Naomi Osaka's Met Gala Outfit Was Inspired by Haiti and Japan

(Image credit: Getty Images ¦ (C)Kevin Mazur)

published 13 September 2021

The 2021 Met Gala red carpet is in full swing, and the stars have descended on New York City in their most jaw-dropping looks. Tennis pro, mental health advocate, and fashion darling Naomi Osaka serves as one of the night’s co-chairs—and her colorful outfit, a Louis Vuitton dress that was co-designed by her sister Mari Osaka, took inspiration from her Japanese and Haitian heritage.

Osaka's gown featured a floral midi-length skirt, exaggerated ruffled sleeves, and a red bow at her waist. She accessorized with a pair of simple black peep-toe booties. Her hair was fashioned into a statement-making braided updo that featured a graphic horizontal teased detail. Her makeup look consisted of a halo of red across her eyes and on her cheekbones; glowing skin; and a matching berry-toned color on her lips.

"For me, Americana kinda means a mix of all cultures and this dress and this look kind of represents my two backgrounds, Haitian and Japanese, so I was really glad I was able to incorporate it," she told Vogue.

Tonight is Osaka’s first time at the Met Gala, and she's playing a huge role. Fresh off a series of games the U.S. Open, Osaka joins co-hosts Timothee Chalamet, Billie Eilish and Amanda Gorman. She’s the last of the four hosts to hit the carpet, and she definitely did it with a bang.

See images of her dramatic look below:

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Julia Marzovilla is the Fashion E-Commerce Editor at Marie Claire, where she reviews the latest launches from fashion and beauty brands, finds the best on-sale items around the internet, and interviews experts to find the best products in any category to share with her readers. She also creates shopping guides that span every vertical on the site as an expert in everything from the best laptop bags to the best laser hair removal devices.

In her near decade of experience, Julia has both written for several top outlets in the E-Commerce space and worked at major fashion labels. Prior to joining the Marie Claire team, she contributed similar shopping stories to sites such as Bustle, InStyle, The Zoe Report, Who What Wear, and worked as the Trending Fashion and News Writer STYLECASTER. You can find her across the internet at @JuliaMarzovilla. In real life, you can find her creating shopping guides for her friends, cooking or baking in her too-small kitchen, or buying tickets for the next time Harry Styles is in town.

Julia has a Bachelor’s degree in English with a minor in Journalism from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, California. She lives in New York City, her hometown.