Naomi Osaka Wears Kimono At Wimbledon
Tennis star Naomi Osaka wore a traditional white kimono for her opening match at Wimbledon, defeating France's Elsa Jacquemot while honoring her Japanese heritage and drawing inspiration from Kill Bill's Lucy Liu.
Japanese tennis champion Naomi Osaka turned heads once again by sporting a traditional kimono during her opening match at the Wimbledon Grand Slam tournament. The four-time major champion honored Japanese culture by appearing in an elegant white kimono for her match at the All England Club, before defeating France's Elsa Jacquemot 6-1, 7-5.
The 28-year-old tennis star opened up about her fashion choice, explaining: "When I think of Wimbledon, it's clear to me it means all-white clothing, and that's obviously the tradition of the tournament."
"In my mind, when I think about it, I think about my culture, which is Japanese and Haitian heritage," she continued. "Then when I delve deeper into Japanese culture, I think about what's most distinctive, which for me is the kimono. You don't need to see the color of a kimono to know it's a kimono."
Osaka also drew inspiration from pop culture, saying: "I thought about one of my favorite films—I love Kill Bill. I still remember falling in love with Lucy Liu's character. She wore an all-white kimono and I remember thinking it was so cool. I started from there. It's kind of my own interpretation, combined with respect and love for Japan."
