Get ready for floor routines that sparkle like disco balls. Today, sportswear company GK Elite and USA Gymnastics revealed the leotards and apparel that gymnasts will wear on-mat at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris—and they're not your average spandex suits. Team USA, led by Simone Biles, will take the stage (er, mat) covered in crystals.
The eight women’s leotards—shining in red, white, and blue, of course—feature more than 47,000 Swarovski crystals, with some gems applied by hand, detailing flag designs, paisley patterns, star shapes, swirls, stripes, and bursts of color. In addition to crystals, Swarovski pearls will adorn the USA Gymnastics leotards for the first time as a tribute to the Olympics host city Paris.
According to a press release, the collection is inspired by "classic American patriotism and old Hollywood glamour" with a Parisian high-fashion flair. A limited number of replica leotards and men’s shirts are available for sale via GK Elite's website before their debut at the Olympics.
Jeanne Diaz, GK Elite’s design director, told Vogue that she and her team have been working on the glitzy uniforms for the last two years. “We started that far in advance because we really wanted to make sure we had a strong foundation, to come out with a really cohesive collection, in addition to surveying the athletes and getting their input,” Diaz said. "They love crystals—the more crystals, the better.”
But before they can think about style, GK Elite considered comfort and movement in each design. "First and foremost, it is a performance garment," she continued. The leotards use four-way stretch fabrics, including a custom red-dyed stretch satin, because the material “moves with the body, so that their mind isn’t on what they’re wearing."
GK Elite has been working with Team USA since the year 2000, and Swarovski crystals have become their signature embellishment. Back in 2016, U.S. gymnasts's leotards were embellished with nearly 5,000 crystals each for the Olympics. Swarovski has continually been working on developing lighter crystals for the every-four-year occasion.
“There's definitely been a shift in the fabrics that [athletes] want to wear,” Diaz said. “Athletes are more focused on being more comfortable, and they like matte fabrics with crystals. Shiny fabrics are becoming less of a go-to choice.”
Diaz explained that the end goal is to create memorable, timeless looks that the gymnasts feel proud to wear: “These looks become iconic—they're on Wheaties boxes and magazine covers. It becomes this moment in cultural history. The most difficult part is just making sure we're doing team USA gymnastics justice.”
She went on, "The leotards were meant to evoke that feeling of when an athlete wins a medal and receive an American flag and drape it around themselves; I hope that viewers and the athletes feel that emotion.”
The 2024 Team USA gymnastics team this year includes Simone Biles, Suni Lee, Jade Carey, Jordan Chiles, and Hezly Rivera. They'll take the mat in their sparkly new uniforms on July 28, for the women's qualifying round.
