10 Fashion Labels You Didn't Know Created Olympic Uniforms

In 2016, Christian Louboutin teamed up with Henri Tai of Sporty Henri to design Team Cuba’s uniforms, which showcased modern Cuban culture instead of pre-revolutionary Cuba, which is usually seen through pop culture. The uniforms consisted of tailored jackets colored in cream and red with the Cuban flag above the left breast and cream or black trousers. For shoes, the men wore leather high-tops and the women sported kitten-heel sandals, both pairs showcasing the Cuban lone star.

The 1980 Winter Olympics were held in Lake Placid, New York, so the designers had to make sure their teams were kept warm in the chilly weather. Levi Strauss designed Team USA’s uniforms, which consisted of white cowboy hats, soft mittens, shearling jackets, and multiple layers of red, white, and blue striped and plaid turtlenecks, collared shirts, and sweaters.

Armani has designed Olympic uniforms several times, including the 2012 Team Italy uniforms, which were composed of a navy polo shirt and navy tracksuit pants under either a white or navy sports jacket. The most important detail was the first sentences of Italy’s national anthem embroidered inside the jackets and on the back of the shirt collars. Again in 2016, Italy wore Armani’s EA7 line, consisting of polos, striped collars, and tee shirts. Their opening ceremony outfits were black tracksuits with “Italia” printed in gold on the back.

Stella McCartney has also taken a few turns at designing Great Britain’s Olympic uniforms at the 2012 Summer Olympics as well as the 2016 Summer Olympics. The 2012 uniforms consisted of different forms of athleisure, each branded with her modern take of the Union Jack, but in blue. She received criticism for leaving red out of the uniform, since the red represents bravery and strength. In 2016, she collaborated with Adidas, again producing different forms of athleisure, this time with silhouettes of a lion holding a torch.

For the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, Ralph Lauren kept a preppy look for Team USA: navy blazers with the logo of the Olympic rings and plain khaki slacks. The Games that year marked the first of his tenure as the official designer of the uniforms for Team USA, in a deal that spanned from 2008 to 2020. Another notable highlight from his run was in 2016, with the opening and closing ceremony outfits in Rio consisting of striped tees layered beneath a blazer with white pants and red, white, and blue boating shoes.

Attempting to create a minimalist look, Lacoste went with navy windbreakers, white trousers, white polos, and all-white sneakers for Team France's opening ceremony look at the 2016 Summer Olympics. The classic white looked clean and polished, especially with the accented colors of red and white.

The 2012 Summer Olympics in London were bright and fun, but nothing compared to Team Germany’s uniforms, designed by Adidas. The men sported bright blue jackets and black shoes, while the women wore pink jackets and pink sneakers. For bottoms, each athlete wore white pants.

Nike doesn't miss—in 2016, the brand kept a classic look for its Team USA uniforms, consisting of navy tracksuits with red arms and long pants, and a printed logo with the American flag over the breast. This year, for its Olympic Medal Stand Collection, Nike has designed white tracksuits with a white basketball jersey in honor of the women’s team’s undefeated legacy since winning gold in 1996. The Red Dynasty jersey that reads “USA” in blue and includes a red swoosh celebrates the 25^th anniversary of the Greatest Dynasty.

Dean and Dan Caten of DSquared2 designed chic uniforms for Team Canada for the 2016 Summer Olympics, consisting of a white shirt with the red maple leaf logo under a red blazer, black pants, white sneakers with red accents, and a black hat. But it’s all about consistency—the word Canada is printed on the shirt, blazer, and hat.

Team Sweden’s uniforms were designed by H&M for both the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi and the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. In 2016, the uniforms were different for each sport, but were composed of the same navy and yellow striped pattern. The H&M and Olympic logos were placed at the top, and black and light pink sneakers were worn.