Criticizing Olympic collections has become almost as popular a sport as some Olympic events. However, this year's outfits from the Czech team are gathering praise from across the globe.
The Czech Olympic collection sparks mixed reactions every year. This year was no different. Vanity Fair ranked the Czech collection among the top five of this year's Olympics. USA Today also praised it.
Colors sparked debates online
The collection, designed by Anežka Berecková and Terezie Horňáková, draws from the first Olympic Games in Cortina in 1956, inspired by the fashion of that time, which was all about knitted sweaters.
The choice of colors stirred up controversy. Some social media users criticized that the combination resembles Germany's colors more than Czech's. Various fashion designers and stylists also chimed in with their opinions in different magazines.
“When photographed against a dark background with dark lighting, the deep blue, which is really very dark, almost looks black. I considered this color choice by looking at what would suit the outfit more. And I have to say, that’s purely the reason. Dark blue is more elegant and dignified than the bright blue previously used. I think it’s quite an interesting change,” said designer Anežka Berecková in an interview with iRozhlas. The gold color was used for a clear reason – we want to be golden Olympians.
Modern cuts are complemented by a retro pattern adorned with five ornaments by graphic artist, painter, illustrator, and typeface designer Vojtěch Preissig. Besides the striking oversized sweater, the outfits are also complemented by retro mittens on a string and the “Raškovka” – a hat made famous by the gold medal-winning Olympic ski jumper Jiří Raška.
The edgiest collection of this year's games
Despite it all, this year's collection is receiving praise abroad, and Vanity Fair placed it among the top 5 collections of the year.
“Okay, Czech Republic! We see you and your Saved by the Bell sweaters! Although, upon quick investigation, we found that the source of inspiration is much classier than Kelly Kapowski and Screech. The designs by Alpine Pro are inspired by the fashion from the Winter Olympics held in 1956 in Italian Cortina,” wrote Vanity Fair in their latest article.
The Czechs share the spotlight in this selection with Brazil, Mongolia, Italy, and the United States. Ironically, these are the countries whose collections media commentators pointed out as examples for Czech designers in the media.
The Czech outfits were also included in the “best looks” by USA Today. They dubbed the Czech collection as the edgiest of this year.
We see a repeat of a situation where some Czechs criticize the collection for being too bold, yet international media praises it. A similar case happened in 2024 when designer Jan Černý prepared the fashion collection for the Summer Olympics. It was criticized for being too extravagant, but later magazines like Time, the world’s largest society magazine, praised it.
