The Paris Olympics will kick off this Friday, and the opening ceremony promises to be a joyful, exciting, and fashionable showcase, bringing together athletes, performers, dancers, and artists from around the world to celebrate. This time, China will send 405 athletes to the Games to participate in 236 events, marking the most events to date for Team China at an overseas edition of the Olympics.
For fashion enthusiasts, this mega event is worth watching, as each team will take to the stage in their gorgeous uniforms. These outfits either highlight their nation’s culture or are designed by local designers and brands. For example, Lululemon will outfit Team Canada, and Mongolia’s recent viral uniform was designed by local duo Michel & Amazonka.
Curiosity surrounds Team China’s attire. With a wealth of talented designers and brands at their disposal, competition to outfit the team has been fierce. Multiple brands have stepped up, with Anta crafting the victory ceremony uniforms, Joeone designing the opening ceremony uniforms, and Li-Ning providing attire for the table tennis team, among others.
Anta
Leading the charge in outfitting Team China is Anta, China’s foremost sportswear brand. Their recently unveiled victory ceremony uniforms in white and red, colors that echo the year of dragon.
Indeed, Anta’s design prominently features the Chinese dragon, incorporating elements like dragon scales and whiskers to highlight Chinese culture. Sustainable practices are also in focus, with uniforms made from recycled nylon, underscoring Anta’s commitment to environmental responsibility.
Anta’s involvement extends beyond the victory ceremonies, the brand having also crafted uniforms for the gymnastics and weightlifting teams, solidifying its position as the primary uniform provider for Team China at the Games. According to the Xinhua News Agency, Anta has been an official partner of the Chinese Olympic Committee since 2009 and has designed uniforms for a total of 28 Chinese teams across different sports.
Joeone
Joeone, which claims to be China’s “master of trouser-making,” has designed the Chinese team’s opening ceremony outfit, with the same white and red color scheme as the Anta victory ceremony uniforms.
The Joeone outfit is carefully crafted with Chinese traditional elements like Great Wall masonry-inspired patterns, and the women’s dress design was modeled on traditional qipao and Song Dynasty dresses, modified and fused with bamboo elements. However, the design also sparked an outcry on social media, with some fashion fans criticizing Joeone for reinforcing gender stereotypes.
Li-Ning
Li-Ning, founded by the famous Chinese gymnast Li Ning, has unveiled the uniform for the Chinese table tennis team. This outfit also blends traditional Chinese cultural elements with modern design, featuring motifs like the Chinese dragon and tie-dyeing techniques, adding a contemporary touch to “New Chinese” style. Li-Ning has been designing uniforms for Chinese table tennis players for 24 years.
BIEM.L.FDLKK
Chinese golf apparel brand BIEM.L.FDLKK as designed the outfit for China’s golf team, drawing inspiration from China’s national flag, the Forbidden City, and ceramics. The design of the Olympic uniform successfully blends modernity with tradition, resulting in a stylish yet culturally relevant ensemble.
Founded in Guangzhou in 2023, BIEM.L.FDLKK has mainly targeted high net-worth consumers since its launch, a rare strategy for homegrown Chinese fashion label. The brand previously made headlines by becoming the go-to golfing brand for disgraced China Evergrande founder Hiu Ka Yan. The meaning of its vowel-phobic English name remains opaque, however…
Fila
Fila’s fashion line, Fila Fusion, is supporting the Chinese skateboard team for its Olympic uniform. The Anta-backed, Italy-founded, and Korean-owned brand designed the look with red, yellow and blue, and takes inspiration from Chinese culture and street fashion. Compared to other Chinese team uniforms, this one is arguably the most fashionable.
Banner image by Haedi Yue.
