Even during the Winter Olympics, we don't stop talking about fashion: the most talked-about event of the year is nothing but a huge stage for people to be the talk of the town, and under the global spotlight, everything can become mainstream. For this very reason, there are many uniforms sported by the new Olympic teams that have captured media attention, but of all of them, Haiti's are undoubtedly the most original: the only ones to have been hand-painted, by Italian artisans, drawing inspiration from Haitian-born artist Edouard Duval-Carré.
Born from the designs of former ski champion Pietro Vitalini and the signature of established Haitian-Italian designer Stella Jean, the uniform is a clear message of resistance: in the words of Gandy Thomas, Haiti's ambassador to Italy, "absence is the most dangerous form of erasure, and we have chosen to be present".
The original idea was to represent the image of Toussaint Louverture, former slave and leader of the revolution that would lead to the birth of the first black republic in 1804, but the proposal was banned by the International Olympic Committee, which accused it of being a political symbol. The solution was found by hand-painting a tropical forest, a red horse, and a blue sky where the name "Haiti" is displayed.
Absence is the most dangerous form of erasure, and we have chosen to be present.
Gandy Thomas
A well-thought-out choice of simple yet starkly contrasting colors to resonate a political message celebrating the independence of a nation that refuses to be absent, that values every second of visibility as a way to tell its story and witness its presence at a world-scale event.
The promotional photos also show the careful choice in accessories: large gold hoop earrings and the tignon, a traditional turban worn by Haitian women to cover their hair, a strong symbol not only of the colonial era but of Haitian resistance.
This uniform certainly transcends the notion of sportswear and becomes a significant political act and instrument of visibility. As Stella Jean herself recounts, "what you see is not decoration, it is visibility as a form of survival."
Opening image: Photo Stella Jean. Courtesy Milano Cortina 2026