Elegance, rigor, and Italian identity marked the opening ceremony of the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games, which took place last night and was broadcast live worldwide. The San Siro Olympic Stadium, in the Lombardy capital, served as the venue, attended by top institutional and sporting authorities, including the President of the Italian Republic, Sergio Mattarella, and the President of the International Olympic Committee, Kristy Coventry.
The event's underlying theme was the creative contribution of Giorgio Armani, who was directly involved in the ceremony's planning thanks to his longstanding connection to sport and Italy's image around the world. The designer participated in defining the overall concept and created some of the evening's most iconic moments, starting with the flag raising ceremony.
The ceremony was divided into several sections. The first saw the handing over of the flag to the honor guard: sixty models, divided into three groups, paraded in monochromatic Giorgio Armani pantsuits, in the colors of the Italian flag. Leading the procession was flag bearer Vittoria Ceretti, the face of the Giorgio Armani Spring/Summer 2026 campaign, who for the occasion wore a long white Giorgio Armani Privé custom-made gown.
The Italian delegation's fashion show also drew considerable attention. EA7 Emporio Armani, Partner of the Fondazione Milano Cortina 2026 and Official Outfitter of the Italian Team, as well as Eyewear Partner of the Foundation, designed the uniforms for the Italian athletes, who were the last to enter the field, in keeping with the tradition of the host country. The chosen look combines functionality and style: trousers and an oversized bomber jacket in water-repellent gray melange wool twill, with front zips and pockets, EA7 and CONI logos, tricolor details, and the word "Italia" on the back, complemented by technical accessories and black mountain footwear.
The same outfit will accompany the athletes on the podium, with a symbolic variation: a loose-fitting white jacket with an all-over EA7 Italia Team logo, evoking snow and underscoring the founding values of Olympic sport—fair play, loyalty, and respect. The inside of the jackets, as per tradition, features the first verse of the Italian national anthem, a direct reference to a sense of belonging and national pride.
The closing moment saw a highly symbolic parade: athletes and representatives of civil and humanitarian commitment – including Rebecca Andrade, Eliud Kipchoge, Cindy Ngamba, Pita Taufatofua, Filippo Grandi, Nicolò Govoni, Maryam Bukar Hassan, and Tadatoshi Akiba – carried the Olympic flag to the stage of honor, wearing Giorgio Armani pieces from the Fall/Winter 2025-2026 collection.
Numerous artists also performed during the evening dressed in Armani: Laura Pausini in Giorgio Armani Privé, Lang Lang in a Giorgio Armani suit, Pierfrancesco Favino in a Giorgio Armani suit and coat, Cecilia Bartoli in a Giorgio Armani dress and Giovanni Andrea Zanon in a total Emporio Armani look.
With EA7, born in 2004 as the sports line of Emporio Armani, the link between the brand and the Olympic Games is renewed for yet another edition: the brand dressed Italian athletes at London 2012, Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020, Paris 2024 and at the Winter Olympics in Sochi 2014, Pyeongchang 2018 and Beijing 2022.
The official Team Italy apparel for Milano Cortina 2026 is available in Emporio Armani boutiques, multibrand stores, online, and at the Games megastore in Piazza Duomo, Milan. A concrete preview of how fashion and sport, once again, come together to showcase Italy on the global stage.
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[…] These outfits, between high fashion and technicality, made the evening iconic, with staff in gray double-breasted suits as a touch of formal class.[montenapodaily][youtube] […]