U.S. gold medalist Alysa Liu found inspiration in the athletic body and ice skating for her Met Gala debut.
American Olympic figure skater Alysa Liu made her debut at the “Costume Art” 2026 Met Gala with a wine-colored Louis Vuitton gown. The strapless dress featured a high-low skirt with a dramatic layered hem, offering a throwback to the early 2010s. But its meaning ran deeper, referencing cell structure, athleticism and figure skating.
An Olympic Take on The High Low Skirt
Attending the Met Gala for the first time, the Olympic champion opted for a layered dress with a voluminous high-low skirt that aligned perfectly with her alternative image. Liu styled the burgundy piece with a pair of velvet heels and a choker with a matching-color jewel. She also kept her hair down, showcasing the high-contrast halo design—sections of contrasting black and blonde hair that have become her beauty signature—in subtle waves.
Liu’s Met Gala styling proved her penchant for pushing the boundaries of style. Defying trends and outdated visions of fashion, the athlete revived the high-low skirt, a divisive trend that thrived in the previous decade. And she didn’t miss the mark. As she has made obvious since her return to the figure skating scene (following a brief retirement), Liu isn’t afraid to carve her own path in the fashion industry, especially at one of fashion’s most well-regarded events.
The athlete is not alone in the high-low skirt revival. The trend has slowly reemerged since 2025, thanks to celebrities and fashion designers. Compared to its bohemian origins, the modern high-low skirt is associated with the cool-girl image. Take, as an example, Charli xcx, who embraced the look with a Jean Paul Gaultier gown at the 2025 Grammy Awards. The skirt design also populated the Vivienne Westwood Autumn/Winter 2025 runway.
Now, Liu has brought the trend to the iconic steps of the Met for her first-ever Met Gala.
The Deep Meaning Behind Alysa Liu’s Met Gala Dress
Beyond trends, Lui’s outfit carried a deeper meaning. The figure skating prodigy partnered with Louis Vuitton to create a gown that reflected both her personal story and the gala’s theme.
If you need a quick refresher, the Met Gala serves as a fundraiser for the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and commemorates the opening of its spring exhibition. This year, the exhibition “Costume Art” dives deep into the connection between the human body and clothing. The curatorial work revisits the history of costume through its relationship to the human anatomy across forms and stages (corpulent body, aged body, pregnant body, etc.)
While the dress code for the night was “Fashion Is Art,” lending itself to a variety of interpretations, Liu and her styling team went directly to the source. Using the exhibition as inspiration, Liu’s team and Louis Vuitton created a dress that referenced “vascularity, cell structure, and muscle tissue.”
According to Liu’s stylist Katie Qian, this inspiration was palpable in the dark red hue and voluminous ruffles of the gown. Coincidentally, she said, the forms also emulated “how ice is carved when figure skating.”
Talking to Vogue, Liu spoke about bridging different art forms with her look. “I love the theme, especially as an athlete, because for me it’s all about the relationship with clothing and our bodies as an artistic medium,” said the Olympic medalist.
Alysa Liu, a style icon in the making
In just a matter of months, Liu has cemented her place as a fashion and cultural icon for the new generation. In early 2026, the athlete earned two gold medals at the Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics, becoming the first figure skater representing the USA to win a medal in women’s figure skating since 2002.
Shortly after, the athlete made her Paris Fashion Week debut at the Louis Vuitton Fall/Winter 2026 show. Since then, Liu has become a fixture at fashion and pop culture events. She has attended the Vanity Fair Oscar Party, the Elton John AIDS Foundation Academy Awards Viewing Party and the 2026 iHeart Radio Music Awards.
On and off the ice rink, Liu has become a consummate fashion icon. The skater’s Oakland roots have deeply influenced her wardrobe, from her smiley piercing to her halo hair, consolidating her role as an icon of laid-back and alternative fashion. Liu has also become a cultural force. She has been referenced on television, featured in magazines and even made a cameo on Icelandic singer Laufey’s “Madwoman” music video, alongside other Asian American icons such as Hudson Williams and Lola Tung.
More recently, the champion was appointed as a Louis Vuitton global ambassador. The announcement came just hours before her 2026 Met Gala debut, sparking high anticipation for her appearance.
