Japanese tennis star Naomi Osaka made a striking entrance at Wimbledon, wearing a full-length white kimono ahead of her first-round match against Elsa Jacquemot in a tribute to her heritage that still adhered to the tournament’s strict all-white dress code, Euronews reported.
The kimono, embroidered with cranes and cherry blossoms, was paired with a traditional kanzashi hair ornament. It was designed by Tokyo-based designer Hana Yagi using upcycled materials from vintage kimonos, a traditional shiromuku wedding dress and a deconstructed wedding gown.
Osaka removed the kimono before her warm-up, but the outfit drew enthusiastic reactions from spectators, with fans recording her arrival — one even shouting, «C’mon, queen!»
After defeating Jacquemot 6-1, 7-5, Osaka revealed the outfit was also inspired by Quentin Tarantino’s «Kill Bill.» She said she wanted to honor her Japanese heritage within Wimbledon’s dress code, citing the film and its character O-Ren Ishii as inspirations.
