The Naomi Osaka fashion show has touched down in New York.
The tennis superstar had another grand entrance for her tunnel walk at the US Open on Monday, Aug. 31 at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York. This time, her muse was Allen Iverson.
Ahead of her first-round match against Anastasia Zakharova, Osaka walked onto the court at Arthur Ashe Stadium wearing an asymmetrical light gray burnout hoodie and a while tulle skirt. She wore her hair in braids like Iverson's signature style with an athletic headband and also had a black athletic sleeve on one arm and a red one on the other. The look was made by Who Decides War and overseen by celebrity image architect Law Roach, who is also Zendaya's stylist.
After the match started, Osaka's
social media team shared an Instagram gallery of a grunge photo shoot where the two-time U.S. Open champion is modeling the look in front of a bridge. Close-up photos reveal newspaper clippings woven into the hoodie. The caption says simply, "The Answer."
Before the match, Osaka told the media about how she is inspired by the NBA and its fashion icon. Iverson drew criticism during his playing days for wearing oversized clothes and showcasing his tattoos. The league created a dress code in 2005 after he was gaining popularity.
"For me, he's a trail blazer," Osaka said while wearing a T-shirt featuring an image of his famous "Soul on Ice" SLAM magazine cover. "He's also someone that I look up to a lot because he's kind of like done a lot in fashion, whether it's on purpose or not. But it's shifted the way that NBA players dress and I also think the whole conversation around clothes in sports and also just expressing yourself through style."
Osaka said in the press conference that the two have not met. But her words reached The Answer, who reposted a quote card on Instagram of the tennis star expressing her appreciation for his influence.
"Wow, what a honor!!" Iverson said. "BIG FAN can't wait to meet you."
Osaka has embraced her own sense of style throughout her tennis career. This summer, she wore an elegant white kimono-style outfit celebrating her Japanese heritage for Wimbledon. In January, she wore a jellyfish-inspired outfit for the Australian Open.
At last year's U.S. Open, she went back and forth between a ruffled dress in red and purple. She had a matching bedazzled Labubu for each round of the tournament.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Naomi Osaka pays tribute to Allen Iverson with striking US Open outfit
