‘Each took 20 hrs to make’: The inside scoop on Mongolia's viral 2024 Paris Olympics uniform

National Olympic uniforms have traditionally been utilitarian, serving the single purpose of making their teams look seriously sporty. Thankfully, the designers behind the Mongolian team's uniform for the 2024 Paris Olympics, Michel&Amazonka, have a different vision. In a grand unveiling earlier this month, they revealed four sets of the uniform — each ensemble is a glorious, contemporary take on the traditional Mongolian deel, a calf-length gown with a high collar and long sleeves.

What's more, according to the Mongolian National Olympic Committee, the designers took around three months to complete the looks, dedicating an average of 20 hours per look. These uniforms will be worn during the opening ceremony in Paris on July 26.

Each design incorporated the Mongolian national colours of blue, red, and white along with traditional Mongolian patterns and motifs. The uniforms further highlighted the Soyombo symbol, which appears on the country’s flag, alongside the Eiffel Tower and the Olympic flame on the uniform.

“We took the detailed measurements of each athlete's body and made them individually in our workshop with the labour of 42 Mongolians for more than 3 months. In doing so, it is an elaborate creation that took an average of 20 hours in 6 steps to make just one set," said the designers in a social media post.

There were four different sets of uniforms to be made: the female athletes' uniform, the male athletes' uniform, the female flag bearer's uniform and the male flag bearer's uniform — each unique, yet still incorporating intricate bits and pieces of Mongolian tradition.

The Ulaanbaatar-based label is owned by sisters Michel and Amazonka Choigaalaa. Their designs seek to “express the essence of Mongolian tradition and culture” through contemporary design. They have also previously designed the Mongolian team’s official outfits for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, as well as the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics.