Tennis player Naomi Osaka has been "unveiled as Louis Vuitton's new brand ambassador, with the French label announcing the partnership alongside colorful pictures from the tennis star's latest fashion shoot," according to Oscar Holland of CNN.com. As part of the deal, Osaka will "appear in the label's Spring-Summer 2021 campaign." The announcement comes shortly after the 23-year-old's first appearance on the cover of American "Vogue," as the magazine's January '21 issue saw Osaka "posing in a slip dress by Louis Vuitton during an outdoor cover shoot." This is "just the latest foray into sport for the French label, though its recent sporting partnerships have been in its menswear division." The brand recently revealed a collaboration with the NBA resulting in a "capsule collection comprised [of] clothes, bags, shoes and accessories branded with the NBA's logo" (CNN.com, 1/12).
LATEST FASHION DEAL: HARPER'S BAZAAR's Barry Samaha reported the campaign is the "latest in a string of partnerships that Osaka has made with fashion brands." Last February, she "collaborated with Japanese designer Hanako Maeda and her label, Adeam, on a capsule collection for the fall 2020 season." Then, in December, she "debuted a line of handbags with Strathberry." Still, Osaka "admits that Louis Vuitton is her biggest collab yet" (HARPER'S BAZAAR, 1/11). VOGUE.com's Liam Hess reported "further collaborative projects" are "in the pipeline" (1/11). Osaka is repped by Stuart Duguid at IMG Tennis (THE DAILY).
