French athletes will wear Berluti at the opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games

Suit, shirt, belt, shoes, scarf, handbag… The athletes of the French team will wear Berluti from head to toe for the opening ceremonies of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, whose outfit will be presented on Wednesday by LVMH. brand, premium partner of the Games.

This year, the French will be “energetic, beautiful, elegant like never before and leaving their mark,” former fencer Brice Guyart, a member of the Paris 2024 organizing committee, told AFP who is “convinced that the first medals will be won.” will win at the opening ceremony.”

The very chic French brand Berluti will dress 1,500 athletes and companions for the opening of the Olympic Games (from July 26 to August 11) and Paralympic Games (from August 28 to September 8). And for a price. In stores, Shadow sneakers cost 1,000 euros and a Berluti suit costs about 4,000 euros. Athletes will be able to keep their clothing after the Games.

The suits, designed in collaboration with Carine Roitfeld, are midnight blue with a blue, white and red patina collar. The left pocket features a small Olympic flame and the Games logo. The jackets, sleeveless for women, can be combined with pants or a skirt, and with a white cotton and silk shirt.

The goal was to “combine elegance and comfort,” says Vanessa Le Goff, Berluti collection director.

“The most difficult part (of the manufacturing process) was the collar,” with a satin print that had to give the same effect to all the jackets, whatever their size, from 3XS to 5XL, explains Elisa Mongiovo of Pattern, the Italian subcontractor responsible for the preparation. the suits by hand, she explained to AFP.

Women who choose the skirt will wear a “very flexible loafer.” The shoes are made by hand in Berluti's workshops in Ferrara, Italy, including the 'patina': like painters, employees apply the blue, white and red patina with brushes and rags, shoe by shoe.

“Traditionally we have eight shoe sizes, but for this project we have increased to 14 sizes, from 34 to 56,” says Agnès Fillioux, industrial director of Berluti, “a challenge because comfort has to be the same for all sizes.” “

In recent weeks, athletes have been discovering their ceremonial outfits. Timothée Adolphe, a visually impaired athlete, told AFP that he found his clothing “very nice.” Climber Oriane Bertone, whom we met during a photo shoot, believes Paris' reputation as a “fashion capital” is “up to par.”