discover the official outfits of the French delegation for the opening ceremonies

Athletes will wear them for the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games on July 26 and for the Paralympic Games on August 28. It was the Berluti house that made these outfits.

On July 26 and then on August 28, to parade on the Seine, the French athletes and para-athletes – who will be the last to parade – will be dressed by Berluti, one of the luxury brands of the LVMH group, premium partner of Paris 2024. Franceinfo was able to discover the special outfit that they will wear in preview.

At first glance, the ensemble is very classic: midnight blue tuxedo, long-sleeved jacket for the men, sleeveless for the women. But the shawl collar stands out in the light, as Agnès Fillioux, production director at Berluti, explains. “The shawl collar is the lapel of a jacket. We worked it in a gradient using blue, white, red that we blended with the patina colors of the Berluti house”, she describes.

A blue white red gradient that we find on the tongue of the sneakers, on the belt, on the scarf too. Underneath, a white shirt then pants – midnight blue again – or a long skirt for those who wish. All made in Italy in 1,500 copies. An almost industrial quantity for a house which usually produces 200 pieces per model. “We used 18,000 sheep. It’s true that for our suppliers it was an incredible order, because our production is a little more confidential in terms of volumes,” continues the production director at Berluti.

Sizes from 34 to 56

Another upheaval for the Berluti house: dressing a 1.50m gymnast as well as 2.20m basketball players. “On shoes we have developed eight sizes more than our standard sizes. We are going from 34 to 56. We work with 3D techniques which allow us to quickly manufacture patterns in very special measurements, adds Agnès Fillioux. Athletes who are not standard for us will have outfits that fit them in all cases.”

These sets were made with the help of former athletes and in particular the fencer Brice Guyart, who kept his outfits from Sydney and Athens: “I never put them back, I know where they are.” Now on the Paris 2024 organizing committee, he knows the importance of the image sent back that day : “For me the first medals are won from the opening ceremony. We have an impact on the other delegations. We look at each other, we gauge each other. I have always been marked by the Americans, always in numbers, a big nation , and then always well dressed, with confidence For the French, they will see that France is not joking and that the delegation is ready to perform.