The Olympic Games are known for bringing together powerful teams of athletes, but there is one key collaboration that’s often overlooked in the world of competitive sports—the pairing of top athletes with top fashion designers.

It may not seem obvious, but much of the magic and excitement of the games hinges on those uniforms. The bright colors and sleek shape of the designs are the first things you see as the blurred body of your favorite athlete crosses the finish line.

Olympians Grace The Cover of Vogue [PHOTOS]

Over the years, the Olympics have brought together many championship duos. Vera Wang, a former Olympic hopeful herself, designed figure skater Nancy Kerrigan‘s costume for the 1994 winter games. Kerrigan went on to bring home a silver medal for Team

USA. This year, designers like Stella McCartney, Giorgio Armani, and Ralph Lauren are working for Great Britain, Italy, and the United States respectively. The images of designer uniforms from around the globe have only recently been released, but you can get a sneak preview of them before the games begin by checking out the gallery below.