Sensibility of couture: In gymnastics, leotards bridge fashion and sport

Jordan Chiles' leotard, the source of the explosion of colour and sparkle, was one-of-a-kind, a custom creation inspired by an outfit Beyonce wore during a Renaissance Tour concert last year. Photo: Reuters

As US gymnast Jordan Chiles stood at the end of the vault runway, the lights of Dickies Arena reflected off the 4,400 Swarovski crystals on her leotard, creating sparkles reminiscent of the Eiffel Tower twinkling against the dark backdrop of a Parisian night sky.

She lifted her arms to salute the judges, shimmering with tiny rainbows, and sprinted toward the vault table, becoming a glittering blur of blue, pink, red and green as she flipped and twisted through the air.