The Tokyo Olympics was deemed cursed. Simone Biles suffered a deep personal crisis—something that demanded patience; patience to heal from not holding “a lot of guilt that is not mine to hold.” Beaten and battered with insults calling her a “national embarrassment,” far from being a quitter, Biles rose herself from the ashes at the Met Gala 2021—shining brighter than the crystals on her dress or leotards and dancing her way through the red carpet in a gown graced with ostrich plumes.

Much can be owed to the fact that, in April 2021, the seven-time Olympics medalist signed up with the Gap-owned company, Athleta. This decision worked in her favor as the deal opened up opportunities and better platforms for Simone Biles. Biles’s Met Gala debut, who attended as Athleta’s guest, too was powered by the brand. But it wasn’t just usual business for her at the Gala; Biles had her own agenda.

Simone Biles grace from the mat to the Met: “This is going to be a statement” 

Set against the backdrop of In America: A Lexicon of Fashion, the 2021 Met Gala primed the sports world for the much-awaited glimpse of Simone Biles. In the middle of the flash and splendor of the moment, Biles, styled by Leslie Fremar, stood as a symbol of power and resilience following her double medal exploits in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, and most importantly, the backlash after her unanticipated exit. Now, Biles and Fremar coming together to create her silver-trail Area x Athleta gown couldn’t have been more timely.

The statement? It will certainly take you back to the early and mid-20th century. Josephine Baker, an American-born French burlesque dancer, is deemed one of the very first black women who starred in a major film. An advocate for civil rights, Baker used her popularity and fame to good use, a great nod to something similar that Biles is keen on doing. In fact, when Biles initially signed up with Athleta, Biles then said, “Using my voice has been very empowering for me, and I am grateful to embark on this new journey with Athleta to inspire young girls and women.”

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Simone Biles told Vogue, “I personally don’t think anybody’s dress is gonna be better than mine…I’m sure everyone feels like that going in, but this is going to be a statement.”She walked in firing on all cylinders sartorially, the same way she does on the mats.

“I want to say to little girls in general, you can be tough in any sport you want to be, and you can be strong. On the other end you can come out feeling empowered and beautiful and wear gowns like this and step out of your comfort zone,” she said. “You don’t have to be just an athlete; at the end of the day we’re people too.”

Over 100 workers put in 6,650 hours to carefully sew and embellish the three pieces of apparel, which guaranteed Biles’ comfort and ease of movement throughout the evening. The outfit was a perfect combination of elegance and utility since it was made to be simple to take off the minidress and separate the skirt. In addition to highlighting the value of strength and empowerment outside of the realm of sports, Biles expressed her hope that the outfit will encourage young girls to follow their passion boldly. Most of these qualities were lacking while Biles served as a Nike athlete.

Breakup with Nike over grim issues

The switch by Simone Biles from Nike to Athleta was symbolic of a larger trend in which athletes gave priority to companies that shared their beliefs and promoted solidarity and inclusion. Although Nike has long dominated the sponsorship scene with its financial might, incidents involving the company’s treatment of female athletes and sponsored athletes have long undermined its righteous image. As part of their advocacy, Olympic champions Biles and Allyson Felix, among others, chose to sign with Athleta, a brand that has been serving both of them well as opposed to Nike.

Biles also highlighted how Athleta and her 2021 Met Gala appearance was inspiring for women athletes. She said, “I want to say to little girls in general, you can be tough in any sport you want to be, and you can be strong. On the other end, you can come out feeling empowered and beautiful and wear gowns like this and step out of your comfort zone.” One thing’s for sure though, Athleta has made good on its promise and Biles is sure to put all her faith into this behemoth brand being the cradle of her life’s choices.