Dezeen Magazine

Five of the best outfits sported by Rio 2016 Olympians during the opening ceremony

Rio 2016: athletes were kitted out in uniforms by an assortment of well-known fashion designers and brands during the opening ceremony of the Rio Olympics on Friday night. We've picked out five standout designs.


Ralph Lauren for Team USA

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Rio 2016 marks the fifth time Ralph Lauren has dressed Team USA. The athletes' opening ceremony uniform featured an all-American palette of red, white and blue including a navy blazer, selvedge white denim jeans and boat shoes.

Michael Phelps, the team's flag bearer, wore a specially-designed jacket which had an electroluminescent 'USA' motif across its back.


H&M for Team Sweden

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Swedish high street brand H&M dressed its country's athletes in bright yellow outfits and knee-high socks in a marble effect pattern.

A long navy blue dress complete with a sporty hood was worn by flag bearer Therese Alshammar. The dress featured an asymmetric tiered skirt, which was decorated with fabric from recycled garments from the company's Garment Collection Initiative.


Stella McCartney for Team GB

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British designer Stella McCartney based the looks she created for Great Britain's athletes on the signature silhouettes that commonly feature in her fashion designs.

Female athletes wore a sporty navy-blue dress paired with a white tailored jacket, embroidered with a custom coat of arms. The men, including flag bearer Andy Murray, sported a navy-blue pea coat with military-inspired detailing, tailored white shorts, and a blue shirt with a white coat of arms embroidered on the breast pocket.


Lacoste for Team France

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Lacoste first styled the French team at the Sochi Winter Olympics in 2014. For the opening of the 2016 games, athletes were dressed in white cropped trousers, white polo shirts, and a navy blue jacket – all featuring the brand's signature crocodile in the colours of the French Flag.

The brand, which was founded in 1924 by Olympic medalist and Tennis player René Lacoste, has also designed the athlete's podium outfits of windbreakers and sweatpants in white or navy.


DSquared2 for Canada

Dan and Dean Caten, the Toronto-born twin brothers behind DSquared2, based their kits for the Canadian team around the country's maple leaf symbol.

Athletes wore bright red streetwear-inspired jackets with a white maple leaf emblazoned on the back. Each tailored blazer was designed with a windbreaker material.


With the games now in full swing, we're looking ahead to see what the athletes will be wearing for the closing ceremony on the 22 August.

Christian Louboutin for Cuba

While Puma designed the opening ceremony looks for Cuba's team, French brand Christian Louboutin collaborated with concept store Sporty Henri to create outfits for the closing ceremony on 22 August. Louboutin, known for its red-soled luxury shoes, has designed calfskin sneakers for men and low-heeled sandals for women.

The men's outfits include scarlet-coloured jackets with longer length shorts, while women will wear a camel-toned jackets with capri pants.