Every year on the first Monday of May, everyone has a slight interest in fashion and pop culture, and the events of the Metropolitan Fair in New York City fall on the events of New York City. This annual fundraiser brings together movies, music and some of the most important figures now than ever.
On the metro last year, athletes including Stefon Diggs, Ben Simmons, Angel Reese, Lewis Hamilton, Venus Williams and Nelly Korda as well as former pros such as Dwyane Wade, Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams.
The arrival of athletes can be traced back to the early 2000s, but their presence has increased over time. Sports stars have come a long way since former NFL player Jason Sehorn accompanied his then-wife Angie Harmon or Tom Brady's Black Velvet. Nowadays, regular guests including Serena, Wade, Odell Beckham Jr., Russell Westbrook, Naomi Osaka and other regular guests are usually the worst clothes.
The increased presence also leads to increased participation.
In February, it was announced that a group of athletes will participate in this year's Metropolitan Festival committee with the theme "Super Elf: Cut Black Style". LeBron James is the honorary chairman, Hamilton is a co-chair, Reese, Sha'Carri Richardson and Simone Biles, as well as her husband, Jonathan Owens, are the host committee this year.
As we prepare for the 2025 Mets, let’s review some of the most memorable looks that sports stars have cast over the years.
2024
Lewis Hamilton understands the task "Time Garden" that the 2024 Metropolitan Dressup requires. He honors John Ystummerlyn with all-black Burberry costumes, one of the earliest black gardeners in Britain
If you look closely, you will see floral decorations on his coat, but what you can't see is Alex Wharton's poem The Gardener (inspired by the life of Ystummerlyn) being sewn inside. As for the F1 driver’s gold, the prickly necklace he paired with clothes, he told Vogue that it represents “the pain of the slavery trade time.”
NBA star Ben Simmons is perfectly leaning towards the 2024 MET’s “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion” theme. Simmons' outfit, designed by Thom Browne, comes with an oversized coat of tartan. He puts the appearance first with a clock briefcase.
Angel Reese's headlines are not only her unique outfit, but her whirlwind schedule in about 24 hours. Reese started training camp in Chicago Sky that Monday morning, then played for Met Gala that night, and then on the preseason against New York Freedom the next day. The WNBA star made the most of her day in her day, looking stylish in a custom sequined puffin green 16arlington gown.
2023
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is known for his bold appearance in and out of the NBA tunnel. Following the theme of "Karl Lagerfeld: Beauty Line", Gilgeous-Alexander, wearing Thom Browne's outfit, laid a matching cardigan over a tuxedo shirt and a classic black bow tie.
"You just want to get it right," Gilgeous-Alexander told GQ about the costumes. "We spent a lot of time here today, but I used to spend a lot of time. That's not to say I don't have much thoughts about clothes (in the past)."
Dwyane Wade has been in many Met Galas with actress wife Gabrielle Union over the years, but this particular look has been popular since 2023. The three-time NBA champion wore an all-black Prada outfit and finished the look with Tiffany & Co's jewelry. He told GQ that he thought his clothes were "giving a little Django".
The 2023 Metropolis Festival is an important part of WNBA star Brittney Griner, as it comes months after being released from a Russian prison in December 2022. Griner celebrated the night with a custom All-Calvin Klein look. Her monochrome beige outfit is sheer top under a coat and pants suit.
2022
Chloe Kim has left his mark on the 2022 debut Met Gala. The three-time gold medalist skier shaky with the white Valli Couture Couture, decorated with red feathers.
Kim shared her thoughts about the dress with Extratv at the event: “I just wanted to make a nice big ball gown and (Valley) is the king of jerseys, so I just had to do that and when I saw this one I was so excited.”
Caroline Wozniacki and David Lee serve together at the 2022 Metropolis. Tennis star Wozniacki wore a bold blue cut Christian Siriano dress with soft light blue sleeves. Meanwhile, retired NBA All-Star Lee accompanied his wife in a classic black tuxedo.
2021
Naomi Osaka pays homage to her Haitian and Japanese roots with this look. She collaborated with designer Nicolas Ghesquière and her sister and designer Mari Osaka to create a custom Louis Vuitton gown.
Her dress comes with purple, blue, silver and pink patterns, and has a red belt and a cape with black pleated pleats. Hairdresser Marty Harper said in a press release that the Osaka hairstyle was inspired by "Haitian girl style and Japanese onna-musha warriors."
Serena Williams is known to take risks on the biggest night of the year. She wore this Gucci Silver Lace bodysuit and wore an Ombre Feather Cape at the 2021 event.
The retired tennis star told E! During the event, her appearance was “superhero-inspired.”
If you can't say, the 2021 Metropolitan Gala is iconic. It brings many memorable looks, and this look from Simone Biles is the best. This 88-pound three-piece kit was designed by Beckett Fogg and Piotrek Panszczyk and inspired by singing girl Josephine Baker. The seven-time gold medalist dress was hand-filled on Swarovski crystals.
It's hard to pick the most iconic Metropolis holiday look from NBA star Russell Westbrook. But we have to praise his 2021 look as he doubled down on his hair dyed for it. Westbrook wore a navy blue Ralph Lauren tuxedo and finished the look with white stars dyed blue hair.
2019
Odell Beckham Jr. follows the theme of the year “Camp: “Fashion Notes”, and he swings a Thom Browne sleeveless tuxedo jacket with a kilt.
“I told them there was no tearing,” the former NFL receiver said of wearing a kilt. “I was like, ‘I didn’t have a chance to wear that one.
2018
Tom Brady is no stranger to Met Gala, and has been to over a dozen since 2006. That being said, the seven-time Super Bowl champion looks great, but that's probably the most he talks about. Brady's 2018 outfit is themed "Celestial Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination".
He wore a custom Versace black blazer featuring unique gold trim that matched the dress of his then-wife Gisele Bündchen. Brady revealed at the event that Bündchen was the one who picked his coordination outfit, just the one who showed up in the car.
Shaun White first attended the Met party in 2014 and chose a traditional black tuxedo with a scarf. For the 2018 Metropolitan, White decided to turn things into boldness. The three-time Olympic gold medalist skier shocked with an Etro embroidered green and gold jacket and paired the look with matching green pants.
2016
Maria Sharapova wore this red cut dress. The retired tennis star collaborated with Colombian designer Juan Carlos Obando to design her look. She also paired the dress with bold gold earrings with the theme of “Manus X Machina: Fashion in the Technological Age.”
"I like the feeling of a simple, beautiful, altered slip skirt, which feels like a new classic view," Sharapova told Vogue. "This is the first dress I've tried, but it's black. We want it to be more vibrant, and the (Obando's) red palette does pop up."
2014
David Beckham, dressed in Ralph Lauren, shaking a dinner blazer in black pants and a matching bow tie to blend the look. The look has attracted a lot of attention as the retired football star paired it perfectly with his wife Victoria Beckham's butter dress.