Lauren Wasser turned heads with her daring, leg-baring look at the 2026 Met Gala.
Wasser arrived at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City on Monday, May 4, wearing a gold Prabal Gurung suit styled by Jaz and Sarah. The model went braless under an open blazer and matching knee-length shorts, showing off portions of her chest.
She accessorized the look with a matching bandana wrapped around her platinum blonde hair, long silver necklaces, chunky rings and a wrist watch.
Wasser also sported her signature gold prosthetic legs, which earned her the nickname “the girl with the golden legs” after she lost both limbs to Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS) in 2012 and 2018.
Keep scrolling to learn more about Wasser amid her stunning Met Gala debut:
Lauren Wasser Is a Model
Wasser is best known for her modeling career, which has included posing for covers for various publications including Vogue, Glamour and Harper’s Bazaar. She has also walked in runway shows for Chromat and Louis Vuitton.
Wasser was named a Forbes 30 Under 30 recipient in 2017, as well as a 2023 Glamour Germany Woman of the Year.
Lauren Wasser Lost Both Legs to Toxic Shock Syndrome
In 2012, Wasser contracted TSS, a rare but life-threatening condition caused by toxins produced by certain types of bacteria. It is most commonly associated with tampon use, particularly with prolonged exposure when a tampon is used for more than four to eight hours, according to Mayo Clinic.
“It was the darkest moment of my life,” Wasser once told Vestal magazine of the experience. “I couldn’t believe it happened and happened so fast. My life changed forever within a few minutes and the damage done was already irreversible. The recovery seemed like it was impossible.”
Wasser added that she was “stripped of everything I knew,” having experienced hair loss and weight gain due to her body being “flushed” with fluids to “get all of the toxins out.”
Wasser initially had her right leg amputated as a result of complications from TSS in 2012. She later had her left leg amputated in 2018 due to lasting damage.
“I had no right leg and my left foot was a huge painful question,” she recalled. “I was in a wheelchair for a long eight months. I would cry in the shower screaming at God every single day. I was so angry, and I didn’t see a future. In my mind, it was over. I really believed I would never be accepted by the modeling world or by anyone.”
Wasser said her faith in God, as well as her desire to continue living for her younger brother, who was 14 years old at the time, helped her to “hold on.”
“I wanted to show him something different — that no matter what happens in life, you get back up,” she shared. “Mental health is important. The mind is so powerful, and we have a choice every day, no matter what challenges arise. To be where I am today, knowing I have jumped, pushed and pulled my way through the unimaginable, I hope anyone facing their own trials in life can see me and my story and know that it’s possible to get through it. You’re not alone. If I can make it, so can you.”
Lauren Wasser Is an Activist for the Robin Danielson Act
In addition to her modeling career, Wasser is an advocate for the Robin Danielson Menstrual Product and Intimate Care Product Safety Act, a proposed U.S. bill aimed at directing the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to research the health risks of chemicals and synthetic fibers often found in menstrual products.
