Haiti’s skiing team faced a last-minute uniform change at the 2026 Winter Olympics after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) blocked the original design. The Haitian-Italian designer Stella Jean based the first version on a famous painting of Toussaint Louverture, the hero who led Haiti’s 1804 revolution. However, the IOC said the design broke rules banning political or racial messages. Jean and her team worked overnight to repaint the suits. The new design shows a riderless horse against a bright blue sky. "His absence spoke louder than his presence," Jean said. The team received their uniforms just before the opening ceremony. The hand-painted suits also feature cultural symbols like the tignon, a traditional women’s headwrap, and Creole earrings. Large pockets reflect Haiti’s merchant markets. Jean explained, "The uniforms are not just an exercise of style but an exercise of responsibility." She wants to shift how the world sees Haiti, beyond disaster and poverty images. Cross-country skier Stevenson Savart expressed pride wearing the suits, saying, "Walking in these clothes in front of the world and representing my small country was so amazing." Jean said the Olympic moment was powerful: "Haiti was no longer the poorest nation. That night, we stood with our heads held high, side by side with the giants of the world."