When Naomi Osaka steps back onto the U.S. Open's tennis court on Tuesday afternoon, she'll be wearing a one-of-a-kind kit designed by Yoon Ahn for Nike. The Japanese tennis player's custom uniforms — in green for day and black for night — will include performance dresses crafted for the exact specifications of her game, along with walk-on skirts and coats with billowing bows.
“The inspiration that fueled the look for me — and this might be a Japanese term — is feeling like a 'magical girl' on the court,” Osaka says. “There’s a moment of transformation for me when I walk onto the court, and I have a lot of fun playing, so wanting everyone who sees the outfit to connect with that feeling is a really big motivation for me.”
Osaka's one-of-one uniforms arrive alongside an all-new Nike Women by Yoon ready-to-wear collection, which takes inspiration from vintage school uniforms and classic athletic styles. Among the standout silhouettes, a red-white-and-blue varsity jacket boasts a large "N"-shaped patch broken by Nike's Swoosh, and a maroon cardigan houses the same motif alongside the number "34." Elsewhere, performance polos, sports bras and skirts are ideal for on-the-court action.
"The legend has landed," Nike Women wrote on Instagram alongside the collection's video campaign, which sees Naomi Osaka take to the tennis court before an edgy, hawk-eyed crowd.
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“We live in a girls’ world, and I wanted to embody that in Naomi’s on-court look as well as the collection,” Ahn said. “For Naomi’s look, she brought forward a vision and it was my job as a designer to create something that she'll feel confident and comfortable in when she walks onto the court, allowing her to bring 100% of herself. The collection is an extension of that idea, allowing women to bring out their character and enhance their own personal styles.”
The Nike Women by Yoon collection drops online and in select retailers on August 27. Take a look at the line in the gallery above.
Click here to view full gallery at Hypebeast
