Suni Lee, Megan Rapinoe, Eileen Gu on Their First Met Gala

Victoria’s Secret had its first presence at the Met Gala this year, and seated at the table were some of the biggest names in sports at the moment: Suni Lee, Megan Rapinoe and Eileen Gu; as well as Valentina Sampaio, Victoria’s Secret’s first openly trans model; actors Kiki Layne and Rachel Zegler; musician Madison Beer, and model Imaan Hamman. Below, we chat with Lee, Rapino, Gu and Sampaio about their big Met night.

Suni Lee:

What were you most excited about for the Met?
“Attending the Met Gala was really a dream come true and the perfect way to celebrate all that this year means to me from winning Gold at the games, to being able to attend the Met and starting my first year in college on my own. 2021 is a year I will always remember.”

What was your favorite part of the evening?
“It was the most incredible night. I’ve always dreamed of attending the Met ever since I was a little girl and I can’t believe my dream came true. I’ll never forget this moment and I can’t thank Victoria’s Secret and Sukeina enough. They made my first Met experience so memorable. The highlight of my night was watching Justin Bieber perform ‘Baby!’ I cried as soon as I heard the first line.“

What did you love about your look?
“I wore the designer Sukeina. Sukeina means ‘bright light’, and I love that the brand represents the experience of the challenges and triumphs of life. It really resonated with me and working with their team and Omar was an amazing experience from start to finish. We discussed the design together and they really brought it to life in a way I could have never even imagined. In all the fittings they made me feel so special, and I think the final product is a great representation of me and my journey. I feel like wearing Sukeina is perfect for my first red carpet — Omar is so talented and takes inspiration from around the world for his pieces. I also wore The Bare Infinity Flex bra from Victoria’s Secret as a foundation piece underneath my top. It’s so smooth and comfortable. American is a blend of many cultures and experiences, which is why I loved the theme of the evening so much and why it fits in so well with the designers who made my dress.”

Megan Rapinoe:

What were you most excited about for the Met?
“I felt like there was so much I didn’t even know about [the night].…[I looked] forward to the red carpet, it’s a total spectacle and I [knew it would] be a lot of fun.”

What did you love about your look?
“My look was so beautiful; my designer, Sergio Hudson, did an amazing job putting it all together. I loved that it was a little cheeky in a way, while also sort of asking questions. It always just looks poppin’, too, when a designer creates something especially for you.”

Why is now an exciting time for American fashion?
“I’m excited about where American fashion is going; I feel like it hasn’t always invited everyone in and lived up to its full potential. But now there’s so many new, young designers and I feel like even the old, traditional designers are revamping and having a new take on things as we head into this new world.”

Eileen Gu:

What were you most excited for about The Met?
“I was so excited to attend with Victoria’s Secret. It’s an exciting and humbling experience to be able to experience all this greatness and such an honor to be surrounded by such amazing people.”

Why is now an exciting time for American fashion?
“American fashion is diverse culturally and racially, and in terms of where you come from, what you look like and your different perspectives. I think that is really beautiful for fashion because it creates a space for everyone and anyone to feel seen and heard. Tonight is such a celebration of resiliency for everything we have been through this last year. It’s an amazing celebration of community and I’m just so excited to be going with Victoria’s Secret!”

Valentina Sampaio:

What was your highlight of the night?
“The most exciting events from the night were the surprise performance by Justin Bieber and seeing icons like Rihanna in her statement look.”

What did you love about your look?
“I loved how fluid my look was and the way I could move on the carpet with the help of my Victoria’s Secret foundation pieces. My stylists Anda & Masha found the perfect Iris van Herpen dress that was an ode to couture American fashion combined with innovation. The designer’s pieces are very much in sync with women’s bodies. The process of making each piece has been closely related to my own development as a woman. It’s such an exciting time for American fashion, because the industry is changing more now than ever to become more diverse and the Met Gala was a celebration of this change.”