On the primary Monday in Could annually, all eyes with even a slight curiosity in vogue and popular culture fall on the happenings in New York Metropolis for the Met Gala. This annual fundraising occasion brings collectively a few of the largest names in films, music and, now greater than ever, sports activities.
On the 2025 Met, athletes together with Stefon Diggs, Angel Reese, Lewis Hamilton, Venus Williams and Joe Burrow, and former execs akin to Dwyane Wade and Serena Williams and confirmed out.
Athletes have been in attendance courting again to the early 2000s, however over time, their presence has elevated. Sports activities stars have come a great distance since former NFL participant Jason Sehorn’s prom-esque tuxedo selection when he accompanied his then-wife, Angie Harmon, in 2003 or Tom Brady’s black velvet look in 2006. Now, common friends together with Serena, Wade, Odell Beckham Jr., Russell Westbrook, Naomi Osaka and others are sometimes among the many best-dressed.
The elevated presence has additionally led to elevated involvement.
In February, it was introduced {that a} choose group of athletes could be on the 2025 Met Gala committee for its theme of “Superfine: Tailoring Black Fashion.” Hamilton was a co-chair whereas Reese, Sha’Carri Richardson and Simone Biles and her husband, Jonathan Owens, have been on this 12 months’s host committee. LeBron James was additionally named an honorary chair member.
Let’s look again at a few of the most memorable seems to be donned by sports activities stars by means of the years.
2025
As he all the time does, Lewis Hamilton understood the task for the Met Gala.
Following the theme “Superfine: Tailoring Black Fashion,” the 2025 co-chair labored with Grace Wales Bonner for his outfit. He wore an ivory go well with, however it was the detailing that set his look aside.
“We introduced collectively a spread of influences, from Barkley L. Hendricks work to Black religious dressing to a few of the model’s craft signatures,” Wales Bonner informed Vogue.
His sash was lined with cowrie shells, whereas his ear cuffs, cuff hyperlinks and brooches contained garnets and white and amber emerald-cut diamonds.
LeBron James may not have been in attendance as a result of harm, however a member of the James household nonetheless confirmed up and out. His spouse, Savannah, sported a customized pinstripe maroon robe designed by Anifa Mvuemba’s Hanifa.
2024
NBA star Ben Simmons completely leaned into the “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Trend” theme for the 2024 Met. Designed by Thom Browne, Simmons’ outfit featured an outsized coat with a tartan sample. He topped the look off with a clock briefcase.
Angel Reese made headlines not just for her distinctive outfit however for her whirlwind schedule over the course of about 24 hours. Reese began that Monday morning at coaching camp with the Chicago Sky, then attended the Met Gala that evening earlier than enjoying in a preseason recreation towards the New York Liberty the following day. The WNBA star made essentially the most of her day and seemed fashionable doing it in a customized sequined, seafoam inexperienced 16Arlington robe.
2023
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is understood for his daring seems to be out and in of the NBA tunnel. Following the “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Magnificence” theme, Gilgeous-Alexander sported a Thom Browne outfit that layered an identical cardigan set on prime of a tuxedo shirt and pants with a traditional black bow tie.
“You simply need to get it proper,” Gilgeous-Alexander informed GQ concerning the outfit. “We spent a number of time right here right this moment, however I’ve spent that point earlier than. It isn’t like I have never thought that a lot about an outfit [in the past].”
Dwyane Wade has attended many Met Galas alongside his actress spouse, Gabrielle Union, by means of the years, however this particular look from 2023 was a success. The three-time NBA champion sported an all-black Prada outfit and accomplished the look with jewellery from Tiffany & Co. He informed GQ that he thought his outfit was “giving a little bit Django.”
The 2023 Met Gala was an vital one for WNBA star Brittney Griner because it got here a couple of months after her December 2022 launch from a Russian jail. Griner celebrated the evening in a customized all-Calvin Klein look. Her monochromatic beige outfit featured a sheer prime beneath a coat-and-pant set.
2022
Chloe Kim made her mark at her debut Met Gala in 2022. The three-time gold medalist snowboarder surprised in a white Giambattista Valli Couture ball robe adorned with pink feathers.
Kim shared her ideas on the robe with ExtraTV on the occasion: “I simply needed to do an exquisite, huge ball robe, and [Valli] is king of the ball robe, so I simply needed to and I used to be so excited once I noticed this gown.”
Caroline Wozniacki and David Lee served collectively on the 2022 Met. Tennis star Wozniacki wore a daring, blue cutout Christian Siriano gown with puffy child blue sleeves. In the meantime, retired NBA All-Star Lee accompanied his spouse in a traditional black tuxedo.
2021
Naomi Osaka paid an exquisite homage to her Haitian and Japanese roots with this look. She labored with designer Nicolas Ghesquière and her sister and designer Mari Osaka to make the customized Louis Vuitton robe.
Her gown featured a purple, blue, silver and pink sample with a pink belt and a black ruffled cape. Hairstylist Marty Harper stated in a information launch that Osaka’s coiffure was impressed by “Haitian faculty woman type and Onna-Musha warriors of Japan.”
Serena Williams is understood to take dangers at vogue’s largest evening of the 12 months. On the 2021 occasion, she wore this Gucci silver lace bodysuit and topped it with an ombre feather cape.
The retired tennis star informed E! Information on the occasion that her look was “superhero-inspired.”
If you cannot inform, the 2021 Met Gala was iconic. It introduced many memorable seems to be, and this one from Simone Biles was the most effective. This 88-pound, three-piece set was designed by Beckett Fogg and Piotrek Panszczyk and impressed by showgirl Josephine Baker. The seven-time gold medalist’s gown was hand-embellished in Swarovski crystals.
It was powerful to select essentially the most iconic Met Gala look from NBA star Russell Westbrook. However we needed to give credit score to his 2021 look as a result of he went the additional mile by dyeing his hair for the event. Westbrook wore a navy blue Ralph Lauren tuxedo and accomplished the look with white stars dyed into his blue hair.
2019
Odell Beckham Jr.’s Met Gala type is ever-evolving, however none of his matches have been bolder than his 2019 look. Following the 12 months’s theme, “Camp: Notes on Trend,” he rocked a Thom Browne sleeveless tuxedo jacket paired with a kilt.
“I informed them no off the rip,” the previous NFL receiver stated about sporting the kilt. “I used to be like, ‘There is no probability I am sporting that. On the way in which right here I used to be like, ‘Are you able to make certain they create it simply in case? I would simply do it simply to do it.'”
2018
Tom Brady is not any stranger to the Met Gala, having been to greater than a dozen since 2006. With that stated, the seven-time Tremendous Bowl champion has had many nice seems to be, however this was maybe his most talked about. Brady’s 2018 outfit was to the theme of “Heavenly Our bodies: Trend and the Catholic Creativeness.”
He sported a customized Versace black go well with jacket that includes a novel gold trim to match his then-wife Gisele Bündchen’s gown. Brady revealed on the occasion that Bündchen was the one who picked out his coordinating outfit and solely revealed it to him within the automobile trip over.
Shaun White first attended the Met Gala in 2014 and opted for a conventional black tuxedo with a shawl to stroll the carpet. For the 2018 Met, White determined to modify issues up and go daring. The three-time Olympic gold medalist snowboarder surprised with an embroidered inexperienced and gold jacket by Etro and paired the look with matching inexperienced pants.
2016
Maria Sharapova served on this pink cutout gown. The retired tennis star labored with Colombian designer Juan Carlos Obando to design her look. She additionally paired the gown with a daring, gold earring to lean into the theme of “Manus x Machina: Trend in an Age of Expertise.”
“I like the texture of a easy, stunning, altered slip gown, and this felt like a brand new tackle a traditional,” Sharapova informed Vogue. “This was the very first gown I attempted on, however it was black. We needed it to be extra vibrant, and [Obando’s] pink palette actually popped.”
2014
Dressed by Ralph Lauren, David Beckham rocked a dinner blazer with black pants and an identical bow tie to drag the look collectively. This look drew a number of consideration as a result of the retired soccer star paired it completely with spouse Victoria Beckham’s cream gown.
