So who won this summer’s fashion Olympics?

Yes, 2024 may have been a summer of sport, but do you know what it was also a summer of? Fashion. Though they may not have been aware of it at the time, celebrities across the globe were actually participating in a game of transatlantic competitive fashion, and we were on hand to chart all the contestants’ journeys. So, as the sunny season finally enters its twilight throes, we at Dazed Fashion boldly dare to ask: who really won this summer’s fashion Olympics?

Julia Fox, FKA twigs, Jeremy Allen White

All worthy entries, but unfortunately demoted to honourable mention status due to appearing just a little too late in the season. FKA Twigs killed The Crow press tour in a number of raven-esque ensembles, Julia Fox was back on her bullshit for New York’s street style paps, and Jeremy Allen White’s Calvin Klein ads broke the internet once again – but who else was in contention for a place on the podium?

First up, no one’s had a bigger year than Charli xcx, and her signature look has been one of the most recognisable images of the summer. The mane of curly hair and dark sunglasses are usually accompanied by buzzy brands like Acne Studios, All-In and Eckhaus Latta, plus super-stylist Chris Horan also pulled some custom Dilara Findikoglu and archive Mugler, too.

With the help of Horan, this year Charli has constructed this sort of uber It-girl image, the final boss of all internet cool girls, and fashion has been the operative function through which they’ve telegraphed that character. What might have tipped it for her, though, was the Aphex Twin t-shirt she wore in the “Guess” music video, the icing on the cake of IYKYK references.

Speaking of Miss xcx, since the worldwide success of her album Brat (have you heard of it?), its instantly recognisable, slime-green cover has trickled down into the fashion world, with Instagram fashion commentator @databutmakeitfashion reporting a 46 per cent uptick in “sentiment analysis” for the colour. On a slightly less analytical note, homemade Brat tees have cropped up on circuit gays on Fire Island and even in an official merch collab in high street store Bershka. Colour of the summer, surely?

We all know Joseph Quinn by now – thanks to Stranger Things, A Quiet Place and an alleged dalliance with Doja Cat – but are you aware of the lesser-known star of the summer, Joseph Quinn’s back pocket? On a London walkabout with Fantastic Four co-star Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Quinn stepped out in bell-bottom jeans and a lovely shirt, but his back pocket was doing a lot of the fashion heavy lifting. Poking out of it was a copy of Lynne Tillman’s Weird Fucks, proving that this summer’s hottest accessory is simply a critically-acclaimed novella. And if Mitski’s recent Hyde Park show was anything to go by, a book in the back pocket is basically a Bat Signal for women with a penchant for soft bois. Well played, Joseph!

From Aya Nakamura performing in a Dior dress, to Lady Gaga performing in a Dior dress, to Ceilne Dion also performing in a Dior dress, the Olympics had countless fashion moments to choose from (and they weren’t all from Dior). Outside of those opening ceremony looks, Team Mongolia shook the world with its beautiful and intricate uniforms, a new generation of sharp-shooting fashion stans were born, and breakdancer Manizha Talash made a political statement with her ‘Free Afghan Women’ cape. Gold medals all round.

This summer, Troye Sivan really levelled up his on-stage looks. Teaming up with stylist Marc Forne to create a gay boy’s fashion fantasy, Sivan went for ethereal Prada, dirty DSquared2, and custom McQueen on his Something To Give Each Other Tour, an aesthetic continuation of his critically acclaimed music videos. Canny references like Madonna’s JPG cone bra and the re-edition of a SS03 Helmut Lang vest were highlights in a stellar wardrobe, proving the singer’s fashion history knowledge.

This summer, the Normal People actor transformed in front of our very eyes from schoolgirl Marianne to a bona fide movie star. That was, in part, thanks to an It-girl makeover from stylist Dani Michelle, known for crafting looks for the likes of Kendall Jenner and Hailey Bieber. If the Olympics had a category for most-improved, Edgar-Jones would definitely be top of the podium. Head here for a full breakdown of her style evolution that led to the Twisters press tour.

Chappell Roan’s come-up over the summer has been pretty meteoric, and something that’s set her apart from the crowd is her singular fashion sense. But for a style that heavily references drag and costume, regular off-the-rack designer duds weren’t going to work. For her onstage looks, Roan and stylist Genesis Webb hit up historical costume makers, latex wizards and wig specialists for an aesthetic no one else can match. It may not be everybody’s cup of tea, but it’s 100 per cent Chappell, so 10s where 10s are due.

This summer, our cultural obsession with fashion extended into the virtual world, as the Roblox game Dress To Impress had a vast swathe of the population in a chokehold (including our writer Thom Waite). Whether celebrating your top podium placing, earning the title of Runway Queen, or beefing with a ten-year-old about not sticking to the theme, the fashion competition game was an unhinged cherry on the top of a very fashionable summer, and we wouldn’t have wanted to end it any other way.