Naomi Osaka's Wimbledon outfits have once again put fashion at the center of the tennis conversation. The celebrity spectators' style at Wimbledon — and other prestigious tournaments — has long been dissected, and what the players themselves wear is now increasingly attracting chatter.
Tennis has produced its fair share of fashion moments in recent history, including Serena Williams's catsuit, Maria Sharapova's tuxedo shorts and Venus Williams's lace dress. But it dates back longer than that. After all, it was 1949 when Gussie Moran scandalized Wimbledon with lace-trimmed knickers, while Andre Agassi's denim-and-neon Nike era in the 1980s is still remembered for changing the image of tennis fashion. What does feel new is the level of intention and couture-infused storytelling now attached to those walk-outs.
Osaka made headlines on Monday when she stepped onto the court at the British tennis championships wearing an homage to ****** anese ceremonial dress. Created by Tokyo-based designer Hana Yagi, the maximalist look, complete with tulle skirt and adorned with embroidered cranes, bows and a cherry blossom print, included detachable layers that Osaka was able to deftly remove in seconds to reveal her Nike kit. Again today, Osaka arrived on court wearing another high-fashion nod to her heritage: an embellished Nike top and the same cascading tulle skirt worn on Monday.
The 28-year-old star has become adept at walking the line between high fashion and strict dress codes. Wimbledon, for example, requires players to wear "almost entirely white" from the moment they enter the court area. But guardrails that could have felt limiting to some felt liberating to Osaka. "Obviously, the outfit has to be white, but aside from that, you can play with a lot of different design elements," she told Vogue. "In some ways, not having to think about the color allows you to highlight other cool features like fabrics and textures."
It's not just Wimbledon where Osaka has shared her self-proclaimed "dramatic" fashion taste with the world. Here are her best on-court looks to date.
Tennis has produced its fair share of fashion moments in recent history, including Serena Williams's catsuit, Maria Sharapova's tuxedo shorts and Venus Williams's lace dress. But it dates back longer than that. After all, it was 1949 when Gussie Moran scandalized Wimbledon with lace-trimmed knickers, while Andre Agassi's denim-and-neon Nike era in the 1980s is still remembered for changing the image of tennis fashion. What does feel new is the level of intention and couture-infused storytelling now attached to those walk-outs.
Osaka made headlines on Monday when she stepped onto the court at the British tennis championships wearing an homage to ****** anese ceremonial dress. Created by Tokyo-based designer Hana Yagi, the maximalist look, complete with tulle skirt and adorned with embroidered cranes, bows and a cherry blossom print, included detachable layers that Osaka was able to deftly remove in seconds to reveal her Nike kit. Again today, Osaka arrived on court wearing another high-fashion nod to her heritage: an embellished Nike top and the same cascading tulle skirt worn on Monday.
The 28-year-old star has become adept at walking the line between high fashion and strict dress codes. Wimbledon, for example, requires players to wear "almost entirely white" from the moment they enter the court area. But guardrails that could have felt limiting to some felt liberating to Osaka. "Obviously, the outfit has to be white, but aside from that, you can play with a lot of different design elements," she told Vogue. "In some ways, not having to think about the color allows you to highlight other cool features like fabrics and textures."
It's not just Wimbledon where Osaka has shared her self-proclaimed "dramatic" fashion taste with the world. Here are her best on-court looks to date.
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