MORE THAN MEDALS: HOW FASHION DRIVES CULTURAL IMPACT AT THE OLYMPICS
By: Erica Commisso
As the Olympics are officially underway in one of the fashion capitals of the world, Milan, we are turning our attention to the style at the Winter Games and the positive impact clothing has had on the event.
Right off the bat, the Italians paid homage to the late Giorgio Armani during the Opening Ceremonies, with models clad in red, white and green suits, which were the last designs the Milan native drew up before passing away in September. It was a proverbial tip of the hat to the iconic designer who put the city on the map in fashion, but also spent his entire life showing it love, expressing gratitude to his hometown through funding projects and events and other charitable efforts. Using his work on such a grand stage felt like returning the favour, like Milan was showing appreciation for his love.
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That same show, the Opening Ceremonies fashion show, was the first of its kind at the Winter Olympics–in fact, it was the first Olympic fashion show ever, and the Italians also used the catwalk opportunity to highlight pieces designed by masters students from Accademia di Brera, and Olympians from a handful of participating countries modeled the performance wear and various Opening Ceremony outfits, allowing each nation to express creativity and celebrate its unique culture.
What’s more, the host city is also hosting several pop-ups to highlight the innovation present in both design and sport, celebrating the connection between the Winter Games and fashion. Moncler Grenoble, for example, is running a temporary exhibition inside a hotel courtyard that focuses on innovation in winter pieces, while a free exhibit at Trienniale Milano invites guests to explore “the relationship between sports, design, and innovation,” but with a major, educational caveat–it highlights how climate change affects all of it.
The exhibit is called White Out: The Future of Winter Sports, and it runs until March 15. In it, curling stones are placed in front of images bearing winter athletes on terrains with no snow, outfits are explored through the lens of climate change, and art is used to highlight how humanity would suffer with a warmer winter.
Athletes themselves are also using the Games to make statements: American figure skater Amber Glenn has drawn massive attention for displaying the Pride flag at many events, and her teammate Alysa Liu uses her hair, which is designed to represent halos, to make a statement. Cha Junhwan has become one of the most recognizable and fashionable athletes in Korea, and Eileen Gu from the People’s Republic of China has used the Games to highlight her personal style: The 22-year-old has graced several fashion magazine covers, and even closed out the Bruno Cucinelli 2025 show.
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The beautiful marriage makes sense–the Olympics began on the heels of Milan Fashion Week, so the seamless transition is almost aided by the city’s ability to host large-scale runway shows, presenting a key component of the Milanese culture while using fashion to highlight other causes and cultures. Some students at the runway show even drew inspiration from Olympic posters and moments to create looks that offered a commentary on the future of haute couture.
It feels as though Armani’s spirit is ever-present–he was, after all, a partner of Team Italia and designed several Olympic looks. “Sport is an extraordinary form of representation and communication of contemporaneity, just like fashion,” he said. It seems fitting, then, that the host city–his hometown–would marry them to make a statement.
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