Written by Oscar Holland, CNN
Naomi Osaka was introduced as Louis Vuitton’s new brand ambassador, featuring the French brand
the announcement of the partnership along with colorful photos of the tennis star’s latest fashion photo.
The three-time Grand Slam winner, who is currently third in the world rankings, appears in the spring-summer 2021 campaign.
“Wow, this is actually crazy,” the Japanese star wrote on both her Twitter and Instagram account. “Honest to be @LouisVuitton’s latest home ambassador.
“Funny story: I bought my mother an LV bag when I was 16 as a birthday present and it’s been a tradition ever since. Do I call it a full circle moment? Yes.”
In a press release, Louis Vuitton describes Osaka as “versatile, independent and modern” and “perfectly incarnated the wife of Louis Vuitton.”
The label accompanies the announcement with campaign photos taken by the artistic director of women’s collections, Nicolas Ghesquière, for his upcoming spring-summer 2021 collection. In them, Osaka is seen wearing a bold colored dress while holding a bag marked with the distinctive monogram of the label.
On Instagram, Ghesquière described Osaka as’ an exceptional young woman who represents her generation and is a role model for everyone.
“Her career and beliefs are inspiring and I am awe of Naomi,” he wrote. “She stays true to herself and does not live up to her values. I look forward to sharing new projects with Naomi in the coming years!”
During the US Open, Osaka, who is of Haitian and Japanese descent, was widely praised for supporting the Black Lives Matter protests that erupted last summer. In each of her seven matches at the 2020 tournament, she wore face masks bearing the name of another victim of alleged police or racist violence in the US.
She told reporters at the time: ‘I’m aware that tennis is being watched around the world, and maybe there’s someone who does not know the story of Breonna Taylor. Maybe they would like to Google it or something. ‘
Osaka also used fashion to proudly celebrate her Japanese identity. At New York Fashion Week, she showcased her first capsule collection, designed in collaboration with Japanese label ADEAM, with structural draping and ruffles, blending traditional and contemporary Japanese design elements.
The announcement comes shortly after the 23-year-old’s first appearance on the cover of American Vogue. In the January 2021 issue, she performed in a Louis Vuitton slip-on dress during a cover-up show with celebrated photographer Annie Leibovitz.
This is just the latest outing for the French brand, although recent sports partnerships have been in the men’s clothing division. In August, Louis Vuitton Men’s creative director Virgil Abloh announced that he was working with skateboarder Lucien Clarke, who designed a skate shoe for the label.
The brand then unveiled a partnership with the NBA that “celebrates the cultural contribution of basketball and its diverse characters.” The capsule collection that results from this consists of clothes, bags, shoes and accessories marked with the NBA logo.
