Imane Khelif brings a sparkle of gold to Bottega Veneta’s front row

While Milan Fashion Week is always a sight to behold, Bottega Veneta’s front row stood out with an extra glint of gold. Imane Khelif, an Olympic boxing champion from Algeria, joined Kendall Jenner, Jacob Elordi, Yara Shahidi, Julianne Moore, and Michelle Yeoh (among others) on Matthieu Blazy’s spring 2025 runway.

For her foray into high fashion, the gold medalist donned Look 50 from Bottega’s fall 2024 collection, sporting a mustard yellow button-up leather jacket crafted from the brand’s signature Blazy leather, paired with a pair of black leather pants. While she left her medal at home, Khelif donned a pair of the Italian fashion house’s viral earrings — in gold, of course.

Imane Khelif walks Bottega Veneta’s Spring 2025 show

Photo: Getty Images

Bottega Veneta fall 2024, look 50.

Photo: Filippo Fior /Gorunway.com

The 25-year-old boxer made international news during the 2024 Paris Olympics when Italian Angela Carini refused to shake Khelif’s hand after their 46-second match, a move Carini called “unfair.” (Carini later apologized and acknowledged Khelif’s right to compete.) The incident, which was sparked by the International Boxing Association’s ruling in 2023 that disqualified Khelif from the world boxing championships in New Delhi because she had “a competitive advantage over other female competitors,” sparked a racist and transphobic firestorm against her. The experience loomed over Khelif’s Games. After her victory, she said, “I am fully qualified to compete. I am a woman like any other woman. I was born a woman, I have lived as a woman, I have competed as a woman, there’s no doubt about that.”