Ariana Grande, Charlize Theron, Snoop Dog, Pharrell Williams… these are some famous people who flocked to Paris in anticipation of the 2024 Summer Olympics.
Apart from the excitement of witnessing which country will win the most medals, I also look forward to seeing A-list celebrities glam up the Olympics. As it turned out, they delivered, providing elegant appearances that elevated the event.
The Paris 2024 Olympics Opening Ceremony Controversy
The much-awaited sports event commenced on Friday, July 26, and will run through August 11. But most of the excitement dissipated during the extravagant opening ceremony. It was replaced with disappointment, particularly from conservative and religious groups who objected to the apparent mockery of Jesus and the Last Supper that included drag performers.
The Paris Olympic organizers have since issued an apology statement to the angered groups.
“Clearly there was never an intention to show disrespect to any religious group. [The opening ceremony] tried to celebrate community tolerance,” the Paris 2024 spokesperson Anne Descamps said in a press conference. “We believe this ambition was achieved. If people have taken any offence we are really sorry.”
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The artistic director of the opening ceremony, Thomas Jolly, said the performance was not based on The Last Supper; rather, it was a pagan feast associated with the gods of Olympus.
A-list stars, business, and political figures, and even some royals flew to the City of Light to watch and cheer on the athletes vying for their country’s medals.
1. Elizabeth Banks in a Harbison Dress and Jimmy Choo Heels
At the star-studded prelude to the Olympics party hosted by Louis Vuitton at the house’s Foundation, Elizabeth Banks wore an LBD with an avant-garde twist. Surprisingly, she didn’t wear Louis Vuitton to the event; she donned a dress from Harbison, a luxury fashion brand specializing in fusing classic silhouettes with a modern, whimsical touch.
Banks’ dress, named the Flora Aphrodite from the Resort 2025 collection, exemplifies the brand’s ethos. It’s a classic LBD with a plunging Queen Anne neckline and a thigh-skimming A-line mini skirt.
The large royal blue 3D flower embellishment on one hip, with the long ribbon cascading down the floor, gives it a quirky touch. I love that it reflects Banks’ signature style, often combining classic and modern elements.
Elizabeth Banks in a Harbison Flora Aphrodite mini dress with a blue rose accent at the Prelude to the 2024 Paris Olympics (Credit: Abaca Press / INSTARimages)
Erin Walsh curated Elizabeth’s Olympic look, styling it with sparkling diamonds by Grown Brilliance. Paul Jones styled her shoulder-length blonde hair in soft curls with flipped ends and a side part, while Talia Sparrow enhanced her bluish-gray eye color with mascara and smokey eyeshadow with a hint of shimmer.
She wrapped her legs in black Wolford tights to modestly complement her bold appearance and then slipped into black Jimmy Choo “Ixia” pumps, which enhanced the look’s modern aesthetic.
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These pumps, crafted from shiny black patent leather, perfectly matched Elizabeth’s mini dress. They are understated yet modern, with interesting contemporary drop heels measuring 3.7 inches high and a square-cut vamp with a pointed toe. These pumps are available for $887 at Mytheresa.
Elizabeth Banks teams her mini dress with black tights and Jimmy Choo Ixia pumps (Credit: Abaca Press / INSTARimages)
2. Charlize Theron in Dior
Charlize Theron never puts a foot wrong in fashion, making her one of the top fashion icons in my book. While I adore her edgy sense of style, her classic wardrobe selections also leave me in awe. Take, for example, the Dior outfit she wore to the 2024 Olympics prelude, hosted by Louis Vuitton.
The actress donned a classic white dress specially created for her by the French fashion brand. Her slender shape was well accentuated, and I particularly liked how her sun-kissed skin looked radiant against the white fabric.
It had an asymmetrical one-shoulder sleeve and a flowing cape that gave the ensemble a dramatic touch. The hem grazes her thighs, allowing her to showcase her slender pins confidently.
Charlize Theron channels her inner goddess in a white one-shoulder Dior mini dress with a flowing shoulder cape at the Prelude to the 2024 Paris Olympics (Credit: Abaca Press / INSTARimages)
I love how Theron maintained a sophisticated look by carrying a gold clutch and wearing silver Dior jewelry. She accessorized with tiny hoop and stud earrings, a diamond bangle, and a few rings.
These include the $2,750 Bois de Rose Ring, which is an homage to Christian Dior’s favorite flower, and the $43,600 Large Rose Dior Bagatelle Double Ring, which showcases Dior’s exceptional savoir-faire and technical proficiency in fine jewelry.
Charlize wore her blonde tresses in a wavy, side-parted low updo and rounded out her look with strappy silver sandals. I love how they complemented the rest of her accessories, adding to the goddess vibe of the ensemble.
These metallic sandals have double ankle straps, a toe strap, and towering stiletto heels.
Charlize Theron teams her white mini dress with silver metallic open-toe sandals (Credit: Abaca Press / INSTARimages)
3. Sophia Bush and Ashlyn Harris in a Christian Siriano Dress and Silver Heels
Sophia Bush and her girlfriend Ashlyn Harris, a former member of the United States national soccer team, coordinated in metallic Christian Siriano outfits at the prelude to the Olympics party.
While I like Bush’s often sophisticated yet sexy fashion sense, her outfit choice for the Olympics seemed over the top. Her iridescent rust-colored dress showed off her assets with a short, voluminous bubble skirt and a structured corseted bodice with a concave neckline.
She matched her glam with her dress, wearing bronze eyeshadow, rosy blush, and a tousled wavy hairstyle. I like that Bush opted for understated accessories rather than going overboard. She kept her neck bare and wore chunky silver earrings, matching her mirror metallic silver heels.
She displayed her dark pedicure in the open-toe sandals with slingback straps and around 4-inch stiletto heels.
Sophia Bush opts for a playful look with Christian Siriano’s rust-colored bubble mini dress at the Prelude to the 2024 Paris Olympics (Credit: Abaca Press / INSTARimages)
Harris, meanwhile, shimmered in bronzed co-ords, featuring a cropped jacket with a plunging neckline and baggy cargo trousers.
She confidently embraced a bold look by going braless under the jacket, accentuating it with a sleek tennis necklace, elegant gold and diamond earrings, rings, and black closed-toe shoes that peeked out from under her pants.
Ashlyn exuded fierce glamour with her striking cat eye makeup, defined cheekbones, and stylish windswept platinum bob hairstyle.
Sophia Bush’s girlfriend Ashlyn Harris wears a bronze co-ords suit by Christian Siriano with black pumps (Credit: Abaca Press / INSTARimages)
In a joint Instagram post, Bush and Harris said of their outfits, “Anna and Pharrell said the dress code is “medal worthy.” Bonus points for home country designers. And us? We said we’ll make it 🇺🇸 AND 🏳️🌈 @csiriano understood the assignment #Olympics”
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4. Meadow Walker in Silver Disco Dress and Black Pumps
Meadow Walker, daughter of the late Fast & Furious actor Paul Walker, appeared as though she was ready to party in her silver paillette minidress, a la disco ball at a nightclub.
The dress had a deep V-neckline that displayed her décolletage, secured by shoulder straps with the same oversized silver paillettes.
I like the dress, just not for the occasion. It felt out of place as it looked more like a clubbing outfit!
She teamed it with black tights and finished with classic black pumps. Allowing the dress to speak for itself, Meadow decided to forgo the jewelry, save for tiny hoops. She then fashioned her raven tresses in a sleek center-parted ‘do and wore minimal makeup.
Meadow Walker dazzles in a disco-inspired paillette-embellished mini dress with black tights and classic black pumps (Credit: Abaca Press / INSTARimages)
5. Cynthia Erivo in a Green Louis Vuitton Gown and Iridescent Pumps
At the 2024 Paris Olympics opening ceremony, Cynthia Erivo channeled her Wicked character Elphaba in a playful yet magnificent emerald green gown exclusively designed for the occasion by Nicolas Ghesquiere, the French-Belgian creative director of Louis Vuitton.
Cynthia, who will portray the green-skinned lead character, Elphaba Thropp, in the upcoming two-part film adaptation of the musical Wicked, looked a little too costumey, in my opinion. She wore a green strapless dress with a pannier waist and a sweetheart neckline.
Jason Bolden added ornate accessories to Erivo’s ensemble to enhance its costume-like vibe.
Cynthia Erivo channels Wicked’s Elphaba in a green Louis Vuitton strapless gown with a pannier waist and a matching wide-brimmed chapeau at the 2024 Olympics opening ceremony (Credit: PA Images / INSTARimages)
He accessorized her with a green wide-brimmed chapeau and gold jewelry by Roberto Coin and Louis Vuitton. She wore several tiny hoop earrings along her helix, dangling gold, chunky bangles, and a few rings.
Naturally, Cynthia didn’t pass up the chance to rock her distinctive look. To complement her ensemble, she chose long green, embellished nails. She also wore a septum ring to complete her edgy jewelry.
Erivo wore iridescent pumps that were glossy enough to mirror the color of her outfit. They have pointed toes and are finished with around 4-inch high heels, boosting her 5’1” height.
“We were inspired by Dominique Deveraux from Dynasty when finding references,” Erivo told Vogue. “Her edge, her sophistication, her elegant Parisian style. It’s also been lovely to use the reference of a beautiful, strong Black woman.”
Cynthia Erivo teams her green dress with iridescent pointy pumps that mirror her gown’s green color (Credit: PA Images / INSTARimages)
6. Ariana Grande in a Pink Thom Browne Dress and Pumps
Erivo attended the 2024 Paris Olympics with her Wicked co-star Ariana Grande, who plays Glinda in the upcoming musical fantasy film.
As I had anticipated, Ariana dressed in pink, channeling her Wicked character, described as a “golden-haired eternally young beauty in a pink dress” who rules the Pink Country.
Grande wore a custom Thom Browne dress instead of Louis Vuitton. While I love the dress’s softness and feminine allure, I’ve seen this before.
The look is not surprising. It’s a simple pink silk duchess satin dress with a jewel neckline, vertical seams on the fitted bodice, and a maxi skirt with structured box pleats.
The sleeveless gown also features a bow detail and a drop waist, which is gaining popularity nowadays. Kerry Washington and Daisy Edgar-Jones have recently been photographed donning drop waist dresses.
Ariana Grande is Wicked’s Glinda in a pink sleeveless gown by Thom Browne at the 2024 Paris Olympics opening ceremony (Credit: PA Images / INSTARimages)
To keep the look sweet and feminine, Ariana accessorized with white silk gloves and a tiny pair of diamond studs, which her stylist, Mimi Cuttrell, selected.
Alyx Liu fashioned Grande’s hair into a chic chignon, topped off with a beautiful pink satin bow that perfectly matched her outfit. I don’t particularly like her glam, which Michael Anthony created using products from Ariana Grande’s r.e.m. beauty line.
He gave Ariana dramatic graphic eye makeup using the new At the Borderline gel pencil eyeliner in white “Knee Socks” and brown “Teddy” hues. He completed the look with a peachy blush and a nude pink lip gloss that seemed too pale on Grande.
Ariana completed her look with a pair of pale pink-and-white heels by Thom Browne. These heels are reminiscent of brogues with elegant wingtip accents. They have a tiny lacing system on the vamps and are finished with spool heels.
Ariana Grande pairs her pink Thom Browne gown with brogue-style white-and-pink pumps complete with wingtip accents (Credit: PA Images / INSTARimages)
7. Kelly Clarkson in an Andrew GN dress and Sophia Webster Pumps
Kelly Clarkson dazzled at the opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympics in a navy-blue mini dress designed by Paris-based Singaporean fashion designer Andrew GN. GN has dressed the likes of Beyoncé and Kate Middleton.
Clarkson’s structured crepe dress has a tight-fitting silhouette with puff shoulders, long sleeves, and an A-line skirt. Though it may appear simple, the designer’s signature use of luxurious fabrics, bold colors, and exquisite couture details are reflected in Clarkson’s dress. It boasts chunky sparkling crystals that encircle the high neck and trim the side slit, adding to the dress’s attractiveness.
Kelly Clarkson arrives at the 2024 Paris Olympics opening ceremony wearing a blue Andrew GN mini dress with chunky crystal accents around the neck and daring slit (Credit: PA Images / INSTARimages)
Kelly wore her hair in a ponytail with bangs that skimmed her eyebrows, adding a pop of color to the look with bold red lipstick.
She enhanced her outfit’s sparkle with diamond stud earrings and two white gold and diamond statement rings, matching her silver and clear PVC heels.
Her slip-on pumps, designed by Sophia Webster, had a pointed toe and a 4-inch stiletto heel and were made of white leather and PVC.
Kelly Clarkson teams her exquisite crystal-adorned mini dress with metallic silver and clear PVC pumps by Sophia Webster (Credit: PA Images / INSTARimages)