The four-time Grand Slam singles champion, Naomi Osaka, has jumped on the sustainability bandwagon with an upcycled denim collection.

As the conversation around sustainability practices grows, more and more influencers are becoming a part of this movement. Naomi Osaka is the newest face in sustainable fashion. With her partnership with Levi’s, the tennis star has created a four-piece upcycled denim collection for the summer that includes:

1. A Denim Kimono (with a denim obi belt)
2. Lace-up shorts (designed from old men’s Levi’s jeans) 
3. Crystal fringe shorts (designed from vintage 501 shorts)
4. A bustier with a lace-up back made out of upcycled Levi’s Trucker jacket.

The design and development of Naomi Osaka upcycled denim collection

The old denim used in the collection comes from Levi’s old denim stock. Most of the old denim jeans and apparel usually end up in landfills.  According to EPA, landfills received 11.3 million tons of textile waste in 2018 alone. But thanks to Osaka’s partnership with the denim giant, there’ll soon be reduction in that waste. According to Osaka, “The sustainability aspect was super important to me. And I love that every piece in the collection is from old stock.”

Image / Levi’s

Apart from sustainability, the collection pays homage to Osaka’s Japanese heritage. In her statement Osaka said that she “always loved wearing kimonos when I was a kid.” She added, “So, to be able to do it in denim felt really different and a bit unexpected.” The other pieces in the collection are more sporty in style than the Kimono. 

The collection will drop in selected Levi’s stores on August 24. Osaka fans in Hong Kong will be able to buy it from the brand’s Harbor City store.

This is Osaka’s second partnership with Levi’s. She previously joined stars like Hailey Bieber,  Jaden Smith, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander,  Barbie Ferreira, Emma Chamberlain, and Marcus Rashford for Levi’s 501 day campaign.

The company recently partnered with a Copenhagen-based label, Ganni, to create a rental capsule that features upcycled materials. Customers can rent the collection for only three weeks, after which other customers will use it. 

In addition, Levi’s has also launched the “most sustainable Levi’s ever”, which is Denim made out of circulose (derived from recycled denim biodegradable wood pulp) and organic cotton.  

Ingredients like biodegradable wood pulp and tree fibers are quickly becoming popular as sustainability materials. Recently, Allbirds, too, launched its first activewear line made entirely out of natural materials like merino wool and eucalyptus tree fiber. 

Have you bought your first sustainable collection yet? Let us know in the comment section below.