Louis Vuitton has named Naomi Osaka as its newest brand ambassador.
The 23-year-old tennis star, who is currently ranked third globally, will debut in the French fashion house’s Spring/Summer 2021 campaign.
The upcoming campaign showcases photography by Nicolas Ghesquière, Louis Vuitton’s artistic director of women’s collections.
Announcement photos show Osaka in a casual, boldly colored dress while holding a bag that features the label’s iconic monogram print.
Louis Vuitton described Osaka as “multi-faceted,” “independent” and “modern.” Meanwhile, Ghesquière called her “an exceptional young woman who represents her generation and is a role model for everyone.”
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“Her career and convictions are inspiring and I am in awe of Naomi. She stays true to herself and doesn’t compromise on her values,” Ghesquière wrote on Instagram.
Osaka, who loves fashion herself, said becoming Louis Vuitton’s global brand ambassador is a “dream come true.”
“Aside from tennis, my most treasured passion is fashion; and there is no brand more iconic than Louis Vuitton. It is such an honour to work with Nicolas — he’s a designer I admire so much and we share a mutual love of Japanese culture and style,” Osaka said in a statement. “To become global brand ambassador is truly a dream come true for me.”
The Japanese Haitian athlete also took to social media to express her excitement over the news.
“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,” she wrote. “Do I call this a full circle moment? Yes.”
Osaka has multiple endorsement partners. Toward the end of 2020, she dropped a new Nike collection and appeared with Marcus Rashford, Kevin Durant, Sabrina Ionescu and more in the brand’s “You Can’t Be Stopped” ad.
The 23-year-old has also relinquished her U.S. citizenship to represent Japan in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. She received praises for supporting the Black Lives Matter protests in the last U.S. Open.
Feature Images via Louis Vuitton (left) and Naomi Osaka (right; screenshot)
