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How Suni Lee Brought Gold-Medal Beauty to the Met Gala Red Carpet
A month after taking home gold at the 2020 Tokyo Games, gymnast Sunisa “Suni” Lee arrived to the Met gala beaming. It was a historic night for both the gala, which returned after a two-year hiatus, and Lee, who was attending the star-studded affair for the first time.
“It was just incredible and it felt so surreal to be able to say I’m going to the Met gala at 18,” Lee, who attended with Victoria’s Secret, told Vogue. For the evening, Lee wore a custom gold bandeau and matching floor-length skirt by Sukeina. The brand deeply resonated on a personal level for Lee: “Sukeina means ‘bright light,’ and I think the brand represents the experiences and challenges of life. That really was important to me because of the Olympics, I mean it really just fits the whole story and vibe of the Olympics and it felt right."
On the beauty front, stylist Irinel de León kept it simple and elegant, prepping Lee’s hair with the Ouai Wave Spray and using Oribe Superfine Hairspray to hold everything in place. “For Suni’s look, we wanted to stick with something sleek, clean and polished since the dress is very symmetrical and strong,” León explained. She then filled in Lee’s hairline using Color Wow palette in dark brown and finished the look with gold cording around base of the pony with gold buttons to match.
Also playing off of the metallic theme, makeup artist Allan Avendano created a bronze look with a soft, smoky eye that was classic yet elevated. “We didn’t want to do anything too overpowering," Avendano notes. For nails, Mar y Sol Inzerillo used Valentino Beauty Pure. “I wanted her nails to complement her dress and she wanted pink. A dreamy manicure for the gal who made her dreams come true and won the gold!”
Dreamy indeed. Scroll down for a behind-the-scenes breakdown of Suni Lee’s Met Gala look.
Photo: Andrew Day / Courtesy of Victoria's Secret1/8Evening glam and delectable scents including Victoria’s Secret Tease Eau de Parfum.
Photo: Andrew Day / Courtesy of Victoria's Secret2/8Underpinnings for the night ahead (namely Victoria’s Secret Bare Infinity Flex Bra).
Photo: Andrew Day / Courtesy of Victoria's Secret3/8“The gown was a statement in itself, and using the warm browns, bronze and gold tones really complemented the look, making the Olympian look like an actual gold medal!” says Avendano. “I used Koh Gen Do, a Japanese line to create the entire look.”
Photo: Andrew Day / Courtesy of Victoria's Secret4/8“We went with a high ponytail that accentuates her bone structure with long extensions and blunt ends to match the symmetrical lines of the dress itself,” says León. “To finish, we added some gold accents to the pony, which were actually buttons that were used to tie around with gold cording.”
