Simone Biles deserves a gold medal after her Met Gala 2021 debut.
Only two months after she made the shocking decision to withdraw from the women's gymnastics floor finals, the athlete emerged on the red carpet in a dazzling dress. As she smiled for the cameras, she was later joined by another fellow Olympic athlete: track and field star Allyson Felix.
The Met Gala 2021 brings out some of the most intricate and jaw-dropping outfits, and this year was no exception. While some Met Gala outfits made a bold political statement, Simone's required some seriously heavy lifting (literally!) that only an Olympic athlete could handle. With so many looks to keep track of you may have missed some of the tiny but notable details featured in her look, here's all there is to know about Simone Biles Met Gala 2021 dress.
1. Simone Biles' Met Gala 2021 dress was designed by Beckett Fogg and Piotrek Panszczyk of Area
Area partnered with the athleisure brand Athleta to create the custom gown that Simone sported. Back in April, the Olympic athlete announced her partnership with the clothing brand as a way to help create multiple capsule collections for young athletes. Now, the collaboration has followed her to the Met Gala where Athleta is proud to continue supporting Simone and athletes everywhere.
"This moment is particularly emblematic of Athleta's commitment to supporting their athletes as whole people, and recognizing their passions and achievements in and outside of sport," a spokesperson said in a statement.
2. Simone Biles' Met Gala 2021 dress weighed 88 pounds
Multiple components went into her dress to make it weigh the remarkable 88 pounds, including a hand-embellished skirt covered in Swarovski crystals. With the crystals carrying most of the weight, Simone also sported a mini dress underneath the long skirt.
"How do I feel in the dress? It’s definitely heavy, but I feel beautiful, strong, and empowered,” she told Vogue during her final fitting.
3. It took six men to help carry Simone Biles' dress up the Met Gala steps
Carrying 88 pounds would get tiring after a while for most people, including an Olympic athlete. While walking the red carpet, Simone was assisted by six men who helped carry and lay out the train of her dress due to the overwhelming weight and intricacy of it.
4. Simone Biles' dress is a three-in-one outfit
On the outside, Simone's Met Gala 2021 dress may look like an elegant gown, but it actually is made of three separate looks. Underneath the large skirt is a mini dress featuring strands of crystals. Then, for the final look, an all-black bodysuit lays under it all and was designed to look like a starry night sky. The stars are even made to look like Athleta's logo—the chi.
5. Her dress was inspired by vintage showgirls
The entire look was inspired by showgirls, but not just any showgirls. Josephine Baker was the main inspiration behind the look as she was not only a performer but an activist and the first Black woman to star in a major film (1927’s Siren of the Tropics).
The designers found Josephine's activism to mirror the actions of Simone who has also become a vocal advocate. The all-black leotard underneath is also a slight nod to the athlete's involvement with gymnastics.
After seeing Simone's first Met Gala appearance one thing is for sure—she definitely knows how to make an entrance.
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