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Eileen Gu dazzled with her whimsical charm.
The Olympic freestyle skier brought a lively twist to the 2026 Met Gala theme, “Costume Art,” with her vibrant ensemble.
At 22, the model, who recently captured two silver medals and a gold at the 2026 Winter Olympics, graced the red carpet on Monday in a captivating short bubble dress by Iris van Herpen. The Dutch designer is celebrated for her “tech-couture” creations that seamlessly integrate high fashion with cutting-edge technology.
“I’m adorned with 15,000 glass bubbles,” Gu revealed to ESPNW, describing the unique attire. “Crafting it took 2,550 hours. The technology embedded in the dress merges reality with art, exploring themes of surrealism, movement, nature, fun, and whimsy.”
Her ensemble was completed with transparent heels, and with the exception of a discreet pair of earrings partly hidden by her stylish, tousled updo, her only other adornments were the multitude of bubbles floating around her.
When asked why sports are art by ESPNW, the veteran athlete simply replied, “It’s about self-expression. It’s about breaking boundaries and about being the truest version of yourself.
Gu first attended the Met Gala in 2021, sporting a romantic short black-and-white Carolina Herrera bubble dress with black heels and a bold red lip. The following year, she took an edgier turn in a strapless leather Louis Vuitton mini dress with a plunging neckline, metal belt and high black leather boots.
Despite being in her early 20s, Gu is the most decorated free skier of all time, securing six medals in six events at the 2022 and 2026 Winter Olympics.
Off the trails, however, Gu has repeatedly been under fire for representing her mother’s native China at the Olympics, despite growing up in Northern California and majoring in international relations at Stanford University.
Earlier this year, she said she was “physically assaulted,” robbed and received death threats on campus.
The multi-faceted model is signed IMG and has appeared in Sports Illustrated Swimsuit 2025 issue, represented Louis Vuitton, Victoria’s Secret and Fendi, and graced the covers of the Chinese editions of Cosmopolitan and Vogue.