With the London 2012 Olympics Opening Ceremony being one day away, Fashion Reverie looks back at some interesting fashion moments in the history of the Olympics. Though participating athletes are more concerned about their performance in their respective disciplines than what they are wearing, it cannot be denied that the Olympics has produced some interesting fashionable moments that are forever etched in our memory.
Nadia Comaneci was a perfect 10 when she won gold in 1976 and three decades later she is still a 10. After winning gold in`76, this gymnastic icon has gone on to having a billboard in Times Square for Jockey underwear, as well as other fashion-related assignments. As a gymnast, Comaneci demonstrated that grace and beauty can go hand-in-hand with athletic prowess, even at the tender age of 14.
At the 1988 Seoul Olympics, Florence Griffith-Joyner married speed and glamour in ways that had never been seen before. Who can forget her svelte physique, flowing tresses, and well-manicured nails while breaking record after record on the Olympic fast lanes.
No Olympian ever looked so good in swimwear than volleyball champ Gabrielle Reese. Reece not only holds seven Olympic beach volleyball medals but has also modeled for Ford and Elite Modeling agencies, and has appeared in Elle, Harper’s Bazaar, and Playboy magazines.
Though she didn’t know at the time, with her Sassoon-inspired wedge bob, 1976 figure-skating gold medal champion Dorothy Hamill created a hairstyle that impressionable teen-aged girls copied after her win in Innsbruck. And though she has slightly modified her look over the years, Dorothy’s wedge is still fresh and fabulous.
Surya Bonaly never won an Olympic medal; however, throughout her Olympic appearances Bonaly wowed audiences with her unbelievable athletic ability and made a statement with skating costumes by the likes Christian Lacroix and others.
This fashion flashback would not be complete without the men. Sometimes called the “David Beckham of Polo,” Nacho Figueras, Nacho has put polo on the map as a sexy sport. Since 2000, Nacho Figueras has had modeling campaigns for Ralph Lauren.
Tim Morehouse brought home a team bronze in fencing from the Beijing and since that time he has been signed as fitness model with Wilhelmina and has appeared in Vanity Fair and Esquire. Tim’s performances demonstrate that masculine elegance and athleticism are compatible bedfellows.
—William S. Gooch
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