{"id":1759474,"date":"2026-02-06T18:22:00","date_gmt":"2026-02-06T15:22:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1759474"},"modified":"2026-02-06T18:22:00","modified_gmt":"2026-02-06T15:22:00","slug":"winter-olympics-2026-stella-jean-on-haitis-viral-political-kit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1759474","title":{"rendered":"Winter Olympics 2026: Stella Jean on Haiti\u2019s viral political kit"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1200\/0-188-2001-1334\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/6\/1436634.jpg&#8221;]<\/p>\n<article class=\"main-article standard \">\n<div class=\"article-main-content article-wrapper has-media-but-its-an-image\" data-status=\"loaded\" data-primary-article=\"true\" data-url=\"\/fashion\/article\/69582\/1\/winter-olympics-2026-stella-jean-haiti-viral-political-kit\" data-article-id=\"69582\">\n<header class=\"article-header has-portrait-image no-media\">\n<div class=\"wrapper dg-max-width\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<figure class=\"main-img no-figcaption\" data-img-aspect-ratio-type=\"portrait\" data-img-aspect-ratio=\"0.67\" data-template=\"Standard Article\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"portrait\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"1 team haiti winter olympics official uniforms\" class=\"img\" height=\"3000\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1280\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/6\/1436634.jpg\" width=\"2001\"><\/span><\/span><\/figure>\n<aside class=\"meta\">\n<div class=\"inner\"><time datetime=\"2026-02-06T18:22:00+00:00\" class=\"timestamp\" title=\"06 February 2026\"><span class=\"month\">February<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"day\" data-day=\"6\">6,<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"year\">2026<\/span><\/time><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<div class=\"titles\">\n<div class=\"tags\">\n<div class=\"sections\"><a class=\"category vertical - fashion\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/fashion\">Fashion<\/a><br \/>\n\/<br \/>\n<a class=\"series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/q-and-a\">Q+A<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"standard-tag-container\"><a class=\"standard-category\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/fashion\">Fashion<\/a> \/<br \/>\n<a class=\"standard-series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/q-and-a\">Q+A<\/a><\/div>\n<h1 class=\"title\"><span>Winter Olympics 2026: Stella Jean on Haiti\u2019s viral <span class=\"nowrap\">political kit<\/span><\/span><\/h1>\n<div class=\"standfirst\">\n<h2>\u2018Haiti is a laboratory of resistance\u2019: Ahead of the Opening Ceremony, designer Stella Jean talks about the viral Winter Olympics kit, the controversy it sparked, and how Haiti continues <span class=\"nowrap\">to persevere<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<p><time datetime=\"2026-02-06T18:22:00+00:00\" class=\"timestamp\" title=\"06 February 2026\"><span class=\"month\">February<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"day\" data-day=\"6\">6,<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"year\">2026<\/span><\/time><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><time datetime=\"2026-02-06T18:22:00+00:00\" class=\"timestamp\" title=\"06 February 2026\"><span class=\"month\">February<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"day\" data-day=\"6\">6,<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"year\">2026<\/span><\/time><\/p>\n<div class=\"providers\">\n<div class=\"contributors\"><span class=\"contributor\" data-contributor-role=\"Text\"><span class=\"contributor-role\">Text<\/span><a class=\"contributor-name\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/user\/isobelvandyke\">Isobel Van Dyke<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"article-body-container\">\n<div class=\"article-body wrapper\">\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>In just a few hours, Team Haiti will step into the spotlight at the Winter Olympics\u2019 Opening Ceremony in Milan. The designer behind their uniforms, Stella Jean, is praying that it doesn\u2019t rain. \u201cWe don\u2019t know how the paint will react to the rain,\u201d she admits. Team Haiti\u2019s uniforms are the only ones at this year\u2019s Games that have been completely hand-painted by Italian artisans. Though beautiful, Jean is yet to discover if the paintings are waterproof: \u201cIf something happens, it will be our ancestors showing their will to be there.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>The weather isn\u2019t the only barrier that the Haitian-Italian fashion designer has had to face. Since unveiling Team Haiti\u2019s Olympic kit earlier this week, the designs have gone viral on two counts \u2013 firstly for their striking design, and secondly, because they had to be partially redesigned.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>The uniforms are based on a painting by Haitian artist, Edouard Duval-Carri\u00e9, showing Toussaint Louverture riding a red horse \u2013 the former slave who became the most prominent leader of the Haitian Revolution, creating the world\u2019s first Black republic in 1804. Jean\u2019s original sketches included the image of Louverture, as it is shown in the painting, though the design did not comply with the International Olympic Committee\u2019s rules.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"inline-img expandable dev-view-hide\" data-img=\"9433a38b-60e9-41da-bcfc-b3e901285efe\" data-src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/2000\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/6\/1436636.jpg\" data-img-aspect-ratio-type=\"portrait\" data-img-aspect-ratio=\"0.74\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"portrait\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"2 team haiti winter olympics women uniform\" class=\"img\" height=\"3000\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/786\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/6\/1436636.jpg\" width=\"2216\"><\/span><\/span><figcaption class=\"img-caption\"><span class=\"credit\">Stella Jean<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>Jean then redesigned the uniforms, removing Louverture. The red horse remains, as can be seen on the jacket and skirt, though it is now riderless. We reached out to the International Olympics Committee for comment: \u201cThe IOC approved the team uniform which was provided by the NOC of Haiti after their arrival in Milano in accordance with the IOC applicable rules, which all NOCs were made aware of ahead of the Games,\u201d they said.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Having already designed Haiti\u2019s uniforms for the Summer Olympics 2024, Jean began designing for the Winter Olympics outfits just over a year ago. Milano-Cortina 2026 marks the second time that Haiti will compete in the Winter Olympics, having made its debut with alpine skier Richardson Viano in Beijing in 2022. Viano competes again this year, alongside cross-country skier Stevenson Savart. While Team Haiti\u2019s two athletes are both male, Jean also designed a uniform for the women in the delegation.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Every inch of the kit has been designed with Haiti\u2019s rich history and culture in mind. At a time when the country is in turmoil and 90 per cent of its capital is controlled by gangs, the Winter Olympics brings a moment of pride and celebration for the nation. Haiti\u2019s participation in the Games speaks to its resilience \u2013 and the team\u2019s kit shouts even louder.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Below, we meet Stella Jean, a designer known for her political activism \u2013 she undertook a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/fashion\/article\/58162\/1\/italian-fashion-council-stella-jean-black-designer-milan-hunger-strike\">t<\/a><\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/fashion\/article\/58162\/1\/italian-fashion-council-stella-jean-black-designer-milan-hunger-strike\"><span>en-day hunger strike in 2023<\/span><\/a><span> to protest the lack of Black designers in the Italian fashion industry. For her upcoming collection, which will be shown during Milan Fashion Week in three weeks, she plans to show the uncensored version of what she initially had planned for Team Haiti. Here, she unpacks the political, historic and cultural meaning of the kit.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"inline-img expandable dev-view-hide\" data-img=\"792caeef-0f7a-4845-b289-b3e9012878ec\" data-src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/2000\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/6\/1436637.jpg\" data-img-aspect-ratio-type=\"portrait\" data-img-aspect-ratio=\"0.75\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"portrait\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"2 team haiti winter olympics women uniform\" class=\"img\" height=\"3000\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/786\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/6\/1436637.jpg\" width=\"2240\"><\/span><\/span><figcaption class=\"img-caption\"><span class=\"credit\">Stella Jean<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><strong>Hi Stella! How are you?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Stella Jean:<\/strong><span> I\u2019m a bit stressed! In a few hours my work will be out there.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Because the athletes will be wearing the kit at the Opening Ceremony today?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Stella Jean: <\/strong><span>Exactly.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>But your work has already been going viral overnight \u2013 how does that feel?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Stella Jean: <\/strong><span>It\u2019s completely unexpected. We were the last delegation to deliver the uniform, the athletes only saw it for the first time yesterday (February 5). I hope that it all fits! I\u2019m sure you\u2019ve seen that there were some problems with completing this project, but we\u2019ve managed to pull off a miracle.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>As well as the Winter Olympics, you also designed Haiti\u2019s Olympics kit for Paris 2024. How did your relationship with Team Haiti begin?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Stella Jean: <\/strong><span>The General Secretary of the Haitian committee contacted me for Paris 2024. He said: \u2018<\/span><span>We have a chance to show Haiti in a positive light,\u2019 and my immediate answer was yes, without knowing what we would be doing.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>In fashion, as a designer, you are completely free to create whatever you want. But in this case, there are limitations. For example, tonight at the Opening Ceremony, Haiti will have nine seconds to show the world that it still exists, despite everything that is happening right now. The nation still exists and resists.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>In just a few metres of fabric, we have included so many symbols and meanings. Every single detail of the uniform has a specific social, cultural and historic meaning for Haiti. The tignon [the turban worn in the women\u2019s uniform] references how colonisers would force enslaved women to cover their hair, so their beauty couldn\u2019t compete with the coloniser\u2019s wives. They were made to cover their beauty, but instead of accepting it, they turned it into a work of art. Haiti is a laboratory of resistance.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>The Creole earrings, these were the only jewels that enslaved women were allowed to carry with them. The big pockets represent the baskets that the women of the market used \u2013 they are the symbols of the Haitian economy. Haiti is so much more than the crisis, it\u2019s more than all the problems, and it\u2019s more than the earthquake.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span>We are one of the smallest, poorest delegations, but in this Olympic arena, we will be equal to all the others. We are so much more than the tragedy that we are living right now<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"inline-img expandable dev-view-hide\" data-img=\"0a85f3ff-9bb6-45f5-8060-b3e901289b78\" data-src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/2000\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/6\/1436638.jpg\" data-img-aspect-ratio-type=\"portrait\" data-img-aspect-ratio=\"0.75\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"portrait\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"2 team haiti winter olympics women uniform\" class=\"img\" height=\"3000\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/786\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/6\/1436638.jpg\" width=\"2240\"><\/span><\/span><figcaption class=\"img-caption\"><span class=\"credit\">Stella Jean<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><strong>Can you talk me through what happened with the International Olympics Committee? You submitted your designs for approval, but then they had to be changed?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Stella Jean: <\/strong><span>Yes. On January 4, I was informed that the sketch we submitted did not comply with Olympic regulations. For 24 hours, I was in total despair. We had no budget, no time and this was our only chance in years to showcase Haiti in a positive light. We all worked for free for this project. The athletes have just one uniform, there is no second uniform \u2013 they have to keep it clean until the end of the Olympics.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Then I remembered the words of my Haitian mother: \u2018In moments of challenge, don\u2019t focus on what is missing, look at what you already have.\u2019 We probably have the smallest budget of all the Olympic delegations, but we might have the most humanity.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>It\u2019s thanks to this barrier from the IOC that I was able to create the first Winter Olympics uniform that is completely handpainted. It was born from a barrier, but from it we\u2019ve been able to create a cultural record. The world is talking about us \u2013 without a press office. It\u2019s a miracle. There is no wall that can\u2019t be turned into a door.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Did you feel disappointed in the International Olympic Committee?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Stella Jean: <\/strong><span>No. Rules are rules and we should have been more aware. When you accept to adhere and to produce something, you should be aware of the rules. We should really be thanking them, because all of this buzz is partly because the General [Toussaint Louverture] is not present. His absence speaks louder than his presence would have.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>You\u2019ve said that you wanted to concentrate hundreds of years of history into just a few metres of fabric and to convey a message through these uniforms. What is that main message?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Stella Jean: <\/strong><span>We are one of the smallest, poorest delegations, but in this Olympic arena, we will be equal to all the others. We are so much more than the tragedy that we are living right now.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Will you be showing a collection during Milan Fashion Week in a few weeks?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Stella Jean: <\/strong><span>Yes, but it won\u2019t be a traditional fashion show like we did in September. The Olympic kit will be part of the collection \u2013 maybe you will see the General for the first time then, the full painting with no restrictions.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"newsletter-inline-last\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-small\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<h1 class=\"newsletter-title\">Escape the algorithm! 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The ruff is having a menswear rebirth<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"swiper-slide list-element\">\n<div class=\"scard-latest__section\">\n<div class=\"card-latest__wrapper\"><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/fashion\/article\/69542\/1\/the-north-face-red-box-loyle-carner-london-event\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\">\n<p class=\"optional-paragraph\">The North Face<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"B93A4598-copy\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/0-385-2399-1596\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/6\/1436361.jpg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">What went down at The North Face\u2019s Red Box event with Loyle Carner <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/fashion\/article\/69543\/1\/samsoe-samsoe-ss26-campaign-belgrade-lily-mcmenamy-cherif-douamba-copenhagen\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\">\n<p class=\"optional-paragraph\">Sams\u00f8e Sams\u00f8e<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"SS26_26.01_Sightseeing_Campaign_Feed_20\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/0-170-1800-1197\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/6\/1436373.jpg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">Sams\u00f8e Sams\u00f8e wants you to take in the sights for SS26<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/fashion\/article\/69327\/1\/pieter-mulier-new-versace-creative-director-prada-group-new\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Pieter Mulier by Karim Sadli\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/0-94-2240-1489\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/6\/1436460.jpeg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">Pieter Mulier is Versace\u2019s new creative director<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"swiper-slide list-element\">\n<div class=\"scard-latest__section\">\n<div class=\"card-latest__wrapper\"><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/fashion\/article\/69558\/1\/copenhagen-fashion-week-aw26-sson-anne-sofie-madsen-rave-review\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Anne Sofie Madsen AW26\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/0-113-1999-1330\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/6\/1436390.jpg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">Copenhagen Fashion Week AW26: Everything you missed from the Danish capital<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/fashion\/article\/69554\/1\/street-style-berlin-fashion-week-aw26-fw26-bfw-shearling-fur\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"streetstyle_berlin_0914\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/0-195-2180-1450\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/6\/1436328.jpg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">Sub-zero street style at Berlin Fashion Week AW26<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/fashion\/gallery\/36621\/0\/gmbh-aw26\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"GmbH AW26\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/0-110-2328-1549\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/6\/1436282.jpg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">In pictures: GmbH return to the club for AW26<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"newsletter-inline\" data-newsletter hidden>\n<div class=\"newsletter-small\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<h1 class=\"newsletter-title\">Escape the algorithm! Get The Drop<\/h1>\n<div class=\"meta-row\">\n<p class=\"meta\">Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"confirmation\" aria-live=\"polite\">\n<p class=\"confirmation-title\">Thank you. You have been subscribed<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"article-body wrapper\">\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>In just a few hours, Team Haiti will step into the spotlight at the Winter Olympics\u2019 Opening Ceremony in Milan. The designer behind their uniforms, Stella Jean, is praying that it doesn\u2019t rain. \u201cWe don\u2019t know how the paint will react to the rain,\u201d she admits. Team Haiti\u2019s uniforms are the only ones at this year\u2019s Games that have been completely hand-painted by Italian artisans. Though beautiful, Jean is yet to discover if the paintings are waterproof: \u201cIf something happens, it will be our ancestors showing their will to be there.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>The weather isn\u2019t the only barrier that the Haitian-Italian fashion designer has had to face. Since unveiling Team Haiti\u2019s Olympic kit earlier this week, the designs have gone viral on two counts \u2013 firstly for their striking design, and secondly, because they had to be partially redesigned.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>The uniforms are based on a painting by Haitian artist, Edouard Duval-Carri\u00e9, showing Toussaint Louverture riding a red horse \u2013 the former slave who became the most prominent leader of the Haitian Revolution, creating the world\u2019s first Black republic in 1804. Jean\u2019s original sketches included the image of Louverture, as it is shown in the painting, though the design did not comply with the International Olympic Committee\u2019s rules.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"inline-img expandable dev-view-hide\" data-img=\"9433a38b-60e9-41da-bcfc-b3e901285efe\" data-src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/2000\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/6\/1436636.jpg\" data-img-aspect-ratio-type=\"portrait\" data-img-aspect-ratio=\"0.74\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"portrait\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"2 team haiti winter olympics women uniform\" class=\"img\" height=\"3000\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/786\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/6\/1436636.jpg\" width=\"2216\"><\/span><\/span><figcaption class=\"img-caption\"><span class=\"credit\">Stella Jean<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>Jean then redesigned the uniforms, removing Louverture. The red horse remains, as can be seen on the jacket and skirt, though it is now riderless. We reached out to the International Olympics Committee for comment: \u201cThe IOC approved the team uniform which was provided by the NOC of Haiti after their arrival in Milano in accordance with the IOC applicable rules, which all NOCs were made aware of ahead of the Games,\u201d they said.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Having already designed Haiti\u2019s uniforms for the Summer Olympics 2024, Jean began designing for the Winter Olympics outfits just over a year ago. Milano-Cortina 2026 marks the second time that Haiti will compete in the Winter Olympics, having made its debut with alpine skier Richardson Viano in Beijing in 2022. Viano competes again this year, alongside cross-country skier Stevenson Savart. While Team Haiti\u2019s two athletes are both male, Jean also designed a uniform for the women in the delegation.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Every inch of the kit has been designed with Haiti\u2019s rich history and culture in mind. At a time when the country is in turmoil and 90 per cent of its capital is controlled by gangs, the Winter Olympics brings a moment of pride and celebration for the nation. Haiti\u2019s participation in the Games speaks to its resilience \u2013 and the team\u2019s kit shouts even louder.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Below, we meet Stella Jean, a designer known for her political activism \u2013 she undertook a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/fashion\/article\/58162\/1\/italian-fashion-council-stella-jean-black-designer-milan-hunger-strike\">t<\/a><\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/fashion\/article\/58162\/1\/italian-fashion-council-stella-jean-black-designer-milan-hunger-strike\"><span>en-day hunger strike in 2023<\/span><\/a><span> to protest the lack of Black designers in the Italian fashion industry. For her upcoming collection, which will be shown during Milan Fashion Week in three weeks, she plans to show the uncensored version of what she initially had planned for Team Haiti. Here, she unpacks the political, historic and cultural meaning of the kit.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"inline-img expandable dev-view-hide\" data-img=\"792caeef-0f7a-4845-b289-b3e9012878ec\" data-src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/2000\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/6\/1436637.jpg\" data-img-aspect-ratio-type=\"portrait\" data-img-aspect-ratio=\"0.75\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"portrait\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"2 team haiti winter olympics women uniform\" class=\"img\" height=\"3000\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/786\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/6\/1436637.jpg\" width=\"2240\"><\/span><\/span><figcaption class=\"img-caption\"><span class=\"credit\">Stella Jean<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><strong>Hi Stella! How are you?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Stella Jean:<\/strong><span> I\u2019m a bit stressed! In a few hours my work will be out there.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Because the athletes will be wearing the kit at the Opening Ceremony today?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Stella Jean: <\/strong><span>Exactly.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>But your work has already been going viral overnight \u2013 how does that feel?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Stella Jean: <\/strong><span>It\u2019s completely unexpected. We were the last delegation to deliver the uniform, the athletes only saw it for the first time yesterday (February 5). I hope that it all fits! I\u2019m sure you\u2019ve seen that there were some problems with completing this project, but we\u2019ve managed to pull off a miracle.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>As well as the Winter Olympics, you also designed Haiti\u2019s Olympics kit for Paris 2024. How did your relationship with Team Haiti begin?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Stella Jean: <\/strong><span>The General Secretary of the Haitian committee contacted me for Paris 2024. He said: \u2018<\/span><span>We have a chance to show Haiti in a positive light,\u2019 and my immediate answer was yes, without knowing what we would be doing.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>In fashion, as a designer, you are completely free to create whatever you want. But in this case, there are limitations. For example, tonight at the Opening Ceremony, Haiti will have nine seconds to show the world that it still exists, despite everything that is happening right now. The nation still exists and resists.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>In just a few metres of fabric, we have included so many symbols and meanings. Every single detail of the uniform has a specific social, cultural and historic meaning for Haiti. The tignon [the turban worn in the women\u2019s uniform] references how colonisers would force enslaved women to cover their hair, so their beauty couldn\u2019t compete with the coloniser\u2019s wives. They were made to cover their beauty, but instead of accepting it, they turned it into a work of art. Haiti is a laboratory of resistance.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>The Creole earrings, these were the only jewels that enslaved women were allowed to carry with them. The big pockets represent the baskets that the women of the market used \u2013 they are the symbols of the Haitian economy. Haiti is so much more than the crisis, it\u2019s more than all the problems, and it\u2019s more than the earthquake.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span>We are one of the smallest, poorest delegations, but in this Olympic arena, we will be equal to all the others. We are so much more than the tragedy that we are living right now<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"inline-img expandable dev-view-hide\" data-img=\"0a85f3ff-9bb6-45f5-8060-b3e901289b78\" data-src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/2000\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/6\/1436638.jpg\" data-img-aspect-ratio-type=\"portrait\" data-img-aspect-ratio=\"0.75\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"portrait\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"2 team haiti winter olympics women uniform\" class=\"img\" height=\"3000\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/786\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/6\/1436638.jpg\" width=\"2240\"><\/span><\/span><figcaption class=\"img-caption\"><span class=\"credit\">Stella Jean<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><strong>Can you talk me through what happened with the International Olympics Committee? You submitted your designs for approval, but then they had to be changed?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Stella Jean: <\/strong><span>Yes. On January 4, I was informed that the sketch we submitted did not comply with Olympic regulations. For 24 hours, I was in total despair. We had no budget, no time and this was our only chance in years to showcase Haiti in a positive light. We all worked for free for this project. The athletes have just one uniform, there is no second uniform \u2013 they have to keep it clean until the end of the Olympics.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Then I remembered the words of my Haitian mother: \u2018In moments of challenge, don\u2019t focus on what is missing, look at what you already have.\u2019 We probably have the smallest budget of all the Olympic delegations, but we might have the most humanity.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>It\u2019s thanks to this barrier from the IOC that I was able to create the first Winter Olympics uniform that is completely handpainted. It was born from a barrier, but from it we\u2019ve been able to create a cultural record. The world is talking about us \u2013 without a press office. It\u2019s a miracle. There is no wall that can\u2019t be turned into a door.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Did you feel disappointed in the International Olympic Committee?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Stella Jean: <\/strong><span>No. Rules are rules and we should have been more aware. When you accept to adhere and to produce something, you should be aware of the rules. We should really be thanking them, because all of this buzz is partly because the General [Toussaint Louverture] is not present. His absence speaks louder than his presence would have.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>You\u2019ve said that you wanted to concentrate hundreds of years of history into just a few metres of fabric and to convey a message through these uniforms. What is that main message?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Stella Jean: <\/strong><span>We are one of the smallest, poorest delegations, but in this Olympic arena, we will be equal to all the others. We are so much more than the tragedy that we are living right now.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Will you be showing a collection during Milan Fashion Week in a few weeks?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Stella Jean: <\/strong><span>Yes, but it won\u2019t be a traditional fashion show like we did in September. The Olympic kit will be part of the collection \u2013 maybe you will see the General for the first time then, the full painting with no restrictions.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"newsletter-inline-last\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-small\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<h1 class=\"newsletter-title\">Escape the algorithm! Get The Drop<\/h1>\n<div class=\"meta-row\">\n<p class=\"meta\">Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"confirmation\" aria-live=\"polite\">\n<p class=\"confirmation-title\">Thank you. You have been subscribed<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>[analyse_source url=&#8221;https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/fashion\/article\/69582\/1\/winter-olympics-2026-stella-jean-haiti-viral-political-kit&#8221;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1200\/0-188-2001-1334\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/6\/1436634.jpg&#8221;] February\u00a0 6,\u00a0 2026 Fashion \/ Q+A Fashion \/ Q+A Winter Olympics 2026: Stella Jean on Haiti\u2019s viral political kit \u2018Haiti is a laboratory of resistance\u2019: Ahead of the Opening Ceremony, designer Stella Jean talks about the viral Winter Olympics kit, the controversy it sparked, and how Haiti continues to persevere February\u00a0 6,\u00a0 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[226,76],"class_list":["post-1759474","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-crawlmanager","tag-dazeddigital-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1759474","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1759474"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1759474\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1759474"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1759474"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1759474"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}