Naomi Osaka on Self-Care, Rihanna's Maternity Style and Representation at Victoria's Secret

The tennis champion’s first-of-its-kind collaboration with the evolving lingerie brand melds wellness and comfort with sexiness.

Naomi Osaka‘s first experiences with Victoria’s Secret are surely familiar to many, including myself: stopping in with her mom during trips to the mall, spritzing on some sweet-smelling body spray, perusing “all the pretty things that they have on display,” maybe clocking the fact that none of the women in the store’s ads looked like her. (In my case, it was usually my mom making that observation — and it wasn’t only at Victoria’s Secret.)

“Victoria’s Secret did this whole revamp, with diversity, which I thought was really amazing because growing up, I didn’t really see someone like myself on their posters,” she told me Tuesday in Los Angeles, during an event celebrating her new collection for the brand. “So I just thought that it was a really incredible chance to be included.”

Osaka is a founding member of the VS Collective, a group of brand ambassadors who represent the retailer’s new, less-superficial approach to marketing, which doesn’t rely on a singular body type and aesthetic in the way that, say, the Angels of yesteryear did. Other members include Megan Rapinoe, Paloma Elsesser, Bella Hadid and more.

“I thought that was cool,” said Osaka, referring to fellow athlete Rapinoe’s involvement, “because we’re both kind of outspoken. I really respect her a lot.”

Osaka, in particular, feels like a dream partner for a company like Victoria’s Secret: She’s Gen Z; she’s about to become a mother; she’s uniquely quiet and down-to-earth for someone so powerful; she’s a BLM activist, a mental-health advocate, a budding style icon (and has worked with Levi’s, Louis Vuitton and Nike), an investor and an entrepreneur. She brings so much more to the table than her Japanese-Haitian-American heritage and four-time-Grand-Slam-champion status, which makes her that much more inspiring to that many more people.

The star athlete has also become something of a symbol for self-care and putting yourself first, which inspired her collection‘s chill, flow-y aesthetic. Fittingly, she launched the line of intimates and sleepwear at an airy, tranquil hotel rooftop set up with yoga mats for an energy-healing breath-work class, which helped me keep my cool while interviewing such an impressive force.

Read on for our chat covering her favorite wellness practice, representation in fashion, Rihanna’s maternity style and more.

What do want shoppers to get out of the pieces in your collection?

All of the fabric is recycled and it’s very comfortable for me — I was kind of shocked when I heard that it was recycled because I was wearing it around without even knowing. I really love how the material feels on my skin, so hopefully someone else has that same feeling.

There’s a wellness/self-care theme to the collection and this event. Why was that important to you?

Wellness is important to me. It kind of ties in with treating yourself as you want to treat others and just being at peace with yourself. Someone asked me a question, like, ‘What does it mean to be sexy?’ Being comfortable and confident in yourself is definitely a really big key. Wellness definitely helps you with that.

What’s one wellness practice you rely on that you think everyone should be doing?

I’m not an expert, but for me, what I would go to is stretching. I think stretching really helps, whether it’s your body or your mind. And then I’ve been reading a lot recently, so I think that calms me down, and it also helps me learn new things.

You’ve been outspoken about representation in fashion especially. Is that something that drives you to pursue so many projects within the industry?

Representation is really important to me. I want to make it easier for the ones behind me, the younger generation, because we aren’t going to be here forever. I also feel like people can attain what they see, so if there’s someone that looks like me, that sees me on TV or sees me playing tennis or something, they would feel like they can do the same thing. I’m just trying to open as many paths as possible.

Has spending more time away from tennis changed your personal style at all?

I would say my style has changed a lot, but it’s also changed because of the pregnancy. I started wearing like a lot of Japanese-style, oversized clothes… I also don’t really leave the house that often. I’m just trying to find things that are fun that speak to my personality, but also don’t just squeeze me too much. 

I know you’re a big Rihanna fan. Have you gotten any maternity style inspiration from her?

I remember most of Rihanna’s pregnancy outfits, but I never think that I can pull that off.

I guess it’s not for everyone!

Yeah, she’s amazing, though. But I feel like I’m kind of learning as I go along. Of course I’m gonna get bigger, so maybe the style will change then, but for now, I’m just winging it.

Speaking of style trends, what do you think of the tennis aesthetic becoming so popular?

I think it’s cool because I have that in my closet. It’s not like I have to go out and buy it. But I always thought that tennis clothes, especially for women, were really cute.

See (and shop) the full Naomi Osaka x Victoria’s Secret collection below.

Victoria’s Secret X Naomi Osaka No-Show Cheeky Panty, $12.50, available here (sizes XS-XXL)

Victoria’s Secret X Naomi Osaka No-Show Cheeky Panty, $12.50, available here (sizes XS-XXL)

Victoria’s Secret X Naomi Osaka No-Show Cheeky Panty, $12.50, available here (sizes XS-XXL)

Victoria’s Secret X Naomi Osaka Lounge Shorts, $34.95, available here (sizes XS-XXL)

Victoria’s Secret X Naomi Osaka Lounge Shorts, $34.95, available here (sizes XS-XXL)

Victoria’s Secret X Naomi Osaka Boyfriend Shirt Dress, $54.95, available here (sizes XS-XXL)

Victoria’s Secret X Naomi Osaka Boyfriend Shirt Dress, $54.95, available here (sizes XS-XXL)

Victoria’s Secret X Naomi Osaka Play-All-Day Romper, $59.95, available here (sizes XS-XXL)

Victoria’s Secret X Naomi Osaka Lounge Shorts, $34.95, available here (sizes XS-XXL)

Victoria’s Secret X Naomi Osaka Boyfriend Shirt Dress, $54.95, available here (sizes XS-XXL)

Victoria’s Secret X Naomi Osaka Play-All-Day Romper, $59.95, available here (sizes XS-XXL)

Victoria’s Secret X Naomi Osaka Play-All-Day Romper, $59.95, available here (sizes XS-XXL)

Victoria’s Secret X Naomi Osaka Short Robe, $59.95, available here (sizes XS-XXL)

Victoria’s Secret X Naomi Osaka Short Robe, $59.95, available here (sizes XS-XXL)

Victoria’s Secret X Naomi Osaka Lightly Lined Forever T-Shirt Demi Bra, $39.95, available here (sizes 32B-40DDD)

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Source: Fashionista.com