Osaka wears kimono-inspired gown at Wimbledon opener

Naomi Osaka wore a floor-length white kimono gown made from seven upcycled textiles for her Wimbledon first-round match on Monday. The garment, designed by independent Japanese designer Hana Yagi, incorporated vintage kimonos and a traditional shiromuku wedding dress.

It featured embroidered cranes and cherry blossoms along with an obi belt. Underneath the outer layer, Osaka wore a white Nike performance dress that used kirigami paper-cutting patterns and 3D floral motifs. She completed the look with Mikimoto pearl jewellery and a kanzashi hair ornament.

Match result and on-court comments Osaka defeated France’s Elsa Jacquemot 6-1, 7-5. After the match she told reporters the outfit was inspired by the Quentin Tarantino film Kill Bill and the character O-Ren Ishii played by Lucy Liu. “For me, my Japanese heritage means a lot,” Osaka said.

” She added that she sometimes likes to embody a video-game character on court rather than appear as herself.

Designer’s intent and construction details Yagi said in an interview with British Vogue that the garment represented “the moment before performance,” with the outer layer symbolizing ceremony and the Nike dress representing competition. The nine detachable parts allow the look to be removed within the one-minute changeover window and reused later in the tournament.

Pattern of fashion statements Osaka has used elaborate walk-on outfits at recent majors. At the Australian Open in January she wore a jellyfish-inspired dress with veil and parasol. At the French Open in May she arrived in a black corset and trailing skirt before removing it to reveal a gold glittery Nike dress.

“I like to use fashion as a medium for storytelling. Every walk-out is an opportunity to bring people into my creative world.”