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Eileen Gu Stuns In Iris Van Herpen Gown
- Dara Clariza Evangelista
- 10 hours ago
- 2 min read
Olympian, model, and Stanford student Eileen Gu delivered one of the most striking fashion moments of Paris Fashion Week when she appeared at the Grand Dîner du Louvre wearing a sculptural gown by Dutch haute couture designer Iris van Herpen. Set against the iconic glass pyramid of the Louvre, the look felt less like an outfit and more like a living work of art.
Gu’s gown featured a flowing silhouette that shifted from peach to plum, paired with delicate wing-like structures that echoed the famous Winged Victory of Samothrace sculpture inside the museum. The sheer halter dress seemed to move with air itself, creating a sense of weightlessness that mirrored the athlete’s own discipline of freestyle skiing.
For Gu, the moment was more than just fashion. It was a meeting of art, movement, and personal inspiration. “I think life really imitates art,” she shared after the event, reflecting on the striking parallel between the dress and the ancient sculpture that inspired it. Seeing the statue illuminated inside the Louvre made the experience emotional for the skier, who has long admired the piece for its symbolism of power and motion.
The collaboration between Gu and Van Herpen also reflects a growing relationship between sport and couture. The 22-year-old athlete has become one of fashion’s most recognizable crossover figures, equally comfortable on the slopes, in campaigns, and on runways. Born in San Francisco and competing internationally in freestyle skiing, Gu is a two-time Olympic gold medalist while also studying international relations at Stanford University. She has frequently spoken about how creativity and expression play a role in both fashion and sport. As she once explained about freestyle skiing, the discipline is “100 percent style, 100 percent execution.”
Van Herpen’s work has long blurred the line between science, nature, and fashion. Known for her experimental approach, the designer has created pieces using cutting-edge materials, including a bioluminescent gown embedded with living algae that glow under light through photosynthesis. Her collections often explore themes of ecology, physics, and movement, making them some of the most futuristic creations in couture today.
That spirit of innovation made Gu the perfect muse. “I’ve been a fan forever and ever,” Gu said of the designer, noting her fascination with Van Herpen’s use of fractals and material engineering. “I’m a huge nerd.”
In a setting filled with art history, the pairing felt almost poetic: a designer who builds garments like sculptures, and an athlete whose sport turns gravity into choreography. Together, they created a moment where fashion, science, and movement seemed to take flight.
