It’s the talk of the town: the Paris Olympics are in full swing, and all our eyes are turning to the City of Lights to watch our athletes compete for a gold medal, Celine Dion’s breathtaking performance in the opening ceremony, and our favourite celebs delivering podium-perfect looks. And what better way to embrace the Olympic spirit than celebrating with your nearest and dearest?
Last Thursday, OMEGA ambassadors and fashion icons Cindy Crawford and Kaia Gerber touched down in Paris for an extra special mother-and-daughter outing — to experience their third Olympic Games together. Kicking off the adrenaline-packed agenda to come, they stopped by OMEGA’s House Paris for Saturday’s opening night festivities as the brand’s first guests of honour.
Located at The Hôtel de Poulpry, Maison des Polytechniciens, just steps from the Musée d’Orsay, the brand’s Parisian headquarters celebrates OMEGA’s role as Official Timekeeper of the Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024. “Paris is a city I adore thanks to my career in fashion. To be returning here now, with my OMEGA family at the Olympic Games, is really a sentimental moment. I love that the House is right in the heart of this spectacular host city,” said Crawford. Keep scrolling to read the full interview with the iconic duo…
Welcome to Paris! How are you enjoying the city during the Olympic Games?
Cindy Crawford: This is my fourth Olympics. Every time you come to a city that’s hosting the Olympics, it’s exciting. Of course, both Kaia and I have spent a lot of time in Paris for fashion. So it’s a fun new take on the city seeing it through the Olympics. It’s still that city that we know and love.
Kaia Gerber: Getting to see the Opening Ceremony on the Seine was just a once in a lifetime experience. It was just so cool. And all the performers they put together for it, that was definiitely the highlight for me.
CC: I think it’s great. Even the tourists that you see are different. They’re Olympic tourists. It’s a different crowd here. Obviously, we’re hoping for a little clearing of the weather. But even with that, Paris is still a beautiful city even in the rain.
Tell us more about that Opening Ceremony.
KG: It was fun sharing an umbrella with my mom – and getting soaked. Of course, Celine Dion was so moving and emotional. It was just wonderful.
CC: Yeah, I think for me, Celine was definitely a highlight of the evening. When the boats came down, we were playing a fun game of trying to guess which country would come next alphabetically.
KG: You can’t imagine how many countries start with G.
CC: I know, we forgot about a lot of Gs. But just recognizing that each one of those boats is carrying so many incredible athletes that have worked so hard to be here… even the athletes from the countries that aren’t mine I was still rooting for.
Have you seen any other events yet?
CC: Today, we went and saw the men’s gymnastics. I’ve never done something like that in Paris before. That was special.
What memories do you have of the Olympic Games growing up?
CC: My family loved the Olympics. I grew up in Illinois and we looked forward to the summer and the winter Olympics every time. We would come home and watch it as a family. We knew every medal that the US won. It was like entertainment for our family. So when I first got invited by OMEGA to go to my first Olympics, I couldn’t believe it. Then the second one was Beijing, and I was able to bring my whole family. So this is actually Kaia’s third Olympics.
KG: I feel quite spoiled because my childhood memories of the Olympics are actually being at the physical Olympics. I think I was seven years old when we went to Beijing. I got to see these incredible athletes firsthand. Seeing Michael Phelps win the gold, those are moments that I was actually physically there for. I have such fond memories of being at the Olympics with OMEGA. It’s wonderful to continue doing that and especially to come back together.
Is there any Olympic sport you’d like to try yourself?
KG: I’ve been asking everyone this. I’ve said, ‘which one would you do that you could plausibly be okay at,’ and then ‘which one if it wasn’t about your skill level.’
CC: What was your answer though?
KG: If it wasn’t about my skill level, I would say gymnastics. But I’m just not built for it. That’s very clear to me. But I think gymnastics is just so impressive to watch.
CC: In middle school and high school, I did track and field, so I like doing hurdles. I probably couldn’t get over one today. But, in my mind I could. I could do the short one (laughs).
You’ve also seen OMEGA’s timekeeping in action. What do you think it takes to do that job?
CC: I think the same values that OMEGA brings to timekeeping is what OMEGA stands for. It’s just excellence and precision. When people invest in a nice watch, they want that, and at the Olympics, measuring a 100th of a second can make the difference between winning and losing. I think it’s pretty cool that OMEGA has taken that on as part of their company legacy.
What inspires you most about these Olympic athletes?
KG: I think any job requires discipline. But the level of discipline that these Olympians dedicate years of their life to, and the amount of pressure that they’re under, and the way they have to perform under that pressure, I’m just in awe of it. It never ceases to amaze me.
CC: And for so many of these athletes, it’s pure passion. Even if there’s maybe not a big payday, they’re putting themselves through that, just because they love it. That to me is really awesome.
Can you compare that pressure to your own careers?
Kaia: No way. I don’t have a whole country rooting for me. I think representing your country is a different kind of pressure. And I think it’s so incredible that they’re able to do these extreme sort of performances when it’s being televised to the whole world.
What’s one thing from Paris that you wish you could take home?
CC: The bread.
KG: Yeah, I was going to say the bread and the croissants.
CC: They’re next level here. And the pain au chocolat.
And finally, which OMEGA watch is your gold medal champion?
Cindy: My choice, of course, Constellation.
Kaia: Right now I’m wearing the Speedmaster 38 mm, but I think my all-time favourite is the Mini Trésor.
Steel or gold?
KG: I switch it up depending on what I’m wearing.
CC: And a lot of times we like the mix of gold and steel because it’s so versatile. It feels like you can wear it with anything, even a t-shirt. And then you can also dress it up at night.
