Victoria’s Secret is collaborating with Naomi Osaka on a new collection Victoria’s Secret x Naomi Osaka. According to Yahoo! Finance, it is the company’s first collaboration with an athlete.
The 25-year-old worked with the brand to create sustainably made sleepwear and intimate wear. According to Vogue, it is designed based on Osaka’s love for loose-fitting clothes that she can relax in.
“When you’re sleeping, you’re at your most vulnerable,” Osaka told Vogue in a phone interview. “So I want to feel as comfortable as possible.”
Osaka remembers seeing the brand’s “pretty” displays when she went to the mall with her mom and sister. What she didn’t see were models and ambassadors who looked like her.
Victoria’s Secret has long been criticized for its decision to cast very thin, mostly white models. In recent months, Victoria’s Secret has begun efforts to cast a more diverse group of models and ambassadors. Osaka says she feels comfortable with the direction the brand is going.
“Actually talking to everyone at Victoria’s Secret and seeing how inclusive it was,” she told Vogue. “I remember having discussions with them about how I never saw someone who looked like me before in their stores. I thought it would be really amazing to shift the view.”
The brand is just as excited to work with her.
“We are honored to have partnered and designed with Naomi on our first-ever collaboration with a Collective partner. As a champion of self-love and a true inspiration to women all over the world, Naomi encourages us all to celebrate our dreams through this special collection. Designed with dreamy color blends, unique patterns and absolute comfort in mind, each VS X Naomi Osaka piece embodies the beauty and peacefulness of taking time for you, and we look forward to sharing it with everyone,” Janie Schaffer, Chief Design Officer for Victoria’s Secret, said, according to Yahoo! Finance.
The tennis star has won four major Grand Slam titles and is now preparing to tackle a new adventure: motherhood. She and her boyfriend Cordae are expecting their first child sometime this year. She says she has been wearing pieces from her Victoria’s Secret line throughout her pregnancy.
“I’ve actually been wearing them all the time now,” she told Vogue.
The collection is now available in stores and online.
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