The Naomi Osaka x Takashi Murakami Collab Is Seriously Kawaii

Alisha Pawa
August 20, 2021

In addition to her world titles, Naomi Osaka is one of fashion’s most sought-after athletic compadres

Four-time Grand Slam Champion, Naomi Osaka, recently unveiled the latest in her many fashion collaborations, this one with cult Japanese contemporary artist Takashi Murakami and Yonex’s EZONE Racquet. Connecting her passion for art with tennis, the 23-year-old said on Instagram, “So happy with this one, was always an admirer of @takashipom so to be able to finally collaborate together is really a dream. Infinite thank you’s to @yonex_tennis for trusting me with the vision and because this project wouldn’t have come to life so amazingly without them.”

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The collaboration highlights the tennis star with a white-based tennis racquet with the iconic Murakami smiley flower design and a matching bag. The flowers are pink rather than Murakami’s usual rainbow colors to allude to Japanese sakura blossoms. Meanwhile, the Yonex EZONE racquet comes with a contrasting orange handle wrap, finished with “NAOMI” branding on the frame. The matching tennis backpack holds the same design but with a small bear cartoon figure holding Murakami’s famous rainbow flowers.

Takashi Murakami/Instagram

Naomi’s venture into fashion and design has been an exciting one to follow as she is becoming a style icon in her own right. Amongst the milestone are her appearance in the NikeCourt x sacai campaign, becoming both an ambassador for luxury brands Louis Vuitton and Tag Heuer, slaying the covers of Time Magazine, Sports Illustrated, and Vogue (just to name a few), and her involvement in Levi’s upcycled denim collection. A a positive role model for young people and athletes everywhere, Naomi’s personal brand centres on placing emphasis on mental health and being honest about the struggles she has faced.

The athlete is set to debut the new racket at the end of the month in the upcoming US Open. Though the set won’t be made available to the public, Naomi will auction off a small number of racquets instead. Proceeds from the racquets will benefit Play Academy with Naomi Osaka (PANO), an initiative launched in Tokyo in August 2020 that aims to level the playing field for girls by increasing girls’ participation in sports.