It was one of the most anticipated moments on the opening day of Wimbledon: Naomi Osaka\u2019s on-court outfit.<\/p>\n
The Japanese tennis star has gained attention for her adventurous style<\/a>, but questions were raised as to how her outfit would fit in with Wimbledon\u2019s strict rules and emphasis on tradition.<\/p>\n Osaka, 28, arrived on court to whoops and cheers in a floor-length ruffled gown inspired by Japanese ceremonial dress and, crucially, was all in white.<\/p>\n Japan\u2019s Naomi Osaka arrives ahead of her women\u2019s singles first round tennis match, wearing a dress embroidered with cranes and cherry blossoms, and a kanzashi hair ornament. Photograph: Henry Nicholls\/AFP\/Getty Images<\/p>\n The dress, embroidered with cranes and cherry blossoms, was created alongside Tokyo based designer Hana Yagi. She also wore a traditional kanzashi hair ornament.<\/p>\n The look consisted of seven different textiles upcycled from pieces including vintage kimonos and a traditional shiromuku wedding dress. It featured intricate embroidered cranes and cherry blossoms alongside a traditional obi belt. Underneath, Osaka wore a white Nike performance dress that drew on Japanese kirigami paper-cutting with 3D floral motifs. <\/p>\n Osaka told reporters that Wimbledon\u2019s emphasis on tradition had inspired her to reflect on her own cultural heritage.<\/p>\n \u201cI think about the most iconic silhouette, which for me is a kimono. You don\u2019t have to see the colour of a kimono to know that it is a kimono,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n She also shared an unexpected muse: \u201cI remembered absolutely falling in love with Lucy Liu\u2019s character [in Kill Bill]. She has an all-white kimono, and I remember thinking that was really cool and amazing. Then it just kind of went from there. It was like my interpretation of that while also paying a lot of respect and love to Japan,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n She added that \u201cwearing extravagant outfits\u201d was a personal passion, and that she had approached the designer directly rather than in partnership with Nike. Her choice had prompted lots of locker room questions from fellow players, and she observed fans turning their whole bodies to get a better look during her walk to the court. \u201cI thought that was really fun,\u201d she said, acknowledging that it increased the pressure not to \u201cwear a ball gown and drop out in the first round\u201d.<\/p>\n Osaka told British Vogue: \u201cI like to use fashion as a medium for storytelling. Every walk-out is an opportunity to bring people into my creative world. The fact that people care about it and are excited to see what\u2019s next is also pretty cool.\u201d<\/p>\n Yagi said: \u201cI wanted the garment to exist as the moment before performance. The walk-on surrounds Naomi in ceremony, while the Nike kit represents the athlete in competition. I thought about them as two chapters within the same story.\u201d<\/p>\n Naomi Osaka played Elsa Jacquemot of France in a Nike dress adorned with seven 3D flowers with bejewelled centres. Photograph: Matthias Hangst\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Osaka, the No 14 seed, removed her long gown before facing France\u2019s Elsa Jacquemot in a Nike dress adorned with flowers. Osaka\u2019s outfit, which featured seven 3D flowers with bejewelled centres, sold out within hours of being released last week.<\/p>\n