Independent Designers Are The Real Winners Of The Paris Olympics
It’s always hard to resist getting swept up in Olympics fever. Every four years, we briefly become fluent in freestyle swimming, transfixed by triathlons and expert in the intricacies of the gymnastics pommel horse. But given that this year’s Games are hosted in fashion’s favourite city and the couture capital of the world, there’s just as much sartorial as sporting intrigue on offer this year – dare we say, even a little more.
The Paris Olympics were always going to be a chic affair, and they’re already being heralded the most stylish in history. Intrinsically linked to the French capital’s identity (not to mention its economy), fashion is being spotlighted more than ever before in 2024, bolstered by the fact that the event’s creative partner and key sponsor just so happens to be LVMH. The luxury conglomerate’s mega Maisons have been front and centre in this most glittering of Games: the medals? Chaumet, bien sûr, and delivered on custom Louis Vuitton trays. The opening ceremony? Dripping in Dior haute couture. Team France’s debut outfit? Midnight blue suits with a lapel burnished in the colours of the tricolore, cut by Berluti.
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But fashion fans will have noticed that these big names have been sharing the spotlight with others too – a crop of younger designers who are also going for gold this year. The spectacular opening ceremony featured 15 independent Paris-based labels, from Charles de Vilmorin to Alphonse Maitrepierre, selected by costume director Daphné Bürki. She and artistic director Thomas Jolly have been credited with creating an inclusive, gender-fluid show that not only showcased but celebrated these smaller brands. Bürki has close connections to them and has even modelled for some, including Victor Weinsanto, who loaned looks from his archives for the memorable banquet table catwalk erected along the Passerelle Debilly bridge on the Seine.
'It’s so rare to be part of such a big ceremony, so I feel so grateful to Daphné, Thomas and their teams for creating a ceremony that represents diversity, love and France,' Weinsanto tells ELLE UK. 'I think it’s representative that today the biggest brands are completely open to sharing the spotlight with young designers, giving us worldwide visibility and credibility.'
Another indie designer who shone at the ceremony was Jeanne Friot – and was featured in key press coverage shoulder to shoulder with LVMH’s fashion giants – whose eponymous label has focused on LGBTQ+ culture and genderless design since its launch in 2020. Friot was behind the gleaming Joan of Arc-inspired figure seen riding on mechanical horseback, clad in gleaming silver armour. The suit was actually made of sculpted leather, for which the designer collaborated with fellow independent artisan and self-professed ‘leather enchanter’ Robert Mercier.
Friot’s designs have been worn by the likes of Madonna and Måneskin, yet she notes that this unique opportunity has been invaluable during a difficult period. 'It’s been a hard time for the young generation of indie designers to grow, especially after Covid, so we need all the support we can get,' she says. 'I am so thankful for this huge platform and think this moment will bring so many opportunities for us.' In the midst of a testing economic climate and the ongoing decline of online retail, it’s not difficult to see the value of global exposure in a Games that will be watched by an estimated one billion people worldwide.
The next step for the designers is working out how to capitalise on this exposure. For Friot, it’s full steam ahead for a show in January, but it will be interesting to see if the Olympics have any effect on Paris Fashion Week at the end of September. Julian Vogel, partner at brand communications agency ModusBPCM, will be watching closely, and has predicted that a direct commercial boost is imminent for the brands featured. 'With the fashion industry’s current list of job vacancies, the opening ceremony might just double up as the biggest job go-see in history,' he says as he returns to London after a few days spent at the Games. 'Pictures and footage were beamed around the world with social media platforms awash with likes and comments. And the talent scouts, recruiters and buyers will be scouring the comments to see which looks were most popular with their target demographic.'
Beyond the opening ceremony, independent designers have also got in on the apparel action for the sporting events. Stéphane Ashpool, the Paris-born designer and founder of streetwear brand Pigalle, was tapped by French label Le Coq Sportif to design the uniforms for Team France – the first independent designer to be hired by a country’s Olympic committee as creative lead. Meanwhile, Mongolia’s Olympic uniforms, designed by Ulaanbaatar-based label Michel & Amazonka, went viral, with social media feeds filled with fans obsessing over the artfully embroidered looks inspired by traditional Mongolian attire.
Louis Tinsley, who understands the challenges faced by emerging designers having co-founded premium activewear brand ThruDark, loved seeing Michel & Amazonka blow up online. ‘By blending heritage and sustainability in their designs, the brand successfully captured the public’s attention and was featured in huge digital fashion as a result,’ he says. ‘The combined exposure across multiple channels and platforms will lead to heightened demand for the products. The only challenge could be being able to fulfil the resulting orders.’
While smaller brands grapple with that potential challenge, other success stories abound, including Actively Black, a Black-owned athleisure label founded by former professional basketball player Lanny Smith in 2020, which is dressing Team Nigeria. And even if they’re not responsible for the entire kit, smaller brands are visible in certain sports. See direct-to-consumer swimwear label Left On Friday designing Team Canada’s beach volleyball bikinis, or Dutch streetwear brand The New Originals creating a collection for The Netherlands’ breakdancers.
Many of the creations from these indie brands feel more avant-garde, stylish and somehow more ‘fashion’ than their predecessors. Ashpool’s uniforms have attracted particular attention, warming up traditionally crisp whites, elevating classic tracksuits with sharper silhouettes and creating an archery outfit with belted flared trousers that wouldn’t look out of place in a chic workwear wardrobe.
The headlines reporting on these uniforms refer to them as ‘drops’, language that’s borrowed from streetwear collaborations and taps into the wider elevation of the sport aesthetic. From the adoption of athleisure into our everyday wardrobes to social media-driven trends like tennis-core, we’ve never been keener on sportswear – and brands are certainly taking notice.
'2024 must be a peak moment in the sports and fashion love affair, with so many fashion brands collaborating with sports labels and stars,' says Vogel. 'Last month we had the Loewe x On collaboration, Jacquemus with Nike is at full throttle... Teams have finally realised that these fashion partnerships can bring new fans to the sports.'
It seems that independent brands are set to see the value of this love affair, too – all while Paris earns a well-deserved gold medal in the fashion stakes. Vive les jeux!
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