‘They just won the Olympics’: Internet goes wild for Mongolia’s Paris 2024 outfits
By Oscar Holland, CNN
(CNN) — Move over Lululemon, Berluti and Ralph Lauren. The internet has chosen its new favorite national uniform at the forthcoming Paris 2024 Olympics: Mongolia’s.
Featuring intricately embroidered vests, pleated robes and accessories inspired by traditional attire, the country’s opening and closing ceremony outfits have taken social media by storm since being unveiled earlier this month.
The designs are the work of Michel&Amazonka, an Ulaanbaatar-based label producing couture and ready-to-wear garments that “express the essence of Mongolian tradition and culture” in what the brand calls a “contemporary light.”
The label revealed its designs via a series of glossy photos and a video shoot reminiscent of a luxury fashion campaign. Female athletes’ outfits come with ceremonial earrings and embroidered bags, while male flag-bearers will wear an archery hat, belt and traditional Mongolian boots.
Designs incorporate the national colors of blue, red, and white, as well as various traditional patterns and motifs, including the “Soyombo” symbol that appears in the country’s flag. Motifs associated with Paris and the Games, namely the Eiffel Tower and the Olympic flame also feature.
The outfits took an average of 20 hours each to craft, according to the Mongolian National Olympic Committee.
The uniforms have attracted attention on social media — especially TikTok, where fashion and sport commentators applauded the designs. “They just won the Olympics before it even started,” said style writer Ryan Yip in a video viewed over 2 million times.
In another TikTok video, viewed almost 300,000 times, Australian user Bee Jamieson said: “The detailing is really beautiful… it looks like everything’s been really well thought out.” Popular sports creator geoff0w_ meanwhile said: “These go ridiculously hard.”
On the brand’s Instagram page, users heaped further praise on the outfits. “The most beautiful uniform so far,” read one comment. “Such intricate, and beautiful designs!” wrote another user.
Founded by sisters Michel Choigaalaa and Amazonka Choigaalaa, Michel&Amazonka previously designed the Mongolian team’s outfits for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics, where the country netted one silver and three bronze medals.
Mongolia has participated in all but one summer Olympics since 1964. The landlocked nation won its first — and, to date, only — gold medals (in judo and boxing) at the Beijing 2008 games.
This year, the country is sending more than 30 athletes to the Paris Olympics, which kick off on July 26. Mongolian athletes will compete in nine different sports, including cycling, shooting and wrestling.
Elsewhere at the Games, Berluti have designed France’s opening and closing ceremony unforms and Ralph Lauren will again dress Team USA, having done so at every Olympics since 2008. Great Britain, meanwhile, has turned to menswear label Ben Sherman.
The-CNN-Wire
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