Simone Biles's 2026 Laureus World Sports Awards Dress Takes the Red Carpet Feather Trend to New Heights
The moment was worth being sewn into.
Minutes before Simone Biles arrived at the 2026 Laureus World Sports Awards on April 20, she was sewn into her feather-covered Cong Tri dress. Biles's Instagram Stories revealed it "busted," but the wardrobe mishap didn't stop her from showing out on the red carpet.
2025's Sportswoman of the Year returned to the Madrid soirée to present retired Romanian gymnast Nadia Comăneci with the Lifetime Achievement Award. Stylist Marc Desir (whom her husband, Jonathan Owens, worked with at the 2025 Met Gala) dipped his toe in womenswear with a Cong Tri Fall 2025 mini dress. Every square-inch of the one-shoulder style boasted razor-sharp feathers crafted from ivory taffeta. They fanned out from Biles's waist, cascading past the thigh-length hemline onto a carpet-grazing train. The Olympian's pointy pumps were an almost-identical shade match.
Simone Biles was all smiles at the 2026 Laureus World Sports Awards, despite being sewn into her feather dress.
A dress this textured didn't require much accessorizing. But Biles couldn't turn down a statement watch, featuring a rose gold face and a green, croc-embossed band. Don't miss the slim silver handchain that added a mixed-metal element to her jewelry suite. Her itty-bitty clutch was yellow gold, while her three-carat, oval-cut engagement ring was silver. She even tapped into the anklet trend with a matching chain.
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A moment for the athlete's medal-worthy accessories.
Biles's plumes weren't authentic, but they didn't have to be to join Spring 2026's feather trend. Three weeks ago, Zendaya tested faux feathers herself in an Erdem Fall 2026 dress. Black-and-white quills acted in lieu of an actual skirt, but zoom in and you'll see they looked more like distressed fabric scraps. The sheer amount of them simulated the volume of feathers.
Earlier this month, Zendaya wore similar faux feathers for The Drama in NYC.
On red carpets, meanwhile, feathers continue to flutter from one VIP soirée to another. Everyone from Demi Moore and Olivia Rodrigo to Rita Ora pulled off the accessory trend at the 2026 Vanity Fair Oscar Party. More recently, 25,000 silk feathers decorated the intricate ombré bust on Emily Blunt's Schiaparelli couture gown at The Devil Wears Prada 2 NYC premiere. Similar construction was used on the black-to-blue Schiaparelli design Zendaya wore to The Drama premiere in NYC. Now thanks to Biles, spring's feather craze is going global.
