For the 2026 Milan Winter Olympic Games, some countries were busy training for gold, others were busy training their costume designers. Even the ceremonial uniforms are always engineered to perform, this time, they’re also loaded with heritage. These kits feel built as much for making a national statement as they do for keeping athletes upright on slippery ground. Style counts, even on ice.
Stella Jean & Team Haiti
The Internet quickly lost its mind with Team Haiti’s Olympic uniform debut. First over how good everything looked, and then over the fact that it had to be tweaked almost immediately. Italian-Haitian Stella Novarino of Stella Jean, as visible in political causes as she is in design, drew inspiration from artist Edouard Duval-Carrié, one piece in particular caught her eye. Toussaint Louverture, once enslaved and later the driving force behind Haiti’s revolution and the creation of the first Black republic in 1804, portrayed riding a red horse, though Louverture himself didn’t make it into the final design. Every seam pulls from Haitian resistance history, enforced headwraps reimagined as pride, market culture stitched into pockets, jewelry rooted in endurance. Fabric can talk back, especially when it’s entirely hand-painted by Italian artisans.
Goyol Cashmere & Team Mongolia
Mongolia’s Goyol Cashmere luckily walked the similar path of tradition. The uniforms looked to the Mongol Empire of the 15th century. The uniforms are clearly hardwired into the country’s history and culture. Legroom where it matters, a collar that keeps the cold at bay, a front that folds over in a gesture of unity, fine cashmere paired with silk, embroidery, and horn motifs, all representing iron will, ancient insight, and warrior heart of Mongolian nomads, shaped by centuries of Central Asian winters. If there’s a place where celebration of identity looks its best, it’s probably Milan, February 6 to 22.
Moncler & Team Brazil
With Brazilian-Norwegian skiing ace Lucas Pinheiro Braathen, spinning samba steps at the top spot one day, and shining as one of the brand’s most loved global ambassadors the next, it was no shock Moncler being behind team Brazil this year. One thing we didn’t see coming though, was Brazilian artist and designer Oskar Metsavaht joining the party. My eyes were stuck on the cermemonial white, sculptural cape. Looks plain and white until you move, then the Brazilian flag bursts through the folds. Where design flows, tradition follows.
