I hope people will say, ‘Mr. Valentino, he did something for fashion, no?’ — Italian fashion designer Valentino Clemente Ludovico Garavani
Just when tennis fans thought they’d seen it all but California-based Japanese netter Naomi Osaka lit up the Australian Open before her match had even begun as she stole the headlines walking onto the hardcourt while wearing an extravagant outfit that fashion savants would have envied. This time Japanese star has outdone herself as she sent the audience wild at posh Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne Park, modeling onto the tournament venue wearing a jellyfish-inspired get up in white-and-green.
Apparently, the 28-year-old former world’s number one from Chūō-ku, Osaka doesn’t play when it comes to her on-court fashion—be it her collection of rhinestone-encrusted Labubus or her flouncy, tulle-lined skirts and outsized bows—and she has always turned to fashion as a form of self-expression on the tennis court.
Osaka reacts in a Vogue interview: “When I look back at the players who came before me, I think about how those moments—those looks—have become memories that live forever. So much of the time, other people get to write our stories for us. This felt like a moment where I could write a little bit of my own.”
For her stunning walk-on look in this year’s first Grand Slam tourney, the Japanese athlete turned to Hong Kong-born London-based couturier Robert Wun—whose fantastical pieces have been worn by the likes of Beyoncé, Cardi B and Ariana Grande—to bring the look over the finish line. Osaka’s vision first appeared when she was reading to her two-year-old daughter, Shai. “There was an image of a jellyfish, and when I showed it to her she got so excited,” she recalled.
Clearly taken by the Marine animal’s unique beauty and elegance—not to mention its power and deadly attribute—she shared her inspiration with the Nike team, who incorporated the sea creature into the player’s look: a tie-dye turquoise and green zip-up with organic tendrils hanging from the sleeves, worn over a matching racerback.
“It translated beautifully into the movement and fluidity of the sheer layers on the dress and the jacket. When I saw it during the fitting, I remember thinking, ‘this is beautiful,’ but also feeling like the story wasn’t fully finished yet,” Naomi cited the fashion inspiration.
That’s where Wun came in. Osaka and longtime collaborator Marty Harper happened upon an image from Wun’s runway while exchanging ideas around her Australian Open kit. “We were both instantly drawn to his shapes, his textures, the way his work moves,” Osaka enthused. “It all lived in the same world we were imagining.” So the pair broached the possibility of having Wun contribute to her walk-on look As “a (certified) huge tennis fan,” Wun got instantly on board: “Naomi and Martin came into it with a great understanding of what my world already looks like. As a fan, I already understood her as an athlete, but being able to share this creative moment has been incredibly special.”
And little did Osaka know, she was already serving as a muse to Wun.
“After we sent over our moodboards, Robert came back with a reference that really touched me: the butterfly moment from Australian Open 2021,” she noted.
To this the Hong Kong designer remarked: “One of the looks from my fall 2024 collection was inspired by her moment at court, when a butterfly landed on her face mid-match. A simple, beautiful scene that went viral as she gently placed it aside. I wanted to revisit that story and weave it into this design and collaboration.”
Wun suggested that he create a look inspired by both exoskeletal creatures and it resulted with the birth of something new. Osaka was really happy about it: “It felt symbolic of energy, transformation and excitement.”
For most of Wun’s clientele, the design played to many of the designer’s strengths: a pleated miniskirt over wide-legged pants shows off his meticulous signature pleating, while the dramatic wide-brimmed hat features a gauzy white veil for some softness and mystique. And, resting atop her hat and parasol, Wun added his own homage: butterflies.
