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Eileen Gu Debuts Bubble-Blowing Iris van Herpen Dress at the Met Gala

Hidden hardware in the mini released real bubbles, turning Gu’s carpet walk into a tech-driven performance.

An image collage containing 2 images, Image 1 shows Eileen Gu poses during the Met Gala, an annual fundraising gala held for the benefit of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute with this year's theme 'Costume Art' in New York City, New York, U.S., May 4, 2026. REUTERS/Daniel Cole, Image 2 shows Eileen Gu arrives at The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute benefit gala celebrating the opening of the "Costume Art" exhibition on Monday, May 4, 2026, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
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Overview

  • Eileen Gu’s red-carpet entrance Monday at the Met Gala in New York featured a custom mini that emitted floating bubbles as she moved.
  • The couture piece by Iris van Herpen used about 15,000 hand-formed glass bubbles and took roughly 2,550 hours over 15 weeks to build.
  • Gu later explained on TikTok that a secret button triggered the effect from canisters under the dress, while Vogue detailed microprocessors, bubble nozzles, air pumps, and a portable power system timed to release two to five bubbles per second.
  • She described the look as a study in surrealism, movement, nature, fun, and whimsy, and said the art of sport is self-expression and breaking boundaries.
  • Fans and fashion press praised the moment, reinforcing Gu’s growing role as an Olympic star who turns red carpets into performance art through tech‑couture.