Photo: Courtesy Levi’s
Naomi Osakais building her fashion empire.
The tennis pro just announced her latest collaboration — a limited-edition womenswear line in partnership with Levi’s — that pays homage to her Japanese heritage.
Courtesy Levi’s
Available Aug. 24 in selectLevi’sstores and on the brand’s app, the Levi’s x Naomi Osaka collection features four upcycled denim pieces: a kimono ($380), lace-up shorts ($150), crystal fringe shorts ($250) and a trucker jacket reimagined as a bustier top ($180).
“I always loved wearing kimonos when I was a kid. So, to be able to do it in denim felt really different and a bit unexpected,” Osaka said in a press release of the stand-out design, which includes a matching obi belt. “The sustainability aspect was super important to me. And I love that every piece in the collection has been recycled or repurposed from old stock.”
In the Levi’s x Naomi Osaka collection campaign video, the athlete and activist shares that she and her sister (Mari Osaka, who is also a professional tennis player) used to spend “hours and hours on end” sketching designs. “It’s always been a thing for us,” Osaka says of her life-long love of fashion.
The star — who has collaborated on collections with Nike and Adeam and starred inLouis VuittonandTAG Heuerads — appeared in Levi’s"Beauty of Becoming" seriesearlier this year.
The powerful campaign and video highlighted the “journey of becoming” with an inspirational lineup of stars including Willow and Jaden Smith,13 Reasons Why’s Brandon Flynn, actress and model Leyna Bloom, celebrity stylist Karla Welch, activist Dolores Huerta, disability rights advocate Haben Girma, and Osaka, to name a few.
“It was important to share my story in case I can help or inspire anyone,” Osaka told PEOPLE at the time. “My goal is really to raise awareness, so this campaign gave me that platform, which I’m very grateful for.”
The tennis champion also opened up about wanting to design more collections in the future.
“I’d like to start my own brand one day, probably together with my sister,” she said. “But for now I’m loving collab’ing with some great designers and learning the craft and the business.”
The Levi’s x Naomi Osaka collaboration is available Aug. 24 in selectLevi’sstores and on the brand’s app.
source: people.com
