PARIS - The outfits for the French athletes at the upcoming Olympic and Paralympic Games opening ceremony were revealed on Wednesday at the Grand Palais Ephemere as over 100 athletes from more than 20 disciplines gathered here to celebrate the 100 days countdown to Paris 2024.
The celebration, themed "A Date with History", was jointly hosted by the French Ministry of Sports, the French Olympic Committee, the French Paralympic Committee, and the Paris Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games, with 37 athletes on site having already qualified for the Paris Games.
"With the final 100 days upon us, time will fly by. We've been training for so long, and the remaining time will pass in a blink," said Estelle Mossely, the 2016 Rio Olympic boxing champion. "I want to participate in the opening ceremony, and I aspire to be the flag bearer."
The highlight of the event was the unveiling of the French delegation's opening ceremony outfits.
The attire, designed by the LVMH-owned fashion brand Berluti, features navy blue as the primary color, with the most striking detail being the red and blue motif on the jacket lapels, inspired by the French flag colors, and the brand's signature color-infused patina leather shoes. The women's jackets have cut-away sleeves.
LVMH, a sponsor of the Paris 2024 games, said the "tuxedo-inspired outfit" reflected Berluti's identity, using "noble materials and patina effects" for an elegant, French look.
"Everything was produced in the same way as all of our products in store. We have changed absolutely nothing, it is the same craftspeople and the same workshops who made this production," said Agnes Fillioux, director of industrialization at Berluti.
Men will wear matching plain pants with sneakers, while women will have the additional option of a wrap skirt complete with a pair of patent moccasins.
"Ultimately, the brief was that we needed an outfit that was as elegant as it was high-performance," explained Brice Guyart, double Olympic medallist in foil and senior manager of Paris 2024 athletes.
Accessories include a pocket square, with the same pattern as the burnished collar, that can be inserted into the men's jacket, while a scarf of the same colour can be worn by women. In addition, a hand-varnished belt in the same tones will complete the men's outfit.
"We are going to be standing for a long time [at the ceremony] so we have a pair of sneakers that fits well with the uniform. As an athlete, we look for precision, we look to go beyond our limit and the more we see this uniform, the more we see detail, reflection. We are going to be proud to represent France through this outfit," said Romain Cannone, French Olympic fencing champion from Tokyo 2020.
The event was held at the Grand Palais Ephemere, which faces the Eiffel Tower across the Place de Mars. After the Grand Palais closed for renovations in 2020, it has been used as a temporary exhibition venue. During the Olympics, it will be transformed into a sports venue named Arena Champ-de-Mars, hosting wrestling and judo events.
The Paris Olympic Games are scheduled to take place from July 26 to Aug 11, followed by the Paralympic Games from Aug 28 to Sept 8.
With Reuters inputs
