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Eileen Gu Debuts Iris van Herpen Bubble Dress With Live Effects at the Met Gala

The Olympian showcased couture that fuses design with working technology to create a real-time bubble display.

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 arrived at the 2026 Met Gala in a custom Iris van Herpen mini dress built from about 15,000 glass bubbles.
  • The couture piece required roughly 2,550 hours of craftsmanship and concealed technology that released floating bubbles.
  • On the red carpet, Gu blew bubbles from the dress to dispel online claims that the effect was generated by AI.
  • Viewers praised the whimsical, surreal look and said it suited Gu’s upbeat public persona.
  • Gu’s crossover appeal as a multi-medal freestyle skier and fashion model has kept her in the spotlight, even as past criticism over her choice to represent China continues to frame public discussion.