Naomi Osaka honors her heritage through her fashion choices whenever she can—and the Met Gala red carpet tonight was the perfect setting for her latest homage. Attending for the first time, she opted for an ensemble that represents who she is an American, falling in line with the evening's theme through her own lens. The athlete wore a colorful gown from Louis Vuitton with a ruffled cape and train that draws inspiration from her Japanese and Haitian roots.
Enlisting the French house’s creative director, Nicolas Ghesquière, as well as her sister, artist and designer Mari Osaka, to design her look, Naomi told red-carpet host Keke Palmer that she ultimately wanted something that reflected her roots. A bright-red obi belt tipped a hat to Japan, while bold shades brought to mind the Caribbean island of her ancestors. To keep in line with the bright color story of her outfit, she wore artful yet bright red-pink eye shadow with a knotted-braid updo, detailed with shimmering stones. On her feet? Embellished black ankle boots to bring the entire look together.
Theo Wargo//Getty Images
The tennis star is also one of this year’s co-chairs, along with Gen-Z stars Timothée Chalamet, Billie Eilish, and poet Amanda Gorman. Osaka announced the news to her fans on social media as many of us would: by immediately fan-girling over the prospect of meeting Rihanna.
Here's hoping that Osaka will finally meet her idol and that their interaction will be caught on camera.
Shelby Ying Hyde is a Brooklyn-based shopping and fashion contributor BAZAAR.com, with bylines on The Zoe Report, Teen Vogue, Essence, Nylon, Elite Daily and more. Prior to entering the editorial space, she worked at luxury e-commerce giants Net-a-Porter and Moda Operandi on the product editorial team, where she gained an extensive understanding of the luxury market as it pertains to shopping and engaging customers in a digital space. Follow @theshelbyying on Instagram for shopping advice, sale updates, and tips for building a well-rounded wardrobe.
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