Japanese tennis star Naomi Osaka has become latest celebrity to sign an endorsement deal with luxury fashion house Louis Vuitton. Her first look for the brand was unveiled in the French label’s spring/summer 2021 campaign, shot by Louis Vuitton’s Artistic Director of Women’s Collections, Nicolas Ghesquière. Osaka took called it a ‘full circle moment’ after signing the deal with Louis Vuitton.
While talking about this collaboration, Osaka said, “Aside from tennis, my most treasured passion is fashion; and there is no brand more iconic than Louis Vuitton. It is such an honour to work with Nicolas – he’s a designer I admire so much, and we share a mutual love of Japanese culture and style. To become the global brand ambassador is truly a dream come true for me.”
Wow this is actually crazy. Honored to be @LouisVuitton newest House Ambassador.
Funny story : I first bought my mom a LV bag when I was 16 as a birthday present and it’s kinda been a tradition since. Do I call this a full circle moment? Yes 🥰 pic.twitter.com/r2kV7OVNPy
— NaomiOsaka大坂なおみ (@naomiosaka) January 11, 2021
The sponsorship comes on the back of a spectacular year for Osaka on and off the pitch. She surpassed Serena Williams to become the highest-paid female athlete in 2020 and earned an estimated $34 million last year from endorsements deals with brands such as Nike, Mastercard, and Nissin.
With this deal, Naomi strengthens her position as a style icon. Last spring, she collaborated with the Japanese label ADEAM at New York Fashion Week. Osaka is also often seen celebrating her Haitian heritage by wearing everything from kente head wraps to Kerby Jean-Raymond’s Pyer Moss.
Osaka has also been using her platform to fight for social causes. Most recently, she advocated for racial justice and the Black Lives Matter movement on the court during US Open 2020. She was spotted wearing a black mask during her matches, which had names of the victims of racial injustice printed on it. She honoured the lives of George Floyd, Trayvon Martin, Tamir Rice, Breonna Taylor, and other Black Americans who were wrongly killed by the police.
On the work front, Osaka won the US Open last year, her second title and third major at the age of 22. She is now all set to represent the host country ahead of the Tokyo Olympics 2021. Osaka has also voted as Sports Illustrated’s Sportsperson of the Year