable cities, so each country was expected to bring its A-game to the fashion show that just so happened to be the Opening Ceremony of this year's games. This year's boat parade along the River Seine was the first of its kind, and the first to happen outside of a stadium .
As the athletes from each nation sailed through to the Eiffel Tower, we got a great look at every country's unique outfit choices. Fashion is one of the purest forms of expression, and the opening ceremony outfits are a unique opportunity for countries to celebrate their cultures on the world stage. Team USA's Ralph Lauren-designed outfits didn't exactly inspire national pride due to the 2003 denim aspect of it all, but at least Jayson Tatum taught Derrick White how to tie a tie.
Derrick White was asked if he knew how to tie a tie ahead of Opening Ceremonies at the Paris Olympics:"I do, I watched JT's tutorial."(Via @usabasketball on IG) pic.twitter.
com/6K7k2ZIn3l Let's take a look at some of the best-dressed nations of the opening ceremony as we await the games themselves. Mongolia was a social-media favorite for a reason. Look at these gorgeous fits, which are a modern take on traditional Mongolian tunics called deals.
Look closely at the blue-and-gold design and you'll see nods to the Mongolian festival Nadaam and an Olympic Torch coinciding. You'll also see the mythological Gua-Maral deer and Soyombo symbol. In terms of beauty, intricacy, and celebrating culture, it's hard to find a country that did it better than Mongolia at this Olympics.
Designers Michel & Amazonka say it took 20 hours to make, and the attention to detail makes a uniquely stunning homage to Mongolia. Stunning, simple, traditional, and representative of Ghana. These athletes were dressed in one of Ghana's most coveted cloths, the Fugu.
You just can't go wrong from an aesthetic standpoint with this color green. It's the color of the olive branches on the Cyprus flag, and both colors are included quite nicely in the outfit. You have to point out the pop of fun with the pattern on the ties and belts, too.
A classy look with a little something emblematic of Cyprus is the perfect way to go for an Opening Ceremony. The thought designer Jan Cerny put into Team Czech's opening ceremony outfits is truly unmatched. It was intended to blend Czech and French culture with details like the coat style and the leaked pen pattern.
The coat is a hybrid of the French trench and the traditional Czech raincoat. The pattern is reminiscent of Czech artist Vladimir Boudnik's work. Boudnik was born the last year Paris hosted the Olympics a century ago.
You've also got the Czech colors in there. Team Czech accomplished both looking cool and adding several meaningful elements to these outfits. Designer Stella Jean popped off with the gorgeous moment that is Haiti's full opening-ceremony ensemble.
If you're wondering what inspired the pattern on the pants and skirts, that's Haitian artist Philippe Dodard's "Passage" painting. The women's belted blazer is incredibly chic, and the men's jackets are inspired by the Haitian Guayabera shirt. This look was a perfect blend of cultural celebration and objectively good fashion.
No country's athletes looked downright cooler than the Chinese Taipei (team Taiwan's official name) athletes, dressed in ever-cool designer Justin Chou . The steel blue of the suit is a statement in itself, but the tailoring of these suits adds to the runway feel. There are layers to the detail of these, like the gorgeous flower statement pieces and the art of the red fabric design.
Extremely cutting-edge stuff here with distinct Taiwanese influence. The tasteful pop of pink combined with the sketches on the arm and back capture the colorful and artistic essence of Mexico. This leather jacket is one of the most wearable looks of the 2024 opening ceremony, but it's still special enough for the moment.
Look, I'm not saying Team Canada had one of the chicest or most interesting outfits of the bunch. I'm saying they probably had the top outfit other athletes wish they had. Vancouver-based Lululemon, a highly popular brand among athletes of every sport, decked Team Canada in all-red fits including a bomber jacket with Maple Leaves and other Canadian emblems.
You have to say the red-on-red looks incredible and makes a statement in this group setting. You certainly couldn't miss Canada at the opening ceremony..
