From December 5, 2024 to April 27, 2025, the Olympic Museum in Lausanne presents the exhibition “Fashion and Sport: From One Podium to Another,” a collaboration with the Musée des Arts Décoratifs (MAD) in Paris. The exhibition brings together nearly 300 historical and contemporary design pieces, highlighting how fashion and sport have influenced each other throughout history.
The inaugural event, held on December 4, included a fashion show produced by Yannick Aellen, founder of the Swiss platform Mode Suisse. This fashion show marked a milestone as the first to be held at the museum, fusing the creativity of renowned designers with the presence of Olympic athletes.
LOCAL DESIGN SHINES AT THE INAUGURAL SHOW
The runway show, which ran through several rooms of the museum, was dominated by Swiss designers, including Kevin Germanier, who returned to exhibit in his native country for the first time since 2017. Germanier stood out with iconic pieces such as the “Golden Voyager,” presented at the opening and closing ceremonies of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, and now part of the museum’s collection.
The only international representation came from Lacoste, which presented for the first time a vintage collection drawn from its historical archives, underlining its legacy in merging fashion and sport.
ATHLETES ON THE CATWALK
The runway show featured five athletes, including Swiss Olympians Léa Sprünger, Maëline Triponez and Kim Métraux, as well as rower Nicolas Chambers and Paralympian Sofia Gonzalez. Their presence reflected how athletes not only dominate in the competitive arena, but also become style icons.
Thomas Bach, president of the International Olympic Committee, remarked during the inauguration: “The fusion of sport and culture was central to Pierre de Coubertin’s vision. This exhibition materializes that idea in a spectacular way, connecting sport and fashion in the heart of Lausanne, the Olympic Capital.”
HISTORICAL JOURNEY BETWEEN SPORT AND FASHION
The exhibition, conceived by Sophie Lemahieu, curator of fashion and textiles at MAD Paris, explores how athletic uniforms have influenced fashion trends and how technical fabrics and sporty styling have transformed everyday wear. With 113 mannequins sporting garments, footwear and accessories on loan from 15 luxury houses and 12 cultural institutions, the tour is a celebration of the impact of sport on style.
Lemahieu noted, “We wanted to address the links between fashion and sport as a social issue, helping visitors understand how these disciplines influence their daily lives.”
A PARTNERSHIP THAT DEFINES THE OLYMPIC MUSEUM’S FUTURE
For the Olympic Museum, this partnership with MAD Paris represents several milestones: its first partnership with a major international museum, its first exhibition of this magnitude and the first fashion show held on its premises. According to Yasmin Meichtry, deputy director of the museum, “we are entering a new chapter with ‘Fashion and Sport,’ which celebrates the shared creativity and innovation between the two fields.”
“Fashion and Sport: From One Podium to Another” will be open to the public until April 27, 2025. For more information: olympics.com/museum.
