Health, Beauty and Lifestyle with Denise McNamara

Our house has been glued to the Olympics in this astonishing Paris games. At the time of writing Ireland are sitting 12th on the medals table after true Dublin heroine Kelly Harrington brought home the historic back to back golds in boxing.

Not only are our athletes making a splash on the global sports stage on the 100th anniversary of Team Ireland competing at the Olympic Games, they are also big hits on social media for their sartorial sense.

Their outfits for the opening ceremony were included on the BBC list of ‘Epic’ Olympic outfits and are rather different indeed.

Three years in the making by Irish-born Manhattan-based designer Laura Weber, founder of LW Pearl Atelier, she is a couture and celebrity atelier who is best known for embroidery work on First Lady Jill Biden’s inauguration coat and dress and has also worked with the likes of pop megastar Rhianna.

The tailor-made uniforms consist of two individually tailored jackets, a fine knit T-shirt, trousers and trainers. The white blazer-style top with patches denoting the county of each athlete was worn at the opening ceremony on the Seine.

Speaking at the official launch, Weber said she was proud to represent and interpret Ireland’s identity on a global stage.

“I wanted our athletes to look amazing while they perform at their peak on behalf of Ireland. The Olympic uniforms were a story I wanted to tell for Ireland. Clothes change how you feel, and how you show up, and I wanted to make the best for our athletes.”

She chose white to honour the ancient Greeks where the Olympics began and were made from an eco-hybrid taffeta which has a lightweight, soft touch and is a sustainable fabric created from recycled T-shirts and plastic bottles.

Athletes she consulted said they were concerned about overheating in the uniforms so the jackets were made with a back vent opening directly onto the athlete’s back to aid breathability.

Pictured: Lara Gillespie who represented Ireland in cycling models the opening ceremony outfit.