{"id":103837,"date":"2025-07-17T17:14:56","date_gmt":"2025-07-17T17:14:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/?post_type=articles&p=103837"},"modified":"2025-07-17T22:53:54","modified_gmt":"2025-07-17T22:53:54","slug":"suni-lee-espy-awards-2025","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/articles\/suni-lee-espy-awards-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"GRAZIA Exclusive: Suni Lee Gets Ready for the 2025 ESPY Awards in Oscar de la Renta"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Suni
Photography by Sarah Krick<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Suni Lee<\/a> knows how to stick the landing \u2014 whether it\u2019s on a balance beam, a red carpet, or a major personal milestone.<\/span><\/p>\n

The 22-year-old gymnast made history as the first Hmong American Olympian, dazzled the world with her gold medal win<\/a> in Tokyo, and faced down serious health challenges with the same poise she brings to the podium. Last night at the 2025 ESPY Awards<\/a>, Lee accepted the honor of “Best Comeback Athlete,” marking not just a return to form but a full-circle transformation.<\/span><\/p>\n

But before the trophy, of course, came the glam. For her red carpet moment, Lee wore an Oscar de la Renta<\/a> gown in liquid gold \u2014 a nod, she says, to another icon.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Suni
Photography by Sarah Krick<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Suni
Photography by Sarah Krick<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"
Beyonce at The 2004 Brit Awards (Photo by Jon Furniss\/WireImage)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cMy original inspiration was a photo I saw of Beyonc\u00e9 in a gold dress,\u201d Lee tells GRAZIA USA<\/em>. The image in question? Beyonc\u00e9 at the 2004 BRIT Awards in a gilded Dolce & Gabbana gown. \u201cAfter that, I became obsessed with finding the one<\/em>, and I\u2019m so happy this came together for such a fun night like the ESPYs.\u201d<\/p>\n

Here, Lee opens her beauty bag, playlist queue, and heart \u2014 offering an intimate look at her red carpet prep, her evolving relationship with fashion, and why Zendaya and her mom remain her twin sources of inspiration.<\/span><\/p>\n

GETTING READY: THE GOLDEN GIRL ERA<\/b><\/h3>\n

On the vision for the look:<\/strong><\/h4>\n

\u201cMy amazing glam team and I decided to go in a very \u2018golden girl\u2019 direction, which was really exciting since I typically lean into a more natural look. I love how the blown-out hair and bronzey makeup really completed the Oscar de la Renta gown, yet still let it shine.\u201d<\/p>\n

On working with stylist Brian Meller:<\/strong><\/h4>\n

“He always encourages me to trust my gut and pick what makes me feel the best, which I really appreciate. It can get so overwhelming, and I am so lucky to have his insight and guidance.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

On her red carpet MVP:<\/strong><\/h4>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve always loved Zendaya\u2019s red carpet moments. She\u2019s just so fearless with her fashion and always looks confident, no matter what she\u2019s wearing. That\u2019s really inspiring to me, because as an athlete, I\u2019m used to feeling confident in competition gear, but expressing myself through fashion is still new for me. Watching her own every look reminds me that confidence is really the best accessory you can have.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clutch essentials?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

\u201cI would definitely say my lip combo \u2014 and then some gum or mints. Specifically for a red carpet, since I\u2019m talking a lot, haha! So crucial.\u201d<\/p>\n

Texts in the glam chair:<\/strong><\/h4>\n

\u201cDefinitely my mom and best friends! I always need a little boost of encouragement from the people closest to me before a big event like the ESPYs, and I appreciate them so much for keeping me entertained and distracting me from any nerves.\u201d<\/p>\n

Getting ready playlist:<\/strong><\/h4>\n

“Anything Drake or SZA is my go-to! I pretty much always have them on shuffle.”
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Suni
Photography by Sarah Krick<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Accessories\"
Photography by Sarah Krick<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

THE COMEBACK<\/b><\/h3>\n

On being named Best Comeback Athlete:<\/strong><\/h4>\n

\u201cIt means the absolute world to me. I remember not even knowing if I would ever be able to participate in gymnastics again, and to go from that to now \u2014 being nominated alongside the other amazing athletes \u2014 it\u2019s just unbelievable. I am so grateful.\u201d<\/p>\n

On what\u2019s changed mentally:<\/strong><\/h4>\n

\u201cHaving confidence in myself has truly changed everything for me. I see so much more progress when I trust my abilities and strength \u2014 both mental and physical.\u201d<\/p>\n

On representing her community:<\/strong><\/h4>\n

\u201cI hope young Asian American girls see themselves as the strong, capable, and powerful women I know they are. I\u2019ve always wanted to be the representation I wished to see, and now that I\u2019m here, I hope to encourage and inspire as much as possible.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Gown\"
Photography by Sarah Krick<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Suni
Photography by Sarah Krick<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

STYLE, CITY, AND SELFHOOD<\/b><\/h3>\n

On being the first Hmong American Olympian:<\/strong><\/h4>\n

\u201cIt is totally what keeps me going! Little Suni would never believe the place we\u2019re currently in, and she reminds me every day to keep pushing the boundaries of what I thought possible.\u201d<\/p>\n

NYC vs. Minnesota Suni:<\/strong><\/h4>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s so funny because there\u2019s totally a vibe change between when I\u2019m in NYC versus home in Minnesota. \u2018NYC Suni\u2019 is very independent and self-sufficient, and when I\u2019m \u2018Minnesota Suni,\u2019 I want to be surrounded by friends and family, eating the amazing Hmong food my mom is cooking. I love both versions!\u201d<\/p>\n

On her personal style evolution:<\/strong><\/h4>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve definitely leaned more into the street style that New York is so known for since being here. Since I\u2019ve been working with Brian, he\u2019s really elevated my day-to-day thought process when picking out clothes. I think my style evolution has a lot to do with just growing up and maturing as well \u2014 I definitely lean more toward timeless pieces than I ever have.\u201d<\/p>\n

On her dream red carpet risk:<\/strong><\/h4>\n

\u201cMaybe a shorter haircut\u2026 that one always makes me nervous, but I\u2019m so curious!\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Suni
Photography by Sarah Krick<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Details\"
Photography by Sarah Krick<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

BEYOND THE GYM<\/b><\/h3>\n

On her advocacy work with the American Kidney Fund:<\/strong><\/h4>\n

\u201cMy work with the American Kidney Fund is deeply personal \u2014 not only because of the diagnosis I\u2019m living with, but truly due to all of the incredible people who also struggle with this every day and don\u2019t have the proper resources provided. One of the hardest parts is knowing it\u2019s something I\u2019ll carry for the rest of my life. That\u2019s why the American Kidney Fund\u2019s Know Your Kidneys, Know Your Cause initiative means so much to me. AKF is helping people understand the underlying cause of their kidney disease so they can better manage it and slow its progression. Until I went through this myself, I didn\u2019t realize how difficult it can be to even get a proper diagnosis. I\u2019m a professional athlete with an incredible team supporting my health, and even I struggled to get answers \u2014 so I can only imagine how hard it is for others without that kind of support.\u201d<\/p>\n

On redefining success:<\/strong><\/h4>\n

\u201cI used to pay a lot of attention to the instant gratification that can come with practice, training, and ultimately winning a competition. Now that I have come out the other side, I really see the value in slowing down and being intentional with my energy. Success isn\u2019t measured by the speed at which it comes, which has been a great learning lesson for me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bucket list goal that has nothing to do with medals?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

\u201cI know I live in New York City and don\u2019t need one, but something that has always been on my bucket list is to own a car!\u201d<\/p>\n

What the next chapter looks like:<\/strong><\/h4>\n

\u201cI would love for it to be about fun and quality time with the people I love! My life has been a rollercoaster up until this point, and I\u2019m loving being able to put my focus on lighter things. My story is constantly evolving, and I\u2019m so excited to see where that takes me in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"
Suni Lee at the 2025 ESPY Awards held at the Dolby Theatre on July 16, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Michael Buckner\/Variety via Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"
Suni Lee accepts the Best Comeback Athlete Award onstage during the 2025 ESPY Awards at Dolby Theatre on July 16, 2025 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Suni Lee may be best known for her gravity-defying routines, but her greatest strength might just be staying grounded. With gold in her step and purpose in her stride, her comeback isn\u2019t just complete \u2014 it\u2019s radiant.<\/span><\/p>\n

Photography by Sarah Krick, Styling by Brian Meller, Hair by Irinel de Leon, Makeup by Maria Vargas<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":42743,"featured_media":103847,"template":"","format":"standard","categories":[23,38,17,16],"yoast_head":"\nSuni Lee Gets Ready for the 2025 ESPYs \u2014 GRAZIA USA<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Olympic gymnast Suni Lee gets ready for the 2025 ESPY Awards in an Oscar de la Renta gown \u2014 sharing red carpet glam, inspiration, and more.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/articles\/suni-lee-espy-awards-2025\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"GRAZIA Exclusive: Suni Lee Gets Ready for the 2025 ESPY Awards in Oscar de la Renta\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Olympic gymnast Suni Lee gets ready for the 2025 ESPY Awards in an Oscar de la Renta gown \u2014 sharing red carpet glam, inspiration, and more.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/articles\/suni-lee-espy-awards-2025\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Grazia USA\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-07-17T22:53:54+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2025\/07\/Untitled-design-6.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1280\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"720\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"9 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/articles\/suni-lee-espy-awards-2025\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/articles\/suni-lee-espy-awards-2025\/\",\"name\":\"Suni Lee Gets Ready for the 2025 ESPYs \u2014 GRAZIA USA\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2025-07-17T17:14:56+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-07-17T22:53:54+00:00\",\"description\":\"Olympic gymnast Suni Lee gets ready for the 2025 ESPY Awards in an Oscar de la Renta gown \u2014 sharing red carpet glam, inspiration, and more.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/articles\/suni-lee-espy-awards-2025\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/articles\/suni-lee-espy-awards-2025\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/articles\/suni-lee-espy-awards-2025\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"GRAZIA Exclusive: Suni Lee Gets Ready for the 2025 ESPY Awards in Oscar de la Renta\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/\",\"name\":\"Grazia USA\",\"description\":\"Driving tastemakers in Fashion, Beauty and Culture\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Suni Lee Gets Ready for the 2025 ESPYs \u2014 GRAZIA USA","description":"Olympic gymnast Suni Lee gets ready for the 2025 ESPY Awards in an Oscar de la Renta gown \u2014 sharing red carpet glam, inspiration, and more.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/articles\/suni-lee-espy-awards-2025\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"GRAZIA Exclusive: Suni Lee Gets Ready for the 2025 ESPY Awards in Oscar de la Renta","og_description":"Olympic gymnast Suni Lee gets ready for the 2025 ESPY Awards in an Oscar de la Renta gown \u2014 sharing red carpet glam, inspiration, and more.","og_url":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/articles\/suni-lee-espy-awards-2025\/","og_site_name":"Grazia USA","article_modified_time":"2025-07-17T22:53:54+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1280,"height":720,"url":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2025\/07\/Untitled-design-6.png","type":"image\/png"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"9 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/articles\/suni-lee-espy-awards-2025\/","url":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/articles\/suni-lee-espy-awards-2025\/","name":"Suni Lee Gets Ready for the 2025 ESPYs \u2014 GRAZIA USA","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/#website"},"datePublished":"2025-07-17T17:14:56+00:00","dateModified":"2025-07-17T22:53:54+00:00","description":"Olympic gymnast Suni Lee gets ready for the 2025 ESPY Awards in an Oscar de la Renta gown \u2014 sharing red carpet glam, inspiration, and more.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/articles\/suni-lee-espy-awards-2025\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/articles\/suni-lee-espy-awards-2025\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/articles\/suni-lee-espy-awards-2025\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"GRAZIA Exclusive: Suni Lee Gets Ready for the 2025 ESPY Awards in Oscar de la Renta"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/#website","url":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/","name":"Grazia USA","description":"Driving tastemakers in Fashion, Beauty and Culture","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"}]}},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Grazia USA","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/articles\/103837"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/articles"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/articles"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/42743"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/103847"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=103837"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=103837"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}