WNBA Star and Coach Ambassador Paige Bueckers Wears Coach at Met Gala 2026

Coach announces that WNBA star and Coach ambassador Paige Bueckers, a basketball champion, wore a custom-made look designed by Coach Creative Director Stuart Vevers at The Met Gala - Costume Institute Benefit, held in New York on May 4, 2026 (local time). This year's Met Gala celebrated the opening of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute exhibition, "Costume Art."

Bueckers' look reinterpreted elements inspired by 1940s tailoring from Coach's FALL 2026 collection, viewed through a 1970s lens. The black wool and satin three-piece tuxedo features wide peaked lapels, a deeply cut vest, and trousers with an impressive flared silhouette and extended length. The relaxed cutting creates a light, flowing drape.

The tuxedo is adorned with hand-painted expressions, meticulously replicating the natural brushstrokes, bleeds, and splatters found on drop cloths and painter's smocks. Layering multiple tools, it expresses the energy of the creative process. Special attention was paid to the placement of colors, as if an artist unconsciously wiped their hands or applied a brush. Furthermore, embroidered beads, sequins, and Swarovski crystals highlight the brushwork, expressing the lustrous quality of wet paint.

As a personal detail, the number "5" is embroidered in purple thread on Bueckers' right sleeve. This is an homage to her long-standing jersey number, symbolizing the number she currently wears for the Dallas Wings.

For footwear, she wore Coach's block-heeled loafers made from Italian cow leather, inspired by the 1970s, featuring a three-dimensional C hardware. These were paired with a black satin "Tabby 20" bag, adorned with the same paint and embroidery as the tuxedo.

Celebrating this year's Met Gala theme, this look is joyful, expressive, and at times chaotic, honoring the very process of creating art. Rather than representing a finished work, it captures the accumulation of imperfect yet beautiful brushstrokes and bleeds as a creative process reflected on the body, conveying individuality and history. Vevers and Bueckers collaborated closely to conceive a look that merged the Met Gala theme with Bueckers' love for tailoring. Coach, along with New York-based artisans and long-standing brand partners, brought this concept to life. This look, with its intricate cutting, paint, and embroidery, creates a vivid contrast between technical perfection and artistic dynamism.

"I approached this year's theme from the perspective of creation. The feeling of making things, especially in New York, is very intrinsic to Coach. Fashion and art share the same instinct, which lies in the work, craft, process, and the people who shape it behind the finished piece. This was an opportunity to bring that to the forefront. My collaboration with Paige was intuitive from the start and cooperative throughout the creation process. That gave me the confidence to shape a real, honest expression that is truly her," says Vevers.

Paige Bueckers also commented: "This is my first Met Gala, and I am incredibly honored to have been invited. I am especially happy to be here with Stuart and the amazing Coach team who dressed me tonight. They are truly wonderful partners, and through this look, we were able to celebrate the artists, the team, and the courage needed to bring a vision to life, as well as the process itself."

About Coach: Coach is a global fashion brand founded in New York in 1941. Inspired by the vision of Creative Director Stuart Vevers and the inclusive, courageous spirit of our hometown, New York, we create beautiful, long-loved products that empower everyone to be themselves.

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