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Move over medals — the real gold at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics was hanging in closets, strutting down opening-ceremony carpets and carving out slopes in couture.
Hosted between fashion capital Milan and posh alpine playground Cortina d’Ampezzo, these Games morphed into a two-week catwalk on ice where athleticism met atelier — and the après-ski scene doubled as a front row.
Hey, blame Italy’s DNA: When the world’s chicest country hosts the Olympics, the drip is practically mandatory.
Labels like Giorgio Armani, Moncler and Emporio Armani turned national uniforms into runway-ready statements, while artisanal touches — like hand-painted motifs and heritage textiles — transformed team fits into wearable diplomacy.
And audiences ate it up.
Early surveys show 70% of viewers thought the Games featured the most memorable opening ceremony ever — a San Siro Stadium blowout headlined by vocal powerhouse Mariah Carey, legendary tenor Andrea Bocelli and Italian pop singer Laura Pausini.
And the fashion Olympics may be the only competition where sequins outshine scoreboards.
From hand-painted national uniforms to slope-side streetwear moments, here’s how the athletes, A-listers and style MVPs turned the Winter Games into the chicest global fashion flex yet.
Team Mongolia’s cashmere kings
If quiet luxury had a national team, it’d be Mongolia.
Draped in sumptuous knits from heritage label Goyol Cashmere, the delegation floated in like alpine royalty.
Think rich earth tones, sculptural tailoring, and textures so plush they practically purred. The message: performancewear can still whisper wealth.
One viewer called the team “the best dressed at the Winter Olympics.”
With its 13th to 15th century Great Mongol Empire inspiration and modern function, it’s hard to disagree.
Piercing looks
Alysa Liu initially skated into the Winter Olympics and shredded the dress code, rocking leopard tights, leg warmers and a black Nike minidress, serving punk-princess realness during a Feb. 4 practice session instead of princess-on-ice polish.
But when it came time to give it her all, she went for gold as she nabbed the gold and ended the United States’ 24-year top-medal drought in women’s figure skating.
A radiant Liu — who recently told Elle she designs her own costumes in collaboration with fashion pros — shone bright in a shimmery, one-shoulder dress that was bedazzled in baubles and further adorned with a funky, gold fringed skirt. Not to mention a subtle touch: $690 10K gold and silver DUNE earrings by Japanese designer Hirotaka. In the words of the official Olympics X feed: “Gold dress. Golden Performance. Gold Medal. Alysa Liu.. Golden girl!”
Of course, her trademark “raccoon-striped” hair also lent a trendy, unapologetic Y2K edge.
But, perhaps most notably, a shocking frenulum piercing — aka, a “smiley piercing” — on her upper gums popped every time she beamed a smile to the crowd, adding just the right amount of sparkle to match her bold hair and vibrant outfit.
“I had my sister hold up my lip, and I was looking in the mirror, and I had my piercing needle,” the rising “alternative style icon” said matter-of-factly in an interview with TMJ4 News, “and yeah, just put it through.”
Mariah Carey: Vision of love(ly)
The 2026 Winter Olympics kicked off with a bang — and then a whistle note.
Mariah Carey melted the Milan crowd on Feb. 6 with a swoony mash-up of “Volare (Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu)” and “Nothing Is Impossible,” the latter from her latest album, “Here For It All,” while dripping in head-to-toe glistening glam.
The Grammy winner stunned in a custom Roberto Cavalli gown by Fausto Puglisi — a crystal-splashed, satin mermaid look with feathered flair that screamed opening ceremony royalty, and that one fan called “simply breathtaking.”
Toss in icy sparkle from Swarovski and jewels by Levuma, and Carey didn’t just hit high notes — she hit high fashion.
Team Haiti: painted pride
Team Haiti’s uniforms — a wearable canvas splashed with vibrant Caribbean color and folk-art flair — delivered a walking gallery moment during the Parade of Athletes.
Equal parts cultural storytelling and high design, the Stella Jean-designed looks felt less “team kit” and more “museum opening.”
Crafted in Italy by former ski ace Pietro Vitalini, the one-of-a-kind, hand-painted uniforms — the only ones of their kind at the Games — channeled the electric imagination of painter and sculptor Edouard Duval-Carrié.
They left fans coveting the artistry, with one writing, “Ooooo I want that jacket!! BEAUTIFUL,” as another added that the pieces were “absolutely stunning.”
Theron gets her flair on
Charlize Theron didn’t just deliver a speech at the 2026 Winter Olympics opening ceremony — the Oscar winner delivered a fashion mic drop.
The UN peace ambassador quoted Nelson Mandela and stunned in a sleek, black long-sleeve Versace gown with heart-shaped cutouts at the neckline and back.
Jeweled baubles and sky-high platforms sealed the look. Moral of the story: Even in all black, Theron was pure gold.
Riveting runway royalty
Italian model Vittoria Ceretti turned the opening ceremony into her personal runway, strutting through San Siro Stadium with her country’s flag in hand.
The supermodel stunned in a custom, snow-white Giorgio Armani Privé gown dripping in $15 million worth of diamonds — because subtlety is for the off-season.
The moment doubled as a tribute to Italy’s fashion legacy (and a nod to the late designer’s influence on the ceremony itself).
After her victory lap, she passed the flag to the Corazzieri — and left the crowd seeing stars.
“You looked absolutely beautiful — an incredible moment, BELLISSIMA,” one of Ceretti’s Instagram followers wrote beneath her recent post.
Snoop Dogg drops it like it’s haute
Over the past month, Snoop Dogg has brought hip-hop heat to the Winter Games, rocking custom Team USA gear, Moschino flair, and fur hats that turned the honorary coach into a viral fashion mascot.
Case in point: the rapper’s opening ceremony look.
Snoop beamed in a red-and-black houndstooth wool coat, a turtleneck sweater, dark pants, glossy brown leather gloves, a fluffy white hat, sleek aviators, and a sparkling snowflake medallion by LA jeweler King Ice — a fit equal parts icy bling and viral-ready flare.
Slope style from freestyle phenom
Eileen Gu hit the slopes looking like a walking gold medal on Feb. 7 in a custom jacket that told her whole story stitch by stitch.
Designed with sponsor Anta, the icy-white piece nodded to traditional qinghua porcelain with cobalt-blue dragons, gold accents and cloud motifs symbolizing her airborne tricks.
Personal touches sealed the flex: a color-changing thermometer patch for her mood-ring obsession, a compass for her academic side, and a fierce dragon emblem stamped beneath her name.
Born in San Francisco, competing for China and fresh off her triple-medal takeover at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, Gu didn’t just wear a jacket — she wore her résumé.
“She’s stunning and the outfit is beautiful,” one Instagrammer swooned under a post about her bespoke look.
Face value
Myles Garrett showed up to the Olympics dressed like the president of his girlfriend’s fan club — and set a new, lofty standard for boyfriends everywhere — as she chased a historic third straight gold.
The NFL sack king rocked a one-of-a-kind varsity jacket plastered with snowboarder Chloe Kim’s face and career highlights across the back — plus another bold portrait on the front — while hauling a massive camera to document her halfpipe run.
Fans on social media called the Feb. 12 fit a symbol of “true love” and crowned the Cleveland Browns defensive end the ultimate supportive beau.
“If my man isn’t supporting me like this,” one gal declared, “then I don’t want it.”
Spice on the ice
Representing Great Britain, ice dancer Lilah Fear and skating partner Lewis Gibson skated straight out of a ’90s time capsule in Milan with a Spice Girls mash-up routine.
Fear dazzled in a rhinestone-studded Union Jack dress inspired by Geri Halliwell, with glitter shadow and space buns to match, while Gibson channeled the girl group’s wild side in cheetah print and sporty cargos nodding to Mel B and Mel C.
Add glam cues from Emma Bunton and Victoria Beckham, and the vibe was clear: less ice dance, more Spice World on blades.
U got it styled: Usher’s rugged luxe look
Usher rolled into the opening ceremony looking like Team USA’s best-dressed MVP.
The Grammy winner sported a rugged-luxe fit — a high-end twist on the classic “Canadian tuxedo,” including a shearling-lined Polo Ralph Lauren aviator jacket decked out in Olympic patches, layered over denim-on-denim, suede boots.
Not to mention enough gold to qualify as hardware and turn plenty of heads inside the Teatro alla Scala opera house.
Kitchen up with Tomei
Marisa Tomei was a vision at Omega House’s first-ever Winter Olympics gala on Feb. 7 in a strapless black top paired with fitted matching trousers.
The Oscar winner, 61, added slingback velvet-gold heels and a sparkling chain belt around her tiny waist, decked with silverware-themed charms.
The “My Cousin Vinny” star carried a sleek, black blazer and completed the look with effortless waves and a glimmering gold watch that drew raves on social media.
“Marisa looks absolutely timeless! 61 never looked so good,” one fan raved on Instagram.
