Venus Williams recognises beauty in diverse bodiespublished at 23:37 BST
23:37 BST
Scarlett Harris
Fashion critic
Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption,
Venus Williams in custom Swarovski
Gala co-chair Venus Williams is no stranger to serving looks on the tennis court, alongside her fashionable sister Serena.
Williams is also no stranger to having her body critiqued, so she felt the theme of the exhibition, Costume Art, which is revolutionary for its inclusion of diverse mannequins modeled after real people, is “a perfect fit for me”, she told Vogue.
Featured in the exhibition – and present on the red carpet – are Sinéad Burke, a disability activist who was born with dwarfism; Aimee Mullins, an athlete and actress who wears prosthetic lower legs; and Aariana Rose Philip, a musician and model who uses a wheelchair; as well as pregnant forms, all of which will be repurposed for use in other exhibitions when Costume Art closes in January 2027.
“It’s even more important today because people feel so much pressure to look a certain way. Though there’s so much beauty in difference,” Williams told Vogue.
Tonight she’s wearing custom Swarovski.
Image source, The Metropolitan Museum of ArtImage caption,
A look into “The Pregnant Body” portion of the Costume Art exhibition