Olympic Fashion - Skimbaco Lifestyle online magazine | Skimbaco Lifestyle | online magazine Olympic Fashion by Katja Presnal August 13, 2008 Jamie Squire/Getty Images Members of the United States Olympic Tae Kwando team of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. Despite the odds and controversy in the media, I think it is just wonderful that this year Ralph Lauren designed the Olympic uniforms for the U.S. Olympic Team. Doesn’t Ralph Lauren represent “All-American” better than any other designer? I know, I know. The Polo Pony was too big, the uniforms were actually cheaply made in China, not back home.. many people are feeling more of a marketing spirit than a sporting spirit with Ralph Lauren’s uniforms. Not to mention that the school / country club uniform style lacked imagination (see below how other nations had the same traditional take on the Olympic opening ceremony uniforms). Yes, I’ve heard it. But what can I say … I am a marketing girl, and in love with Ralph Lauren, and think the American Olympic team looked sporty and sophisticated. Isn’t that the image that we would like to voice out…? Or maybe couture would have been better..?

Dior Haute Couture, photo: Peter Lindbergh If you are feeling the Olympic spirit, and want to support the American Olympic Team, head to closest Ralph Lauren store or Polo.com and check out the Olympic clothing collection. If you like the uniform jacket above and want to own a piece of Olympic history – act fast; the women’s is sold only at the stores, and men’s style is already sold out. This gear looks much better than the Roots Olympic gear sold at Targets during the last Olympics. Olympic Games Skinny Polo with the classic polo pony and the U.S. Olympic Team logo, 125$ The American Olympic Team will wear this Closing Ceremony Uniform US Shield Fleece Half-Zip is for men, but I would wear it! 145$ Olympic Games Fleece Pullover is great back to school sweater for a sporty girl, 125$ The Finnish Olympic Team at the opening ceremony of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. My other favorite Olympic Team is wearing a national stable of their own. The women in the Finnish Olympic Team were dressed in Marimekko dresses for the opening ceremony.

The men’s uniform is so boring, but at least the women show national pride in the modern print. The dress is a new spin from Maija Louekari’s Pisaroi print, and the dress from Samu-Jussi Koski’s collection from last year. And can you buy this dress anywhere? No! So let me get this straight. Ralph Lauren’s logo is huge on the opening ceremony uniforms, Ralph Lauren’s website has “Olympics” written all over their website, and their stores, and they didn’t just design the Olympic uniforms, they also designed a street wear collection. Marimekko? I can not find any information on Marimekko’s website about the Olympic involvement, nor the clothing or any variation of it is for sale anywhere. Unless you get lucky and find the last year’s Omra dress with the Pisaroi print. And just so you understand – Marimekko in Finland is even more respected and better known than Ralph Lauren in the U.S. This a perfect example how a well known company does the marketing right – and another one totally misses an amazing opportunity for marketing, PR and ultimately sales. Marimekko Pisaroi Dress on sale for 255$.

The British Olympic team looked cute in their own preppy uniforms, but instead of bringing the sporty-but-sophisticated-look, they look more like an airline crew for British Airways with their handbags. Paul Gilham/Getty Images The French people could never bring a fashion disappointment. Their opening ceremony uniforms just say “French” with the grey jackets and the hats. The wrap belt in the women’s uniform offers a splash of Asian culture giving the ultimately very French outfit an Asian touch respecting the host nation China. Of course, the American team could have not dressed in such a traditional uniform, they could have been dressed in more imaginative, colorful and more global discussion provoking outfits. Like the Hungarians and Australians did… Jonathan Gerrey/Getty Images @TeamUSA When the U.S. Olympic contingent strolls in to Rio de Janeiro’s Maracanã Stadium on Friday, the team will once again be outfitted by Ralph Lauren . In 2012, the American outfitter dressed our Olympic heroes in berets and ties .

This time around, swimmer Michael Phelps, gymnast Simone Biles, and the rest of our athletes will be wearing blue blazers, white denim pants, red-white-and-blue boat shoes, and a shirt that resembles the Russian flag . In advance of Friday’s opening ceremony, Slate sports editor Josh Levin spoke with Slate editor-in-chief and Olympics fashion expert Julia Turner about the challenge of designing a national costume, possible replacements for Ralph Lauren, and the shocking absence of a Rio beret. This conversation has been condensed and edited for clarity. Advertisement Josh Levin: Let’s begin with a statement of purpose. What is the point of an opening ceremony outfit? Julia Turner: This isn’t the performance wear that the athletes put on to compete. These outfits are supposed to represent the national character in some way. You can think of them as a folkloric pageant costume that represents American-ness with the sound turned up to 11.

It’s not as though you want to judge these outfits by saying, “Would I want to wear this on the street?” You need to judge them as, “Does this seem like it will make the athletes feel excited and proud to represent an exuberant and televisually optimized version of American-ness in this huge and goofy pageant that is the opening ceremony?” Get Slate in your inbox. Ralph Lauren So, how do these outfits meet that challenge? This is another disappointing turn from Ralph Lauren, who has been designing the opening ceremony outfits for the U.S. Olympic team since 2008. Ralph Lauren is a natural brand to design these outfits. The whole shtick of that company is retro-heritage Americana, but these outfits are ugly in many ways. Would you like me to enumerate? Advertisement Yes, please. So, No. 1, the blazer: We’ve been doing blazers for a few years now. At the London Games, the blazers were double-breasted . Here we have a single-breasted blazer that does not strike me as a significant update. In general, the notion that athletes must represent their country in blazers seems a little bit square.

It sounds like the flag-bearer’s jacket, which will be worn by Michael Phelps, will have an electroluminescent USA panel on the back . This is on trend—the theme of the Met Gala this year was essentially Clothes: They Can Have Lights on Them —and it is possible to achieve a cool theatrical effect with this kind of technology. But glowing letters seem a bit billboard-esque. . @MichaelPhelps will be wearing THIS as #TeamUSA 's flag bearer thanks to @RalphLauren ! 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/adOdJTzDGD — U.S. Olympic Team (@TeamUSA) August 3, 2016 Ralph Lauren Then there is the matter of the shirt they’re wearing underneath. The stripes that are in fashion at the moment are a finer stripe, or maybe a varied width stripe. This is a very indecisive, middle-of-the-road, blocky stripe. Plus, it’s not the best moment to have your look confused with the Russian flag. And then finally, this is a square and dated thing to complain about, but that huge Polo logo: It seems really tacky for Ralph Lauren to compete with the brand of the United States.

The current mode for companies is to go a little bit subtle and subdued with their marks, so not only is this bad taste and ugly, it’s also sort of out of style. I’m sure it turns up on TV nicely, and that’s why somebody in the Ralph Lauren marketing office thought it was a good idea to keep it. But it is time to retire the Polo pony. What about the white denim pants? Advertisement Those seem fine. Skinny jeans for athletes—why not? I bet that’s a piece they would use again later. It seems very summery. I have no objections to the jeans. The two items that we have not mentioned yet that are a key part of this outfit are the red-white-and-blue boat shoes and the wrist wrap. Ralph Lauren I will confess a certain fondness for the boat shoes. They are definitely dopey but in kind of a cute and patriotic way. An outfit for the opening ceremony is supposed to be a costume of American heritage dress. For the last decade, we seem to have interpreted that national costume as high WASP. Part of the challenge of figuring out who might do a better job than Ralph Lauren is trying to figure out what other kinds of outfits might make sense.

But in the version where you’re doing high WASP Americana as shtick, these boat shoes are actually kind of witty and a goofily loud protestation of American-ness. OK, the wrist strap. It strikes me that it is something akin to wearing a red-white-and-blue Puka shell necklace. Is wrist strap an actual term of art in fashion? Ralph Lauren Advertisement I would call this a bracelet. And I wish the whole outfit were more like this bracelet in a way. This bracelet seems goofily specific to patriotic Americana. It’s not so much the Puka shell necklace. It’s the rope bracelet, a patriotic version of that, which seems appropriate for a beachy town like Rio. But in terms of the optics of this, nobody’s going to notice the bracelet in the pageantry of this big ceremony on television. This seems to me more like a thing that it is attached to the outfit so that people who feel patriotic this summer will go to RalphLauren.com and buy it, because it is presumably more affordable than the other things and far less hideous. Only $98 . [Laughs.] I did not know that was how much it costs. That’s preposterous. OK, moderately more affordable.

There has to be a challenge here in outfitting athletes, who range in size from tiny Simone Biles to enormous DeAndre Jordan, so should we be giving Ralph Lauren a little bit more of a pass given that challenge? Advertisement Designers are notoriously bad at designing for various body types, but there are American designers who are up for that challenge. I do think coming up with an outfit that would look appealing on different body types is part of the job. I also wonder why there’s total uniformity. You see these days an approach to dressing bridesmaids where you pick a color or a set of reoccurring things, and then have them mix and match. I think that the American Olympic team should consider the modern bridesmaid approach. Even the shirts here—I feel like the whole ensemble would look better if there were three or four different types of striped shirts people could pick from: one with a stripe of a varying width, one with a micro red stripe, one with a really big rugby stripe. The uniformity of the sad, indecisive, mediocre stripe is the major weakness of this outfit, I believe. Team USA enters the opening ceremony of the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics in Russia.

Ryan Pierse/Getty Images In 2014, you wrote an ode to the opening ceremony sweater . That was also from Ralph Lauren, and it was a classic ugly sweater concept with big white stars, a huge American flag patch: It looked sort of like a patchwork quilt. Do you chalk that up to the winter being more in line with something Ralph Lauren can do well? Or is there something about the winter that is more quintessentially American? I think, in general, the winter outfits for the U.S. team have been better than the summer outfits, and I have a theory as to why. The level of formality these opening ceremony outfits should strike seems constantly in question, and Ralph Lauren consistently goes a little bit more formal than makes sense for our Summer Olympics athletes or that they seem comfortable with. Whereas an off-the-slopes look for winter more naturally lends itself as a bit more casual and fun, and that sweater is obviously a hideous thing nobody would really wear in the world, but that is what made it perfect for the opening ceremony. It looked very costume-ish, it took elements of things that an American might wear in an elaborately decorated patterned sweater and amped it up so it worked as pageantry.

It was spirited, and fun, and playful. Nobody looked like they were pretending to go to the sports office, which is what the blazers denote to me. What companies should we be hoping the U.S. Olympic team goes with in 2018, 2020, and beyond? Advertisement First of all, I want to advocate in the strongest possible terms that Ralph Lauren’s ties to the U.S. Olympic team must be severed. They were a decent bet, they had a good run, they produced some plausible outfits and some bad ones, but this company should not have a monopoly on this Americana fashion opportunity for decades to come. I think it is more urgent we resolve this issue by 2020, because I trust Ralph Lauren to do a decent job with the next Winter Olympics. But there must be a new designer by 2020. In terms of looking at American design talent right now, there are a couple of options. One approach is to stick with the idea that a classic WASP-tinged Americana, or preppy, is the American style we want to play with.

If we’re going that direction, I think two natural names to consider would be Michael Kors, who has a bit of a flashy jet-set look that frankly is not really to my taste: If you think of Ralph Lauren as new money pretending to be old money, Michael Kors is like new money pretending to be new money. It’s a little gaudier. But he is a designer who has spoken in his Project Runway role about the importance of accommodating different kinds of bodies and how they move, and I think you could see a plausible and interesting set of looks from him. Another designer who is also sort of a modern prepster is Tory Burch. She’s primarily known for the hideously over-logoed ballet flats she pioneered, but she is a designer who very interestingly combines preppy and bohemian concepts with a really interesting eye for prints and color. She also launched a sport line in the last year or two, so her design apparatus is starting to think more about athletic bodies. Laura Flessel-Colovic of the Olympic fencing team from France carries her country’s flag during the London 2012 Olympics opening ceremony. Alex Livesey/Getty Images Another approach would be to break out of the preppy, WASP-y concept.

Calvin Klein, which is known for minimalism, is doing a lot of interesting work these days. The French team had a rather high-fashion look at the London Games that might be something like what you would get if Calvin Klein were to take on dressing the American athletes. Another big-name American designer is Marc Jacobs. I’m not a huge fan of his work, which is poppy, and punchy, and goofy. But his influences are really wide-ranging; the silhouettes he uses are very boxy, and odd, and interesting; and I imagine you would get a really cool array of patterns, and shapes, and designs on the team—something that would feel a little bit more like the classic national costume than a boring blazer. The third approach is something that’s a little bit sportier. There are a couple companies that would be interesting to look at in what’s now being called the “athleisure” space , which is a big fashion trend at the moment. One is Patagonia. If you think of the opening ceremony as an opportunity to shout a message from the rooftops, Patagonia is a company that is American, that believes in making really durable goods that last, that gives a lifetime guarantee on products.

They have a really interesting, fun way with styles and performance technology. I imagine they could come up with a look for the Summer Games that had a more casual but still bright and exciting and expressive feel of some of the Winter Games looks. And maybe after a decade, they could have an interesting recycling program where they would take elements from previous years’ costumes, and use them again, and think about sustainability and other new American values. The 2020 U.S. Olympic team’s opening ceremony outfit? Outdoor Voices The other athleisure-style brand I would point to is this new company called Outdoor Voices . They are a bit more of a stretch because they mostly make really nice, really stylish yoga clothes and sweatpants and hangout clothes. But I would be super interested in seeing what they came up with if charged with the task of elevating an athleisure look so it felt like an exuberant expression of country-hood designed for the TV camera. You have very strong feelings about one article of clothing that is not present in this year’s designs, and that is the Olympic beret. Do you feel a pang of regret and sadness that you don’t have the beret to hate on in Rio ?

The Olympic beret is one of the greatest sartorial mysteries of our time. It is unclear why anybody ever thought it was smart to put American athletes in berets: It’s not an American hat, it’s not a sporty hat, it’s not a hat that is particularly flattering or easy to wear. The greatest thing this summer outfit has going for it is that somebody at Ralph Lauren had the restraint not to make a beret. Kobe Bryant and other members of Team USA enter the stadium during the opening ceremony of the 2012 London Olympic Games. Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images I have a very strong feeling—a premonition—that they are trying to create McRib-esque scarcity and get people very excited for the long-awaited return of the Olympic beret in Tokyo. I will bet you $1 there will be a Tokyo beret. I think there are two potential outcomes for 2020: the return of the Ralph Lauren beret, which would make me weep, or a vigorous reinvention of the opening ceremony outfit by some other designer, which is what I dearly hope comes to pass.

USA Olympic Opening Ceremony uniforms unveiled - INSIDER Team USA will be rocking preppy threads from Polo Ralph Lauren during the upcoming Opening Ceremony in Rio. Twitter/US Olympic Team The US Olympic team is heading to Rio in style. On Friday, the new Opening Ceremony outfits, which the team will wear during the parade into Rio de Janeiro's Maracanã Stadium on August 5, were unveiled. Designed by Polo Ralph Lauren, the outfits are a mix of the designer's sporty and preppy style. The athletes will be outfitted in navy blazers — complete with Ralph Lauren's signature logo — a striped t-shirt, white denim jeans, and boat shoes, obviously in red, white, and blue. The US team wore berets in 2012. Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images Polo Ralph Lauren has designed outfits for both the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Teams since 2008. This year's outfits are reminiscent of those from the 2012 Opening Ceremony in London, minus the berets and white skirts for the women.

Adidas & Stella McCartney reveal opening ceremony looks for Team GB - News : Collection (#720757) August 5, 2016 Adidas & Stella McCartney reveal opening ceremony looks for Team GB Adidas and Stella McCartney unveiled the official opening ceremony outfits for the Team GB athletes ahead of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games opening held on Friday night. British cyclist, Laura Trotter - Adidas The collection is a first for Stella McCartney, who despite having designed the full Team GB and Paralympics GB kit for Rio 2016 and London 2012 has never created opening ceremony looks before. The designer’s assignment for the Rio 2016 Games is a follow up to her successful debut as Team GB and Paralympics GB creative director at London 2012, said Adidas. British triathleteAlistair Brownlee - Adidas The outfits combine the designer’s signature silhouettes and focus on tailoring with hi-tech performance fabrics. The newly commissioned coat of arms, which plays an important design role in the performance kit, will also feature as classic embroidery on a number of styles and intricately on metal belt buckles.

For women, the outfit includes a navy blue dress made from high performance perforated fabrics, a white tailored jacket and a statement gold buckle, while men athletes will wear a navy blue pea coat-inspired jacket with military inspired detailing. The look is completed with a smart pair of white shorts paired with a crisp blue poplin shirt. Adidas and Stella McCartney revealed the Olympic kit for Team GB athletes in April this year. Adidas by Stella McCartney has revealed its new Spring/Summer 2017 campaign images featuring Karlie Kloss, Octavious Freeman and Chelsey Korus. 9:03 pm The innerwear brand and intimates company disclosed a letter of intent for a proposed merger. If the merger is accepted, Naked CEO Chief Creative and Chairwoman Carole Hochman will become Chief Creative of the company. Jan 13, 2017 Fashion giant Ralph Lauren Corp, whose designs clothe Hollywood's red carpet stars, has unveiled plans to trace wood pulp used in its clothes to avoid buying from regions destroying forests or violating human rights. Jan 6, 2017 Friday morning saw the launch of a new edition of London Fashion Week Men’s, previously known as London Collections Men.

Jan 6, 2017 ...Adidas by Stella McCartney has revealed its new Spring/Summer 2017 campaign images featuring Karlie Kloss, Octavious Freeman and Chelsey Korus. 9:03 pm ...In a surprise showing, Rubchinskiy unveiled a ready-to-wear collab with Adidas Football during his runway show in Russia on Thursday. Jan 13, 2017 ...our new space." Berkshire Partners and New Balance Holding, the investment arm of the company, acquired Rockport from Adidas for $280 million in 2015. The opening of the new headquarters comes 18 months after the a... Jan 12, 2017 ...Mexico will be operated by Another Fashion Company, a Mexican retailer that distributes international brands such as Adidas Originals. According to the company representatives, some of the new branches will be in C... Jan 11, 2017 Team USA's Ralph Lauren Olympics opening ceremony outfits look like Russian flag | Daily Mail Online comments Russian athletes may be lacking at the Rio Olympics – but it appears the country's flag will be on the chest of every athlete in Team USA at the Opening Ceremony.

On Friday, designer Ralph Lauren and the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) unveiled the parade uniform American athletes will wear as they enter the Maracanã Stadium on August 5. The Polo Ralph Lauren outfit consists of a navy blue blazer, with a striped T-shirt and white jeans – and is based on an 'all-American palette of red, white and blue.' The company released a promotional image of Team USA's Ryan Lochte, Jordan Burroughs, Melissa Stockwell, Conor Fields, April Ross and Haley Anderson wearing the preppy outfits. But it didn't take long for people to point out that the only three bars of the striped T-shirt visible under the jacket and the order – white, blue and red - are the same as those of the Russian flag.

Scroll down for video Ralph Lauren and the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) unveiled the parade uniform American athletes, with athletes (pictured from left) Ryan Lochte, Melissa Stockwell, Conor Fields, April Ross, Jordan Burroughs and Haley Anderson modeling the outfits It didn't take long for people to point out that the three bars of the striped T-shirt visible under the blazer and their order – white, blue and red - are the same as those of the Russian flag 'Another Russian hacking job? Team USA opening-ceremony shirt looks like Russian flag,' noted sports fashion writer Paul Lukas on Twitter. He was referring to the Democratic National Committee's email hacking scandal, which experts and security firms have said they found compelling clues that pointing to Russia's government was behind the hack. Mike Blissett added: 'It looks like the men are a wearing a navy blazer over the Russian flag. How on earth did you miss that?' RELATED ARTICLES Share 180 shares Ralph Lauren has been the official outfitter of America's Olympic and Paralympic teams since 2008 – and it's not the first time the company's uniforms have sparked controversy.

After it emerged that the 2012 uniforms were made in China, Ralph Lauren and the USOC ensured the parade uniforms for the Sochi Games two years ago were made in the USA. This year's outfits also carry a label marked 'made in the USA.' The Polo Ralph Lauren outfit consists of a navy blue blazer, with a striped T-shirt and white jeans – and is based on an 'all-American palette of red, white and blue' Many pointed out that the order of the bars visible under the blazer are that of the Russian flag The blazer, striped T-shirt and white jeans (above) combo will be worn by all Team USA delegates during the Opening Ceremony in Rio on August 5 But for anyone looking to emulate the full look, it will set you back at least $1,500. The full men's outfit – blazer ($695), T-shirt ($89.50), jeans ($195), shoes ($350), belt ($85) and wrist strap ($89) – is available to purchase for a staggering $1,512.50. And despite the appearance of Russia's flag, there'll be plenty of patriotism at the Opening Ceremony.

The flag bearer will wear a blazer (above) which illuminates 'USA' for the American delegation to walk behind The flag bearer's jacket will bear an illuminated USA for the American delegation to walk behind. 'The Flag Bearer Jacket will literally light the way for Team USA as they represent our country in the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games, David Lauren, Ralph Lauren's executive vice president said. 'Ralph Lauren is incredibly proud to dress America's best and brightest athletes at the world's premier sporting event.' The 10 designers who should have clothed Team USA | Fusion By Caitlin Cruz The 2016 Summer Olympics officially begin Friday in Rio with a grand display of opulence as Brazil slowly buckles under the collective pressure to pull off an international spectacle. That’s right: I’m talking about the Opening Ceremony. The athletes will arrive in Rio, armed with flags and campy patriotic outfits for the Parade of Nations. The Opening Ceremony is each competing country’s chance to show some national pride—even if it goes wrong . Will Canada wear Mounties hats? Will Spain wear mustard suits again?! We’ll have to wait and see!

One thing is for sure: Team USA—led by powerhouse gymnast Simone Biles and gold-plated swimmer Michael Phelps—will, once again, be clothed by Ralph Lauren . The outfits are predictable and look yanked from the closets of Kennedys (or Romneys!). What we need is a departure from the WASP-y wet dream for something more representative of the state of American fashion today. (Plus, do we really need to keep advertising for Ralph Lauren at the Olympics?) It’s time to present the beautifully diverse America we love to the world. Here are the 10 American designers who should be clothing Team USA. Julian Woodhouse Getty Images Julian Woodhouse is an openly gay (and married!) black first lieutenant in the U.S. Army and menswear designer based in Seoul. (He’s still on active duty, y’all.) The self-described Army brat ’s latest collection —shown in New York in July—takes cues from the Korean fashion world with interesting patterns, distinct trouser cuts and kimono closures.

Woodhouse told The New York Times that he wants to expand what men are offered for fashion: “I don’t want to push men outside of their comfort zones, but I think they are looking for something a little more directed.” Christian Siriano Getty Images Christian Siriano found his way into our hearts when he won the fourth season of Project Runway back in 2008. Since then, Siriano has designed for all body types, which would only help as Team USA’s muscles come in all shapes and sizes . Earlier this year, he debuted his collaboration with Lane Bryant–and snagged Orange Is The New Black actress Danielle Brooks to model (pictured above). Siriano was recently in the news when he jumped at the chance to design a gown for comedian Leslie Jones for the red carpet premiere of Ghostbusters after numerous designers declined to dress the six-foot star. Kerby Jean-Raymond Getty Images Kerby Jean-Raymond is a Haitian-American designer out of New York who came to prominence with his Spring/Summer 2016 collection for Pyer Moss, which protested the killings of unarmed black men and women by police.

The show ended with a model carrying a sign reading, “MY DEMONS WON TODAY IM SORRY.” (The words were some of the last words from Ohio activist MarShawn McCarrel II, who took his own life in February.) The designer’s Fall 2016 collection spotlighted mental health and depression. As Jean-Raymond told Vice , “People assign this magic to fashion, but for me it’s about what you can do with fashion.” How radical would it be to use the Olympic Games to highlight the things that ail America? Opening Ceremony by Carol Lim and Humberto Leon Getty Images Carol Lim and Humberto Leon started their brand as a store in Manhattan in 2002 after a trip to Hong Kong. But that was a long time ago. Now, as the The New York Times reported in 2015: Lim and Leon are creating plays and magazines, distributing their clothes worldwide and designing wearables for Intel. The brand also recently created a capsule collection celebrating America’s gay bars like the Stonewall Inn. (The profits of the collection will benefit victims of the Pulse nightclub massacre.) It’s not just the name of their brand that makes Lim and Leon perfect candidates for the Opening Ceremony.

These two are hustling and showcasing the American ideal that believing in your vision can bring success. Celestine “Tina” Beyincé-Lawson Getty Images Tina is the mother of the current Empress of the World, Beyoncé, but what more casual fans forget is that Tina had a pivotal role in the aesthetics of Destiny’s Child. When Beyoncé accepted the CFDA’s Fashion Icon Award in June, she told the audience how, back in the day, mainstream designers didn’t want to dress a group of black girls so her mother and Uncle Jonny made each Destiny’s Child garment by hand. “When I wore these clothes onstage, I felt I had an extra suit of armor. It was so much deeper than any brand name,” Beyoncé said. Tina has experience designing and dressing a group in different yet coordinating outfits, which is a skillset desperately needed for the Opening Ceremony.

Public School by Dao-Yi Chow and Maxwell Osborne Getty Images The New York Times called Public School “an amalgam of disparate ideas.” Fusion writer Isha Aran told me that Public School was “Forever 21 fodder but like good.” The New York duo’s clothing designs are a cross between the high gloss of fashion magazines and the immediacy of street style, which we could use in Rio. Now, with successful women’s and menswear collections out there, Public School would clothe Team USA in comfort but also clothe them in cool. BCALLA by Bradley Callahan Getty Images BCALLA’s brand is loud, colorful and not at all subtle . Brad Callahan is a queer designer based in Brooklyn who started by designing costumes for the superheroes in his brother’s comic books and now clothes the likes of Lady Gaga and Azealia Banks (pictured above). His sexuality is infused in each design. “I think to be queer is to fight,” he told the Huffington Post in 2014. “The very first collection I designed was about fashionable street warriors and I think that vibe is really prevalent in my work—being authentic and brave in the face of a tidal wave of homogenization.” That’s the America I know.

To be perfectly honest, I would even settle for non-American designers clothing our athletes. Christian Louboutin is designing Cuba’s opening ceremony outfits for crying out loud! You can dress a team with style regardless of heritage. And if you believe Team USA should be clothed by a Big Name™ designer, here are a handful just as worthy. Alexander Wang Getty Images Alexander Wang is a Taiwanese-American designer who has clothed Rihanna, Amy Schumer, First Lady Michelle Obama and has been namechecked by Kanye West. If it’s good enough for FLOTUS, it’s good enough for the swim team! Betsey Johnson Getty Images for Betsey Johnson Okay, hear me out. I think Betsey Johnson’s sparkles, pinks, sequins and rhinestones would be a welcome departure from the masculine boating wear we’ve put our athletes in for DECADES. Everyone could use a bit of fun. Donna Karan Getty Images Donna Karan of the Donna Karan collection and DKNY effortlessly straddles the divide between high and fast fashion. Her design sensibilities satisfy the need for a Big Name™ to produce the garments, but also understand the mass market that would buy after the games conclude.

Team USA will literally be wearing boat shoes in the Parade of Nations. It’s time we grow and properly display the full power of America’s fashion industry. Story Tags Which country has the best outfits for Rio Olympics? | Lifestyle | DW.COM | 05.08.2016 Lifestyle Which country has the best outfits for Rio Olympics? In the world's most popular sporting event, fashion designers are competing for attention too. Some of the official outfits were revealed ahead of the opening ceremony in Rio - attracting mockery on social media. Spain Joma is the official sponsor of Spain's National Olympic Committee and has designed both the clothes for the opening ceremony and the sports uniforms. It is the first time in the history of Spain's participation in the Olympic Games that its female athletes will be wearing pants when they enter the arena. Austria The Austrian delegation will be showing off goat-suede lederhosen at the opening ceremony on August 5 and the closing march on August 21. Many were skeptical when this plan was initially revealed, but after the official presentation of the design, it was praised worldwide. Female athletes also chose to wear the traditional alpine shorts instead of a folkloric dress, the dirdnl.

Ukraine The outfits the Ukrainian National Team will be sporting at the 31st Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro were presented in Kyiv. The athletes will parade in the colors of their national flag on Friday. The uniforms and sportswear were designed by Andre Tan, a renowned Ukrainian fashion designer. South Korea The athletes from South Korea will be donning navy blue blazers, stiff white pants and striped socks in dark blue deck shoes at the official ceremonies of the Games. Although the outfits look rather plain, they attracted a good deal of media attention for a hidden feature: The clothes are infused with a mosquito-repellent to protect athletes against the Zika virus. Australia Featuring light green and white striped blazers and colorful scarves and ties, the Australian outfit is an homage to the 1924 Olympic Games. The lining of the suit is printed with the names of the 107 former gold medalists from Australia, revealed the designers from Sportscraft. The shoes were designed by Toms. China China presented its outfits in Beijing last June - but only virtually. Guests wore VR goggles to discover the designs. The bold red and yellow national uniforms of the Chinese Olympic team were strongly criticized online.

Germany Smiling in grey: The German Olympic team will open the Summer Games in Rio in top shape by sporting simple but modern uniforms designed by Adidas and Sioux. The collection for the Olympics and for the Paralympics in September was presented in Dusseldorf in April. Russia The Russian judoka Khasan Kalmuzayev smiles for a selfie with the Russian Olympic team in front of the Kremlin in Moscow. Beige pants for the men, knee-length skirts for the women and a navy blazer and bow tie for everyone - the outfit seems less Russian than the Americans'. USA Ralph Lauren has designed the Olympic outfits for Team USA since 2008. This year, he stayed true to his classic look and relied on the American national colors - red, white and navy blue. The outfits were the subject of criticism, however, with some saying the striped tops under the blazers resembled the Russian flag. Author: Miriam Karout / eg Spain Joma is the official sponsor of Spain's National Olympic Committee and has designed both the clothes for the opening ceremony and the sports uniforms. It is the first time in the history of Spain's participation in the Olympic Games that its female athletes will be wearing pants when they enter the arena.

Austria The Austrian delegation will be showing off goat-suede lederhosen at the opening ceremony on August 5 and the closing march on August 21. Many were skeptical when this plan was initially revealed, but after the official presentation of the design, it was praised worldwide. Female athletes also chose to wear the traditional alpine shorts instead of a folkloric dress, the dirdnl. Ukraine The outfits the Ukrainian National Team will be sporting at the 31st Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro were presented in Kyiv. The athletes will parade in the colors of their national flag on Friday. The uniforms and sportswear were designed by Andre Tan, a renowned Ukrainian fashion designer. South Korea The athletes from South Korea will be donning navy blue blazers, stiff white pants and striped socks in dark blue deck shoes at the official ceremonies of the Games. Although the outfits look rather plain, they attracted a good deal of media attention for a hidden feature: The clothes are infused with a mosquito-repellent to protect athletes against the Zika virus. Australia Featuring light green and white striped blazers and colorful scarves and ties, the Australian outfit is an homage to the 1924 Olympic Games.

The lining of the suit is printed with the names of the 107 former gold medalists from Australia, revealed the designers from Sportscraft. The shoes were designed by Toms. China China presented its outfits in Beijing last June - but only virtually. Guests wore VR goggles to discover the designs. The bold red and yellow national uniforms of the Chinese Olympic team were strongly criticized online. Germany Smiling in grey: The German Olympic team will open the Summer Games in Rio in top shape by sporting simple but modern uniforms designed by Adidas and Sioux. The collection for the Olympics and for the Paralympics in September was presented in Dusseldorf in April. Russia The Russian judoka Khasan Kalmuzayev smiles for a selfie with the Russian Olympic team in front of the Kremlin in Moscow. Beige pants for the men, knee-length skirts for the women and a navy blazer and bow tie for everyone - the outfit seems less Russian than the Americans'. USA Ralph Lauren has designed the Olympic outfits for Team USA since 2008. This year, he stayed true to his classic look and relied on the American national colors - red, white and navy blue.

The outfits were the subject of criticism, however, with some saying the striped tops under the blazers resembled the Russian flag. Author: Miriam Karout / eg When the athletes parade through Rio de Janeiro's Maracana Stadium at the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games on Friday, the legendary sports venue will also turn into a vast fashion runway, with athletes showcasing designs from their home lands. Many countries have been relying for years on established fashion names such as Ralph Lauren, Giorgio Armani, Stella McCartney and Lacoste. Beyond the practicality of sportswear, the national teams' outfits are also expected to be stylish and elegant, with some references to tradition. Some countries have already officially presented their outfits for the opening and closing ceremonies. Others, such as Italy and France, have only revealed the uniforms of their athletes, keeping the designs for the inaugural ceremony a surprise. Iranian suits prompt mockery It's not always easy to create an outfit that will satisfy everyone. The Iranian designers were massively criticized by social media users who were left wondering what they were thinking when they conceived these garments. The colors of the original Iranian Olympic outfit appeared to be inspired by an eraser.

This tweet tries to demonstrate that not even Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt would look good in it. The designers took the criticism seriously, quickly conceiving a whole new wardrobe. As a result, the athletes will be wearing a modern garment in the colors of the Iranian flag. Online critics still weren't satisfied: This time they looked like pizza boxes. Is this America or Russia? In the US, critics say that the white-blue-red striped t-shirt under a navy blazer designed by Ralph Lauren looks too much like the Russian flag. Facebook and Twitter have spread ironic comments such as this one: "I think we've missed the news that we're now Russians," wrote one user. Amidst the numerous negative comments, Russians were amused by the unwanted color effect. "Who approved this outfit? Are you secretly supporting Russian athletes? We're not against it!" wrote a Russian on Facebook. Ralph Lauren has been the official designer of the US Olympic delegation since 2008. Feminists react in Georgia The Georgian designs for the opening ceremony of the Rio Games have led to a political debate: They are too conservative and do not reflect the country's modern society.

Feminists have complained about the traditional long dresses the female athletes are to wear on Friday. Designer Samoseli Pirveli probably didn't have any bad intentions, but now, more than 6,000 Georgians have signed an online petition against his design. The outfit is influenced by Georgian folkloric wear, known as the "chokha." According to the designer, he conceived a modern version of the chokha, which came back into fashion after the fall of the Soviet Union. Some ridiculed the clothes by saying they would at least block Zika mosquitoes. Others were seriously concerned these suits would damage Georgia's reputation. The colors of capitalism's most famous golden arches Just like most countries, China has also tried to clothe its Olympic team in the colors of its flag. Based on reactions online, the white pants and skirts come across well, and so does the retro hospitality style of the outfits. However, the red and yellow blazers are an eyesore for many social media users. DW recommends

Question: Which fashion designer was responsible for the opening-ceremony outfits for Team USA at the 2008 Olympic Games?
Answer: Ralph Lauren