Eileen Gu, fashion influencer: Olympic Games Beijing 2022 gold medal skier’s Gucci mask, shoots for Louis Vuitton and Tiffany and 2021 Met Gala appearance make her a hot property
- Chinese-American skier who won Olympic gold for Team China is carving a path to fashion glory too, oozing glamour as she lies on the snow in an LV bodysuit
- An ambassador for jeweller Tiffany, at 18 she is an emerging fashion influencer and one whose style extends to the slopes – witness her Gucci mask in Beijing
All eyes have been on Eileen Gu, the Chinese-American star skier who won gold for Team China, at her first Winter Olympics.
Even as questions about Gu’s nationality loom – it’s unclear whether she has given up her US passport in favour of Chinese citizenship – and others have debated her controversial decision to represent China instead of the United States, where she was born and raised, her popularity has risen since her Olympic debut.
The 18-year-old “snow princess”, also known as Gu Ailing in China, isn’t just known for her athleticism. Off the ice, the skier is an emerging fashion influencer who has starred in campaigns for numerous luxury brands, graced magazine covers and made appearances at fashion weeks.
Whether it’s dominating the ice or busting out some seriously striking looks, Gu shows no sign of stopping.
Here are a few of her favourite fashion looks that certainly live up to Gu’s “Golden Girl” nickname.
Sleek and stylish for Louis Vuitton
In a campaign for Louis Vuitton shot in the Dolomite mountains in Italy, Gu, her hair sleek, dons a reflective black bodysuit and black earrings to show LV’s signature Twist bag. The skier oozes glamour as she lies on the snow, and looks right in her element.
The location isn’t just the backdrop for a high-fashion shoot – it’s also where the skier won her first freeski World Cup, so the campaign pays tribute both to her skiing and her modelling.
Gu’s debut at the Met Gala
Invitations to the Met Gala are known to be highly coveted, and Gu scored one last year when she attended with Victoria’s Secret (she was named a member of its VS Collective in 2021).
On the red carpet, she showed off a white strapless bubble dress by Carolina Herrera that was affixed with reflective sequins and a statement black bow across her bust. Paired with a white clutch, black heels and sparkling Tiffany jewellery, the look was certainly a short but sweet head-turner.
Making waves at Paris Fashion Week
In one of her more daring looks, the skier wore a pair of statement high-waisted pants that featured a black, white, red and gold pattern to the Louis Vuitton show at Paris Fashion Week.
While Gu’s pants did most of the talking, she juxtaposed the cool-girl garment with an air of femininity and softness – her look was completed with a striped cropped cardigan, a lacy bralette peeking out from underneath.
With black heeled boots and a gold LV bag in tow, Gu looked set to become a fashion week regular in no time.
Masking up with Gucci
Gu’s fashion sense seeps into her skiing. While her competition attire mostly stays consistent, the athlete has been seen to accessorise with pieces such as a Gucci face mask that features the brand’s signature Guccissima pattern.
Wearing the black and white mask was both a safety measure and a fashion statement – it stood out against Gu’s red and white clothing.
Shining in Tiffany jewellery
This one’s all about the gold – Gu continues her dominance of the luxury scene as an ambassador for Tiffany & Co. She first made her ambassadorial debut in a campaign for the jewellery brand’s Tiffany T1 collection, but has since been seen sporting pieces from the Tiffany Knot and HardWear collections as well.
After her golden triumph at the Olympics, Gu was photographed wearing not one, not two, but four Tiffany rings as she posed, holding up the Beijing Olympic mascot Bing Dwen Dwen.
At the subsequent medal ceremony, Gu followed up with an additional Tiffany Knot double-row hinged bangle in yellow gold with diamonds, which gleamed alongside her gold medal.
