Look of the Week: Naomi Osaka’s subversive US Open walk-on look reclaims girl power

Editor’s Note: Featuring the good, the bad and the ugly, ‘Look of the Week’ is a regular series dedicated to unpacking the most talked about outfit of the last seven days.

CNN —

For her highly-anticipated return to the US Open, Naomi Osaka is hoping to evoke a touch of magic. The 26-year-old tennis player’s new looks for the court might surprise you.

While modern tennis-wear is typically streamlined, Osaka’s walk-on skirt puffs out wide thanks to a tulle petticoat. In images released ahead of the tournament, she posed in high-shine black bomber jacket adorned with an oversized white bow. There’s a lighter, lime version, too, which she wore in her entrance for her first round against Jeļena Ostapenko. Though she removed the jacket to win the match, she still had bows to spare — one was knotted on the back of her vibrant green tiered skirt, and two more adorning the heels of her sneakers.

“The inspiration that fueled the look for me — and this might be a Japanese term — is feeling like a ‘magical girl’ on the court,” she said in a Nike press statement. “There’s a moment of transformation for me when I walk onto the court, and I have a lot of fun playing, so wanting everyone who sees the outfit to connect with that feeling is a really big motivation for me.”

Osaka's girly walk-on outfit was inspired by the Japanese Lolita goth community. The custom outfit featured a larger-than-life bow and tulle petticoat. Underneath her tulle ensemble, Osaka's custom competition kit continued the motif of ruffles and frills in a more practical way.

The frilly, coquettish look — which was custom created by designer Yoon Ahn for Nike — is perhaps a kind of subversive armor for the Japanese star.

Since withdrawing from both the French