Tennis phenom Naomi Osaka has been announced as Louis Vuitton’s latest brand ambassador. She took to social media to make the announcement to her fans and the world.
The Blackanese athlete, who has won both the U.S. Open and Australian Open, has been named Louis Vuitton’s new House ambassador. Osaka officially made her debut in the brand’s spring 2021 campaign — shot by creative director Nicolas Ghesquiére — wearing a multicolored minidress and the brand’s monogram canvas bag.
For Osaka, the role is a “dream come true.” In a statement, the 23-year-old shared: “Aside from tennis, my most treasured passion is fashion; and there is no brand more iconic than Louis Vuitton. It is such an honor to work with Nicolas — he’s a designer I admire so much and we share a mutual love of Japanese culture and style. To become a global brand ambassador is truly a dream come true for me.”
Wow this is actually crazy. Honored to be @LouisVuitton newest House Ambassador.
Funny story : I first bought my mom a LV bag when I was 16 as a birthday present and it’s kinda been a tradition since. Do I call this a full circle moment? Yes 🥰 pic.twitter.com/r2kV7OVNPy
— NaomiOsaka大坂なおみ (@naomiosaka) January 11, 2021
“Aside from tennis, my most treasured passion is fashion, and there is no brand more iconic than Louis Vuitton,” Osaka told Vogue. “It is such an honor to work with Nicolas—he’s a designer I admire so much and we share a mutual love of Japanese culture and style. To become a global brand ambassador is truly a dream come true for me.”
The designer Nicholas Ghesquière said: “Naomi is an exceptional woman who represents her generation and is also a role model for everyone. Her career and convictions are inspiring. I am in awe of Naomi, she stays true to herself and doesn’t compromise on her values.”
Naomi Osaka Makes Her Stand As A Black Woman
Since coming onto the scene, Osaka — whose mother is Japanese and father is Haitian, has lead with intention.
The young athlete hasn’t shied away from speaking out about social justice issues, specifically the Black Lives Matter movement.
#NaomiOsaka for #LouisVuitton. Perfectly incarnating the Louis Vuitton woman, the tennis champion joins as new House Ambassador, making her debut in #NicolasGhesquiere’s upcoming #LVSS21 campaign. pic.twitter.com/l7eflkxDZp
— Louis Vuitton (@LouisVuitton) January 11, 2021
On day one of the U.S. Open in September, Osaka drew attention to the killing of Breonna Taylor by wearing a face mask adorned with her name — and she didn’t stop there.
Just one month earlier, Osaka revealed her intention of withdrawing from the semifinal of the Western and Southern Open following the shooting of Jacob Blake on Aug. 23, 2020.
“As a Black woman I feel as though there are much more important matters at hand that need immediate attention, rather than watching me play tennis,” Osaka wrote on Twitter on Aug. 26 at the time. “I don’t expect anything drastic to happen with me not playing, but if I can get a conversation started in a majority white sport I consider that a step in the right direction.”
Additionally, Osaka and Nike teamed up to launch Play Academy with Naomi Osaka — a girls-only sports program in partnership with Nike and Laureus Sport for Good. The grassroots program, Osaka said in an op-ed, aims to “level the playing field by changing the game for girls.” It seems her future in the world of fashion is a bright one.