Designing the France Olympic Uniform is no small feat. Imagine outfitting 800 athletes, each requiring 120 items, for both the Olympic and Paralympic games, not to mention the support staff. This massive undertaking translates to thousands of garments and accessories, and crucially, the vast majority are to be produced domestically. The creative force behind this project is Stephane Ashpool, the renowned designer of the streetwear brand Pigalle. With the Paris Olympics approaching rapidly, Ashpool is deeply immersed in bringing this vision to life.
“I’m still in the phase where nothing is done, quite yet,” Ashpool admitted in a recent Zoom interview from his atelier. While the designs are complete – some of which GQ has exclusively revealed – the focus is now on the intense effort required to have all the France Olympic uniforms ready for the Games’ commencement in late July. “I’m still in the middle of the game,” he remarks, using fitting athletic terminology. “I know the people are going to wear it, and I think, halfway through the games, I’ll be able to breathe.”
Stephane Ashpool: From Pigalle Streetwear to Olympic Stage
While Stephane Ashpool may not be a household name, his selection to design the France Olympic uniform was a natural fit. His upbringing was steeped in the arts, with a dancer mother and her artistic circle constantly around him. Later, he developed a strong passion for American basketball, citing the 1992 Barcelona Olympics “Dream Team” as his first Olympic memory. His brand, Pigalle, is deeply rooted in sports-inspired clothing, featuring jerseys, basketball shorts, varsity jackets, and tracksuits as signature pieces, albeit crafted with luxurious materials, vibrant colors, and distinctive details. Perhaps his most iconic creation is the basketball court he painted in a Mondrian-style color-block in 2015, recently updated with a gradient in cooler tones, maintaining its striking visual impact. Ashpool also boasts collaborations with sportswear giant Nike and luxury fashion house Chanel, bridging the gap between streetwear, high fashion, and athletic wear.
Ashpool’s journey towards designing the France Olympic uniform for the Paris Games began in January 2021. He received an invitation from Le Coq Sportif, the French sportswear company that previously designed France’s 2022 Winter Olympics uniforms. Following an initial meeting, the project moved swiftly forward, formalized with a call to his lawyer, emphasizing the urgency of the timeline. Shortly after, he visited Le Coq Sportif’s headquarters in Romilly-sur-Seine, near Paris. “It’s there I saw people doing artisanship but linked with sport,” he explains, referencing the factories producing both the Beijing 2022 and the current Olympic uniforms. “It was genuine and real. And so I started to relax.”
The Design Process: Athlete Input and French Heritage
At the Le Coq Sportif headquarters, Ashpool engaged with around 30 French athletes, seeking their input on the France Olympic uniform designs. He spent a day listening to their needs and preferences. “They want to look luminous,” he noted, “they want to look modern, they want to look pop, but they want to look French and have an element of heritage.”
“And the one thing they all said was this,” he continued, illustrating with a wavy hand gesture, “That the road to the Olympics is like this.” He elaborated that the televised moments at the Games represent just a fraction of the athletes’ journey, the culmination of years of dedication and perseverance, filled with both triumphs and setbacks. He aimed to subtly incorporate this undulating path, the unseen emotional journey, into the France Olympic uniform. “So some of the gear has these curvy yarns,” he pointed out, highlighting the rippling stripe detail on track pants and jacket backs.
Gradient Tricolor: A Modern Take on French Colors
Previous France Olympic uniforms have ranged from monochromatic designs by Lacoste to abstract color patterns by Nike. Le Coq Sportif’s return after 50 years in 2022 set the stage for Ashpool’s innovative approach. Initially, Ashpool experimented with variations of the French tricolor flag, allowing for a period of creative exploration. He tested the iconic colors in diverse materials – feathers, embroidery, dyes, and silk printing. “I really freed myself,” he stated, describing his experimental phase. These trials led to the defining element of the collection: a gradient blue-white-red color scheme, applied across the entire France Olympic uniform range, from cycling jerseys to gymnastics unitards and swimwear. “The athletes were bored of the clean white, it was too obviously sporty,” he explained, leading him to choose a warmer shade of white instead of the traditional crisp white.
Made in France: A Point of Pride
Le Coq Sportif’s commitment to domestic production is a central aspect of their brand revival strategy and a significant point of pride for the France Olympic uniform project. A large majority of the collection is manufactured in France, aligning with a broader movement to support local industry and craftsmanship. This “Made in France” aspect adds another layer of significance to the uniforms, connecting them to French heritage and national pride, beyond just athletic performance and design aesthetics. The France Olympic uniform designed by Stephane Ashpool is not just apparel; it’s a symbol of French creativity, athletic spirit, and national identity, ready to be showcased on the world stage.
