64 Years Later, Lithuania Makes a Splash at the Olympics : No Money, But Issey Miyake Outfits

These are perhaps the most unique and beautiful uniforms ever seen in the history of the Olympic Games, Lithuania’s outfits at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.

Why ? Because of one man : Issey Miyake, who applied his legendary pleating technique in the service of an entire nation.

But why Lithuania ? How did this remarkable connection actually come about ? The story is both beautiful and surprising.

It’s 1992. Dr. Edward Domanskis, a plastic surgeon, regularly travels to Lithuania for charitable work. A brief historical reminder : the country had not been independent before 1990 it was a Soviet republic. This same doctor was appointed the official physician of the Lithuanian Olympic team in a context charged with history. Lithuania’s return to the international stage (including the Olympics) after independence was a national rebirth after nearly half a century under foreign control.

Edward wanted to make this Olympic comeback truly special. And one extraordinary idea came to him : being a huge fan of Issey Miyake, he wondered, what if the legendary designer created the national team’s uniforms ? Acting on this thought, he sent a letter to Miyake. The request was unusual, but historic. The country was still financially ruined, so there was no budget to offer the designer.

It would be completely free and Issey Miyake didn’t hesitate. He accepted immediately. Lithuania was about to return to the global stage in Issey Miyake.

The challenge was immense. Olympic athletes have so many different body types, far beyond what Miyake was used to working with, making it difficult to fit them all into a single design concept.

To meet this challenge, the designer drew on the technology of his Pleats Please line, built around his iconic pleats. These folds, made with more than three times the amount of fabric normally required for each piece, breathe, stretch, and ripple with every movement, perfectly adapting to the diverse silhouettes of the athletes at the Games.

The result was breathtaking. The uniforms immediately stood out in the media. For Issey Miyake, the gamble paid off the global visibility of the Olympics brought him immense attention.

The uniform included a pleated jacket, a T-shirt, loose-fitting trousers, and a cap.

The jacket was especially innovative : it featured a large hood that, when unzipped, formed a banner displaying the country’s name. The hood could also be rolled up to become a high collar.

Lithuanian swimmer Raimundas Mažuolis said he had kept his uniform :"It’s a very interesting garment, reminiscent of a Japanese kimono. And the fabric is unusual."

“When I think about what clothing should be in the future, what feels the freshest, I believe sportswear is the most innovative and diverse. I want to look at the 21st century through the lens of sportswear,” the Japanese designer said at the time.

Issey Miyake explained: “I focus on a new sense of functionality, color, and materials that sportswear has to offer. Now that people around the world can watch a wide variety of sports on television, I want to view the 21st century through sports clothing.”

This historic event had a real impact on Miyake’s career. For his Spring-Summer 1993 collection, he presented a version of the pleated uniforms for all the countries that participated in the 1992 Olympics : Switzerland, Greece, the USA…

Issey Miyake Switzerland Pleats Jacket Source : Middlemanstore The Barcelona Olympics remain a landmark moment in fashion, thanks to Issey Miyake’s talent in turning these athletic uniforms into true fashion statements. As a bonus, here are more photos of the different pieces from Issey Miyake's SS1993 collection.

  Issey Miyake Greece Pleats Uniform