• by Colin Kirkland , May 31, 2023

Meta has announced a collection of digital clothing in partnership with professional tennis player Naomi Osaka.

The outfits, designed by Osaka herself, are now available for purchase via the Meta Avatars Store on Instagram, Facebook, Messenger, and in Meta’s VR platform Horizon Worlds.

The collection marks Osaka’s first foray into digital apparel and draws upon tennis as well as Osaka’s Haitian and Japanese heritage, The Great Wave off Kanagawa print by artist Hokusai, her media company Hana Kuma and her dog Butta (see Osaka’s paw-printed joggers), says Meta.

“Being able to take trends from the real world and translate into the metaverse was really fun,” Osaka says. “Plus you can try a lot of new things when designing digitally — it’s all about pushing myself outside of the box. To me, one of the most exciting parts is that digital apparel is much more accessible than luxury apparel in the real world. I can dress my avatar in whatever I want.” 

Osaka’s collection includes five outfits that, according to Meta, will expand “over time,” designed for users to “go straight from a sweaty game of Eleven Table Tennis to a dance party in Meta Horizon Worlds.”

As part of the release, Meta has shared sketches from Osaka’s sketchbook alongside descriptions written by the tennis star detailing her thought process while creating each new look.