Eileen Gu was ever the golden girl on Wednesday when she traded her skis for stilettos at Milan Fashion Week.
The freestyle skier continued to wow in Italy following her success at the Winter Olympics where she claimed a gold medal and a pair of silvers under intense scrutiny from her critics.
The 22-year-old remained in Milan this week but instead of stunning fans with her skills on the slopes, she turned heads with her style.
Gu, who controversially represents China over the United States where she was born, has stayed booked and busy following the end of the Milan-Cortina Games as she turned her focus to her ‘other job’ at Milan Fashion Week.
The Olympic champion attended her first event of the fashion extravaganza in the Italian city, when she strutted into the Brunello Cucinelli on Wednesday.
Gu looked ethereal in an ivory, floor-length silk shift dress with a halter neckline and backless detail that accentuated her athletic frame.
Olympian Eileen Gu was traded her skis for stilettos at Milan Fashion Week on Wednesday
The freestyle skier won a gold medal and a pair of silvers at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy
She paired the gown with a cropped moto leather jacket, fusing a daring edge to the chic look.
Gu was warmly welcomed to the show as a guest of honor, with Brunello Cucinelli, the designer of the luxury Italian fashion brand, personally heralding her arrival.
The designer posed with the Team China athlete, holding her arm in the air in a gesture that seemingly recognized her recent triumphs.
Gu, the most-decorated female Olympic freestyle skier, has shared following her final event that, with the success of the Games now behind her, she would be dedicating her attention to her ‘other job.’
The halfpipe Olympic champion is staying in Milan from February 24 to March 2 for the city’s Fashion Week, where she made her catwalk debut back in 2023.
‘It’s Fashion Week in Milan,’ Gu said, via AFP. ‘I have the other job, the other fashion thing.
‘I’m really excited to just explore some other avenues, be creative, and explore my femininity through fashion, which is something I’ve always loved, and to kind of put that in juxtaposition with skiing and with sports.
‘And I think they co-exist so beautifully and so I hope to represent that next week in Milan.’
The 22-year-old looked effortlessly chic in an ivory, silk gown with a halter neckline
She paired the dress with a cropped black leather jack to add an edgy touch to the look
While Gu has established herself as a force on the slopes, she has also emerged as a fashion darling.
In addition to being a decorated Olympian and a student at Stanford University, Gu is also an IMG-signed model, having graced the covers of the Chinese editions of Harper’s Bazaar, Elle, Cosmopolitan, GQ and Vogue.
She has also been featured in campaigns for Fendi, Gucci, Tiffany & Co. and Louis Vuitton, and is a founding member of the VS collective.
Gu has also attended some of the biggest fashion events across the globe, including the Met Gala red carpet in 2022 and Paris Fashion Week in 2023.
Her treasure trove of luxury sponsorships reportedly earned her a staggering $23 million last year alone, per Forbes.
However, her success and fame have thrust her under the microscope with her sponsorships and wealth coming under intense scrutiny, especially in the wake of her decision to compete for China.
As her wealth explodes, so does the vitriol from back home, where critics and former athletes have begun openly labeling the San Francisco-born skier a ‘traitor.’