The all-white dress code Wimbledon has enforced for nearly 150 years is exacting. It extends to nearly every part of a player’s outfit, meaning shoelaces, socks and arm bands must be white.
Luckily for Naomi Osaka, the dress code says nothing about embroidered cranes or three-dimensional cherry blossoms.
Osaka, the No. 14 seed, debuted her latest work of fashion Monday on No. 3 Court for her first-round match against France’s Elsa Jacquemot in an outfit serious and fun, artistic and poppy.
She drew from Japanese ceremonial dress — and also the assassin-slash-crime boss character Lucy Liu plays in one of her favorite movies, “Kill Bill.”
“She has an all-white kimono, and I remember thinking that was really cool and amazing,” Osaka said in a news conference after beating Jacquemot 6-1, 7-5.
The four-time Grand Slam champion has made a point to use her walks onto court at Grand Slams as opportunities to make high-fashion statements that reference everything from famous landmarks to the animal kingdom.
Osaka welcomes the questions, even as she laughed Monday about being at Wimbledon, talking about clothes. She hopes she keeps winning — and gets to continue the show.
