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 greatest names in films, music and, now greater than ever, sports activities.
Ultimately yr’s Met, athletes together with Stefon Diggs, Ben Simmons, Angel Reese, Lewis Hamilton, Venus Williams and Nelly Korda, and former professionals comparable to Dwyane Wade, Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams confirmed out.
Athletes have been in attendance relationship again to the early 2000s, however over time their presence has elevated. Sports activities stars have come a good 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 have a look at his 2006 debut. Now, common visitors 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 this yr’s Met Gala committee for its theme of “Superfine: Tailoring Black Fashion.” LeBron James is an honorary chair, Hamilton is a co-chair and Reese, Sha’Carri Richardson and Simone Biles and her husband, Jonathan Owens, are on this yr’s host committee.
As we put together for the 2025 Met Gala, let’s look again at a few of the most memorable appears to be like donned by sports activities stars by way of the years.
2024
Lewis Hamilton understood the project for 2024’s Met Gala costume code, “The Backyard of Time.” He used his all-black Burberry outfit to honor John Ystumllyn, one of many first Black gardeners within the U.Ok.
Should you look carefully, you will note floral elaborations on his coat, however what the attention can not see is that the poem “The Gardener” by Alex Wharton — which was impressed by Ystumllyn’s life — is stitched on the within. And as for the F1 driver’s gold, thorn necklace that he paired with the outfit, he instructed Vogue that it represents “the ache by way of that slavery commerce time.”
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 taking part in in a preseason recreation towards the New York Liberty the following day. The WNBA star made essentially the most of her day and appeared trendy doing it in a customized sequined, seafoam inexperienced 16Arlington robe.
2023
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is understood for his daring appears to be like 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 high of a tuxedo shirt and pants with a traditional black bow tie.
“You simply need to get it proper,” Gilgeous-Alexander instructed GQ in regards to the outfit. “We spent loads of time right here in the present day, however I’ve spent that point earlier than. It isn’t like I have not thought that a lot about an outfit [in the past].”
Dwyane Wade has attended many Met Galas alongside his actress spouse, Gabrielle Union, by way of the years, however this particular look from 2023 was successful. The three-time NBA champion sported an all-black Prada outfit and accomplished the look with jewellery from Tiffany & Co. He instructed GQ that he thought his outfit was “giving a bit of Django.”
The 2023 Met Gala was an essential one for WNBA star Brittney Griner because it got here just a few 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 high below a coat-and-pant set.
2022
Chloe Kim made her mark at her debut Met Gala in 2022. The three-time gold medalist snowboarder shocked in a white Giambattista Valli Couture ball robe embellished with pink feathers.
Kim shared her ideas on the robe with ExtraTV on the occasion: “I simply wished to do a ravishing, massive 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 costume.”
Caroline Wozniacki and David Lee served collectively on the 2022 Met. Tennis star Wozniacki wore a daring, blue cutout Christian Siriano costume 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 a ravishing 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 costume 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 college lady fashion and Onna-Musha warriors of Japan.”
Serena Williams is understood to take dangers at vogue’s greatest evening of the yr. On the 2021 occasion, she wore this Gucci silver lace bodysuit and topped it with an ombre feather cape.
The retired tennis star instructed 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 appears to be like, and this one from Simone Biles was among the best. 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 costume was hand-embellished in Swarovski crystals.
It was robust to choose 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 fashion is ever-evolving, however none of his suits have been bolder than his 2019 look. Following the yr’s theme, “Camp: Notes on Trend,” he rocked a Thom Browne sleeveless tuxedo jacket paired with a kilt.
“I instructed them no off the rip,” the previous NFL receiver stated about sporting the kilt. “I used to be like, ‘There is not any likelihood I am sporting that. On the best way right here I used to be like, ‘Are you able to be sure that they bring about 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 appears to be like, 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 swimsuit jacket that includes a singular gold trim to match his then-wife Gisele Bündchen’s costume. Brady revealed on the occasion that Bündchen was the one who picked out his coordinating outfit and solely revealed it to him within the automotive trip over.
Shaun White first attended the Met Gala in 2014 and opted for a standard 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 shocked 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 costume. The retired tennis star labored with Colombian designer Juan Carlos Obando to design her look. She additionally paired the costume 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 costume, and this felt like a brand new tackle a traditional,” Sharapova instructed Vogue. “This was the very first costume I attempted on, nevertheless it was black. We wished 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 loads of consideration as a result of the retired soccer star paired it completely with spouse Victoria Beckham’s cream costume.