Every summer, the stylish tennis champions that head to the All England Club in Wimbledon face a sartorial dilemma \u2013 what can you possibly wear that\u2019s new, when there\u2019s a strict all-white dress code?<\/p>\n
This year, Naomi Osaka \u2013 who has become renowned for her fabulous on-court outfits \u2013 answered that question with an incredible, snow-white ensemble inspired by a traditional Japanese kimono. The custom look, which was created with the Tokyo-based fashion designer Hana Yagi, featured delicate white-on-white embroidery and showcased national Japanese symbols such as cranes and cherry blossoms, plus a dramatic obi belt, floral hairpiece, and a giant bow that trailed behind her.<\/p>\n
![\"Naomi](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Naomi-Osaka-at-Wimbledon-2026-1024x589.jpg\")
Naomi Osaka in a Japanese-inspired look at Wimbledon 2026 adorned with Mikimoto jewels \u2013 CREDIT: Getty Images<\/p>\n
Her opening match look, Osaka explained, was partly inspired by the kimono worn Lucy Liu\u2019s character, O-Ren Ishii in Kill Bill, and served as a nod to her Japanese heritage.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I think about Wimbledon, it\u2019s obviously the all white. There\u2019s obviously the tradition of it all,\u201d Osaka told the BBC<\/a>, following her 6-1 7-5 victory over French player Elsa Jacquemot. \u201cIn my head, when I think about that, I think about my cultures, my heritage, which is Japanese and Haitian.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen, if I dive deeper into Japanese culture, I think about the most iconic silhouette, which for me is a kimono. You don\u2019t have to see the colour of a kimono to know that it is a kimono.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know, I was thinking about my favourite movies also. I love Kill Bill. I remembered absolutely falling in love with Lucy Liu\u2019s character.<\/p>\n \u201cShe has an all-white kimono, and I remember thinking that was really cool. Then it just kind of went from there. It was like my interpretation of that, while also paying a lot of respect and love to Japan.\u201d<\/p>\n Japan\u2019s four-time major winner completed her look with shimmering pearl and diamond earrings and bracelets from Japanese heritage jeweller Mikimoto<\/a> (which recently signed the Oscar winning actor Michelle Yeoh<\/a> as its latest global ambassador).<\/p>\n Like Osaka herself, Mikimoto\u2019s eponymous founder Kokichi Mikimoto was an industry trailblazer.<\/p>\n He originally established the company as an oyster farm in 1888,\u00a0and was the first person successfully cultivate a semi-spherical pearl in 1893, for which Mikimoto received a patent in 1896.<\/p>\n This was followed by the arrival of the first spherical cultured pearl in 1905, and the opening of Mikimoto\u2019s debut international boutique in London in 1913. The company\u2019s pearls gained a worldwide reputation for excellence, embellished by appearances at events like the 1926 World Exposition in Philadelphia, and by its dazzling, Art Deco-infused designs (later worn by the likes of Princess Margaret<\/a>).<\/p>\n Today, the company\u2019s shimmering creations are admired by celebrities such Cynthia Erivo, Rihanna, Harry Styles and A$AP Rocky. Emma Raducanu<\/a>, who sadly pulled out of this year\u2019s Wimbledon championship, even wore Mikimoto\u2019s pearl pieces for Wimbledon back in 2024.<\/p>\n \u201cI feel like everyone has their own way of showing that they\u2019re into fashion,\u201d Osaka later said, of her runway-ready look. \u201cI\u2019m always really surprised whenever I go to the locker room, I get a lot of questions about it. It seems to be fun for everyone. You just wouldn\u2019t expect it.\u201d<\/p>\n Like this? Check out the best watches spotted so far at Wimbledon 2026<\/a><\/p>\n And: Get a closer look at David Beckham\u2019s stylish Tudor Black Bay 58 at Wimbledon<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Naomi](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Naomi-Osaka-in-Mikimoto-pearls-at-Wimbledon-2026-720x1024.jpg\")
Naomi Osaka claimed her flowing, all-white ensemble was a loving tribute to her national heritage, as well as the character played by Lucy Liu in Kill Bill \u2013 CREDIT: Getty Images<\/p>\n![\"Naomi](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Naomi-Osaka-Wimbledon-2026-1024x589.jpg\")
Close up of Naomi Osaka\u2019s diamond and pearl Mikimoto earrings at Wimbledon. Like Osaka herself, Mikimoto was a trailblazer \u2013 CREDIT: Getty Images<\/p>\n