Paige Bueckers made her Met Gala debut in a custom Coach look. The WNBA superstar wore a black suit splattered with paint and adorned with Swarovski crystals to fit the theme “Costume Art” and the dress code “Fashion Is Art.”

“For me, it was less about specific artworks and more about the artists themselves — their studios, their working clothes, the way things build up over time,” Coach Creative Director Stuart Vevers tells Teen Vogue about Bueckers look. “We kept coming back to those layers of paint, the splatters and smudges that aren’t intentional but become part of the piece. There’s something very alive in that — the energy, the imperfection, the sense of history. It felt honest.”

“Fashion is a different way to express yourself. Art is a different way to express yourself. And I think basketball, too, is a form of art,” Bueckers says when we caught up with her before the Met Gala 2026. “For this to be my first experience at the Met Gala, I think it’s really cool for this to be the theme. I really like how the Coach piece came together. And just, yeah, I mean, I’m excited to see. Mine probably won’t be as crazy as some other people’s, but I’m excited to see how people express themselves through fashion and art.”

Processed with VSCO with al3pro presetCourtesy of Coach. Photos by Miles Diggs.