Haiti's Winter Olympic Uniform Celebrates Haitian Culture

Designer Stella Jean's uniforms for Team Haiti draw inspiration from Haitian art and history.

Published on Feb. 11, 2026

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When Haiti's two-person Olympic team marches in the opening ceremony of the Milan Cortina Winter Games, their uniforms will showcase the Caribbean nation's cultural identity and perseverance. Designed by Italian-Haitian designer Stella Jean, the uniforms are inspired by a painting by Haitian artist Edouard Duval-Carrié depicting the revolutionary hero Toussaint Louverture. However, the IOC required the removal of Louverture's image, leading to a creative scramble to preserve the uniforms' cultural significance.

Why it matters

Haiti's participation in the Winter Olympics is a rare moment, and Stella Jean's uniform designs aim to highlight the country's rich cultural heritage and history of resilience. The uniforms serve as a symbol of Haitian pride and identity on the global stage.

The details

Stella Jean spent nearly a year working on the uniforms, which originally featured a painting by Edouard Duval-Carrié depicting Toussaint Louverture on horseback. However, the IOC ruled that the image of the Haitian revolutionary leader violated their policies against political, religious or racial propaganda. This led to a last-minute redesign, with the figure of Louverture removed but the red horse and other Haitian cultural elements retained. The uniforms also feature a turban-like head wrap inspired by the tignon, a fashion statement made by enslaved African women in colonial Haiti, as well as skirts with pockets honoring the outfits of Haitian street market vendors.

  • The uniforms were designed for Haiti's two-person team competing in the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Games.
  • Stella Jean was informed last month that the original design featuring Toussaint Louverture violated IOC rules, leading to a last-minute redesign.

The players

Stella Jean

An Italian-Haitian designer who has designed the uniforms for Haiti's Olympic teams, including for the 2024 Paris Games.

Edouard Duval-Carrié

A Haitian artist based in Miami whose painting of Toussaint Louverture on horseback inspired the original Olympic uniform design.

Toussaint Louverture

A Haitian revolutionary leader who played a key role in Haiti's independence from France.

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What they’re saying

“Two hundred years later? It's amazing that Toussaint would represent a political statement.”

— Edouard Duval-Carrié, Artist (Miami Herald)

“For 24 hours, I said, 'It's over; they won't have any uniform.' But then I also thought that what brought us here was Haitian art, Haitian culture, Haitian excellence. So many human factors that helped us to be there.”

— Stella Jean, Designer (Miami Herald)

What’s next

The IOC's decision to remove the image of Toussaint Louverture from the uniforms has sparked discussion about the organization's policies on political symbols at the Olympics.

The takeaway

Stella Jean's Olympic uniform designs for Haiti showcase the country's rich cultural heritage and history of resilience, serving as a powerful symbol of Haitian pride on the global stage despite the IOC's last-minute changes.