Naomi Osaka doesn’t play when it comes to her on-court fashion. Be it her collection of rhinestone-encrusted Labubus, or her flouncy, tulle-lined skirts and outsized bows, the athlete has always turned to fashion as a form of self-expression on the court. Today, at the 2026 Australian Open, however, Osaka has outdone herself.
“When I look back at the players who came before me, I think about how those moments—those looks—have become memories that live forever,” Osaka tells Vogue. “So much of the time, other people get to write our stories for us. This felt like a moment where I could write a little bit of my own.”
View this post on Instagram
For her walk-on look, Osaka turned to couturier Robert Wun—whose fantastical pieces have been worn by the likes of Beyoncé, Cardi B, and Ariana Grande—to bring the look over the finish line. Osaka’s vision first appeared when she was reading to her two-year-old daughter, Shai. “There was an image of a jellyfish, and when I showed it to her she got so excited,” she says.
Taken by the jellyfish’s beauty and elegance—not to mention its power—Osaka shared her inspiration with the Nike team, who incorporated the sea creature into the player’s look: a tie-dye turquoise and green zip-up with organic tendrils hanging from the sleeves, worn over a matching racerback. “It translated beautifully into the movement and fluidity of the sheer layers on the dress and the jacket. When I saw it during the fitting, I remember thinking, ‘this is beautiful,’ but also feeling like the story wasn’t fully finished yet,” she says.
That’s where Wun came in. Osaka and longtime collaborator Marty Harper happened upon an image from Wun’s runway while exchanging ideas around her Australian Open kit. “We were both instantly drawn to his shapes, his textures, the way his work moves,” Osaka says. “It all lived in the same world we were imagining.” So the pair broached the possibility of having Wun contribute to her walk-on look.
Wun, who is “a huge tennis fan,” was instantly on board. “Naomi and Martin came into it with a great understanding of what my world already looks like,” he says. “As a fan, I already understood her as an athlete, but being able to share this creative moment has been incredibly special.”
Little did Osaka know, she has already served as a muse to Wun. “After we sent over our moodboards, Robert came back with a reference that really touched me: the butterfly moment from Australian Open 2021,” she says.
“One of the looks from my fall 2024 collection was inspired by her moment at court, when a butterfly landed on her face mid-match. A simple, beautiful scene that went viral as she gently placed it aside,” Wun adds. “I wanted to revisit that story and weave it into this design and collaboration.”
Wun suggested that he create a look inspired by both exoskeletal creatures. “The birth of something new,” Osaka says. “It felt symbolic of energy, transformation, and excitement.” Osaka’s walk-on look plays to many of Wun’s strengths: a pleated miniskirt over wide-legged pants shows off his meticulous signature pleating, while her dramatic wide-brimmed hat features a gauzy white veil for some softness and mystique. And, resting atop her hat and parasol, Wun added his own homage: butterflies.
This article was first published on Vogue.com.
