With all eyes are on the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics that kicked-off this weekend, Moncler is marking its return to the Games as an Official Sponsor for Brazil’s Olympic Committee. In a move that bridges the gap between high-performance technicality and avant-garde aesthetic, the house has partnered with renowned Brazilian creative Oskar Metsavaht to design eye-catching uniforms for the Opening Ceremony.
The resulting collection is what Metsavaht describes as "psychological armor." Eschewing the traditional, often folkloric tropes of Brazilian design, the silhouettes are rooted in stark, sophisticated white – a palette choice that symbolizes sophisticated clarity for Brazilian olympians.
"When you enter the Olympic stadium, especially coming from a country not historically associated with winter sports, the first challenge is symbolic”, Metsavaht tells Hypebeast. His goal is clear: to ensure athletes feel like protagonists rather than guests.
"I want them to feel protected not only from the cold, but from invisibility. When they walk into the ceremony, I want them to feel centered, proud, and fully part of that alpine narrative.”
Metsavaht’s distinct design approach is primarily informed by his background as a physician specializing in sports medicine and orthopedics. Every thread is woven through a medical lens to "diagnose" the needs of the body, treating clothing as an exoskeleton of identity.
This biomechanical perspective is balanced by his signature "Bauhaus with a Brazilian Soul" philosophy: a rigorous adherence to geometry and function, softened by subtle national symbolism. “The Bauhaus side accepts the rules: system, function, discipline, geometry. The Brazilian soul enters through meaning and symbolism”, he notes. “Inside, the Brazilian flag appears subtly, revealed only through movement. Brazil doesn’t impose itself; it emerges.”
For Metsavaht, the mission remains one of radical awareness: "In a world overloaded with noise, creating meaning, balance, and awareness has become the most radical form of real and noble luxury."
Take a closer look at Brazil’s 2026 Winter Olympic uniforms designed by Oskar Metsavaht x Moncler in the gallery above. The Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Games will begin on February 6 and run until February 22.
Click here to view full gallery at Hypebeast
