MILAN — Milan Fashion Week may have kicked off last month, but the fashion capital of Italy is in for another dose of style as more than 90 nations prepare to turn the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics into their runway.
Each country will put its best — and most fashionable — foot forward during Friday's opening ceremony, a spectacle that has grown in pomp and circumstance over the years. The Parade of Nations offers each delegation the unique opportunity to showcase its culture and heritage on a national stage through their ceremonial outfits.
The first Olympic medals won't be awarded until Saturday, but there's some serious style points up for grabs. Which country has the best opening ceremony look? Which outfit is the most controversial? I went through each nation's lookbook so you don't have to, and awarded a range of superlatives. (I'm Cydney, by the way. Nice to meet you!)
Check out our 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympic style guide:
Please give me a moment to pick up my jaw off the floor. Mongolia turned heads at the 2024 Paris Olympics with its intricate ceremonial garb and the country has earned flying colors yet again. Goyol Cashmere created a Mongolian deel that effortlessly merges Mongolia’s identity and heritage with traditional garments that still feel modern. The opening ceremony look is inspired by the Great Mongol Empire of the 13th and 15th centuries, “one of the most powerful periods in our nations history,” Goyol Cashmere explains. The outfit incorporates Mongolian cashmere, silk trim and embroidery for an ornate finish that is worthy of applause.
