Suni Lee Made NYFW Her Fashion Playground

You may have had a busy summer, but were you Suni Lee’s level busy? For starters, the gymnast competed in the 2024 Olympic Games, where she picked up three medals (including the Team USA gold). “I couldn't have asked for a better experience,” Lee tells Vogue of competing. “I'm so grateful for the opportunity, and for everyone's support along the way.” Just earlier this month, meanwhile, Lee also made the big move to New York City—where she’s been busy setting up her new home in the Big Apple. “I'm excited for a new chapter, and happy I get to do it in New York,” she says. “I moved a day before hitting the ground running for NYFW, so I haven't really had a chance to get acclimated, but I'm really just excited to get to do normal things like walk for my morning coffee, visit my local grocery store, and pick out furniture for my new apartment!”

This New York Fashion Week, which concluded yesterday, marked Lee's first time attending the shows. The athlete shares that she's always had a deep love for fashion, but has never gotten to attend NYFW due to her busy training schedule. “I'm so grateful to all the brands and designers who hosted me this season,” Lee says. “It definitely lived up to the hype!” To jump right into all of the action, Lee worked with stylist Brian Meller, and made NYFW her fashion playground. “Since this was my first fashion week, I wanted to experiment with different trends and try new things,” she says. “I'm really happy that each look felt different and had its own vibe.”

Loved my look for this. The dress is Off-White and the shoes are Gianvito Rossi.

Photo: Brian Meller

Among Lee’s personal highlights of the week? She cites Off-White and Tommy Hilfiger as some of her favorite collectsions. “I was able to see so many of my friends and fellow athletes [at Off-White,]” she says. “It was also cool that the Tommy show took place on the Staten Island Ferry, giving me one of my first New York experiences.” Having also attended presentations such as Michael Kors, Brandon Maxwell, and Simkhai, Lee enjoyed playing dress-up and finding looks that suited each show.

At Kors, Lee opened herself up to the idea of tailoring. “I typically love a mini dress, but I stayed open to trying new things and what each designer envisioned for me along the way,” she says. “When I was first offered to wear a short-suit for Michael Kors, I never thought I'd be into the trouser short trend, but it ended up being one of my favorite looks of the week!” At Tommy Hilfiger, she also slipped into a trench coat dress that she was “obsessed” with. When trying on all of the looks, Lee says her biggest style takeaway was never underestimate the power of a good tailor. “Tailoring really is where the magic is,” Lee says. “The fittings were also really fun, too. I loved meeting the teams behind each of the shows, and seeing their hard work come to life.”