If it were up to the internet, Team Mongolia’s uniforms for the Paris Olympics would win gold in the competition for most drip.
The uniforms, by Mongolian couture brand Michel & Amazonka, have a hold on people across social media. Fans have been praising the striking designs and intricately embroidered vests, dresses and accessories, that heavily feature cultural motifs and will be worn during the opening ceremony on July 26.
TikToker Ryan Yip, whose video on the outfits drew more than 424,500 likes, lovingly deemed the aesthetic “sorcery.”
“Tell me what motivated [Michel & Amazonka] and the whole of Mongolian Olympic team to pop off that hard,” Yip said.
Another TikToker, who goes by Regularguy_sports, ranked Team Mongolia first in a list of top Olympic uniforms.
“Mongolia looks like they are going for war,” he said. “They look like they are going to be taking people’s souls in the competition.”
Michel & Amazonka, who unveiled the designs earlier this month in a stunning video on social media, have designed the country’s Olympic opening and closing ceremony outfits for the past two Olympic games. For the upcoming international event, the label came out with different outfits for male and female flag bearers and athletes that appear to be a take on the traditional Mongolian deel, a calf-length gown that typically has a high collar and long sleeves. The uniforms also incorporate the colors of the Mongolian flag as well as the Soyombo, the national symbol that’s also found on the country’s banner.
To create the uniforms, the brand took detailed measurements of each athlete’s body, they said on social media. It took more than three months to complete the looks, with one set taking an average of 20 hours to finish.
Michel Choigaalaa and Amazonka Choigaalaa, the sister duo behind the brand, previously told Forbes that they don’t need to travel far for inspiration.
“Right now, you can find a lot of ideas here in Mongolia, from the tradition and culture, because it’s not very known in the world,” the sisters told the outlet. “People often know it from historical figures like Genghis Khan, and from ancient history. But in current times, you can find a lot of ideas from people’s clothes, the way we do cultural things, ceremonies and stuff like that.”
Mongolia joins several other nations that have generated buzz for their Olympic swag. Team Haiti has gotten a lot of love on social media for their vibrant uniforms that incorporate Haitian painter Philippe Dodard’s artwork, created by designer Stella Jean. Team Nigeria, dressed by Los Angeles-based, Black-owned label Actively Black, has also drawn praise for their green-and-white sportswear.
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