Lindsey Vonn Walks Strong on the 2026 Met Gala Carpet, In Her First Major Public Appearance Post-Crash

Lindsey Vonn walked the cream carpet at the 2026 Met Gala.

It’s a easy assertion with a deeper which means: in February, Vonn virtually misplaced her leg in a extreme downhill ski crash whereas competing in the Milano Cortina Olympics. Three months and a number of surgical procedures later, it appears like a minor miracle that she’s nonetheless standing. (Not an exaggeration—Vonn suffered from extreme compartment syndrome, a harmful situation the place stress mounts in the leg, proscribing blood stream and inflicting widespread nerve harm. Her surgeon told Vanity Fair it got here near amputation.)

For her public comeback she selected a tulle-skirted robe by Thom Browne. Inspired by the classical Grecian and Roman marble statues inside the Metropolitan Museum of Art, it featured 50,000 glass beads in shades of white, grey, and silver. In a press release, the model describes their design as a “trompe-l’œil,” as the sample sinks into Vonn’s pores and skin, making her appear like half a statue herself. As for jewellery, she wore Sidney Garber.

Although Vonn hasn’t dominated out a return to snowboarding (“I don’t like to close the door on anything, because you just never know what’s going to happen,” she informed Vanity Fair) her look at the Met Gala does imply what a post-professional athlete life appears like for Vonn. Like Venus Williamswho’s a co-chair of this 12 months’s profit, Vonn has confirmed to have crossover enchantment into the trend spheres. Perhaps we are able to anticipate to see her at February trend weeks now that she would not need to go prepare on the slopes.

For extra from the Met Gala 2026 red carpetcomply with together with Vanity Fair‘s live blog for reside updates, breaking information, and all the designer particulars. Brush up on what the gown code actually means, see who made V.F.‘s list of the 100 best Met Gala looks of all timeand skim our after-party guide.