Naomi Osaka Explains Why She Wore a 'Blood'-Covered Gown to 2026 Met Gala

Skyler CarusoThu, May 7, 2026 at 5:34 PM UTC

0

Naomi Osaka attends the 2026 Met Gala.
Credit: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty for The Met Museum/Vogue -

Naomi Osaka wore a two-part, performative gown to the 2026 Met Gala

The Grand Slam champion's dress was designed by London-based designer Robert Wun

Part one of her outfit featured a long, white coat with red feathers that spurted out like blood, while part two was completely red like the muscles and tendons of a human body

Naomi Osaka spewed style (and blood) on the 2026 Met Gala red carpet.

The tennis star, 28, wore a head-turning, two-part look when she hit the sartorial steps at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on Monday, May 4, dripping in details and symbolism that aligned with the human body.

Osaka teamed back up with London-based designer Robert Wun, who created a performative piece to coincide with this year's Met Gala theme, "Costume Art," and its accompanying dress code, "Fashion Is Art."

Naomi Osaka attends the 2026 Met Gala.
Credit: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty

No stranger to designing elaborate numbers, Wu — who previosuly worked with Osaka to design her memorable jelly fish look worn to the 2026 Australian Open — stitched together a gown that resembled a body, featuring a layer of skin that shed to muscle and tendon on the carpet.

When Osaka arrived to the Met Gala, her outer layer featured a balloon-sleeved coat that doubled as a dress with scarlet single feathers stitched throughout the bodice, spouting like wounds from the fabric. She accessorized with an oversize hat to match, plus dramatic sheer red gloves.

As the Grand Slam champion made her way up the Met steps, the outer coat shell was removed, unveiling a filament-red, fitted dress composed of beadwork (not to mention, the inner gown's beads took 659,000 stitches to complete).

"It's like a shedding of an outer skin," Osaka told Vanity Fair at The Mark Hotel as she got ready for fashion's biggest night.

Marty Harper, Osaka’s longtime collaborator and stylist, further explained the significance behind the design when speaking with Vanity Fair.

Advertisement

— sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Naomi Osaka attends the 2026 Met Gala.
Credit: Kevin Mazur/MG26/Getty

"The exterior in itself is indicative of the body," he said. "There are these slits that have these crystals and feathers and it's almost as though the body's been pierced and blood is actually coming out... this recognition that the body has the ability to be open, and for [things] to be removed, if needed."

"And when we remove, you see a lot of the muscle structure, you see a lot of the blood flow, the circulatory system. This is all of what this is," he said, gesturing to the veining of the beads on the dress. "You also see that her body is very much this like hourglass shape."

Osaka is aware of the style swings she takes with her fashion, and she doesn't mind what others think about it.

Naomi Osaka attends the 2026 Met Gala.
Credit: Getty Images

"I feel like [what I do] is very unique," she told Vanity Fair. "There are so many different individuals out there, and obviously, what I like, some people don't like, and what some people like, I don't particularly like."

"It’s weird," she continued. "I would call myself very introverted and shy, but in [fashion] moments, I don’t feel shy at all. It doesn’t freak me out."

In fact, the tennis star then referenced her Australian Open jellyfish number. To her, she was empowered despite the mixed reviews she received online.

"When I wore the Australian Open outfit in the players area, like before going out, I thought, ‘Oh my God, like what am I doing? Am I being super extra'?" she recalled. "But I do feel that in moments like that, you kind of challenge what people think is normal."

on People

Original Article on Source

Source: “AOL Entertainment”