In 2022, NCAD graduate Laura Weber was tasked with creating a new look for Irish Olympians – and it seems that she has risen to the occasion.
Named as the official outfitter of Team Ireland’s formal wear collection, designs from Weber and her brand, LW Pearl, are set to be seen on screens across the globe as our athletes ready themselves to take part in the Paris 2024 Olympics.
As well as making something eye-catching, the luxury designer was tasked with manufacturing clothing that would comfortablly fit approximately 150 atheltic builds, keep athletes cool in the summer heat, and maybe even bring them a bit of luck with a well-placed four-leaf clover.
The stylish results highlight her versatility as a designer, bringing contemporary style, nostalgia, personalisation, and clever design to the formal wear.
Held in the city of lights, the Opening Ceremony will see Irish athletes sailing down the Seine along with the boats of every other representative country – all while dazzling in stylish suits.
To come up with the gorgeous designs, the Dublin woman investigated the archives from Olympic clothing history dating back to the 1920s, researching a number of looks and cultural references.
She wanted all counties represented in the designs, combining them with performance fabrics and clothing patterns to reflect an athletic aesthetic.
For the Closing Ceremony, the designer says she was inspired by the iconic tricolour jacket that former Irish track and field athlete Sonia O’Sullivan wore to receive her silver medal at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney.
“The jacket for the closing ceremony was designed to the style of a vintage 80s and 90s tracksuit and drawn from Sonia O’Sullivans Olympic track jacket,” a statement from the designer explained.
Known to be worn by gymnasts, track stars, and boxers, the oversized warm up jacket is made for relief after a performance and during the award ceremony. Happily, the retro fitting is also undeniably back in style.
“I wanted the athletes to feel really comfortable and confident for the closing ceremony. The strapping around the front neck forms the sides of a star, so that when the athlete wears their medal, it completes the full star.
“Wherever the points rank, these athletes are our country’s stars. The journey and their accomplishments are measurable to just that. Our thought process was that the medal is framed with intentionality and reinforces the momentous moment for the Olympians.”
Irish symbols feature heavily thoughout all the designs, with four shamrocks in different techniques of embellishments featuring to represent the four provinces of Ireland.
The designer even created a leather shamrock shoe charm for each athlete to have as a memento. In fact, Weber was insistant that the athelete’s should have a real sense of ownership when it came to the looks:
“On the inside facing of all jackets – both Opening and Closing Ceremony – we’ve placed the name of the athlete, emphasising our desire for customary elements.
“Again, a small touch, to make the athletes a part of the making process, and letting them know, they own this garment, as our thank you to them.”
The opening ceremony jacket includes an embroidered county crest for the athletes to showcase their home county. Laura redesigned traditional county crests with a new symbolism and a refreshed colour palette.
As well as a lucky four leaf shamrock embellished brooch, the jackets will feature a small opera pocket in the front as a nod to the suiting of 1924, when Ireland first competed. Of course, it being 2024, the pockets have been updated to fit a mobile phone.
“Through the tech fabrics permeability, and the use of open-back vents across the athletes’ backs, and mesh linings, we ensure each athlete remains comfortable and cool throughout their monumental experience,” she explained.
“As designers we interpreted the emblems and embellished our response to them,” she continued. “This is easily one of my favourite parts of the uniforms.”
Made from recycled fabric, the knit shirt underneath includes colour degradation on the sleeves to express the blue sky to the green grass of Ireland.
“The knit top is made as a unisex fit, to allow for muscular proportions,” she explains.
Meanwhile, the Ireland patch on the back of each jacket features a tufted material to represent the grass of Ireland.
“With Ireland being known for its landscape, we created a colour a blue sky and green grass landscape of Ireland’s fields and valleys. It’s our nod to one of the best parts of travelling Ireland and hints of the country’s nostalgia.”