Naomi Osaka is launching the skincare line KINLÒ for melanated skin.
Naomi Osaka
The tennis ace has made an affordable skincare range for darker skin tones after not having the products she needed to protect her own skin.
She told Business of Fashion: "What drew me towards this project is having memories of being a kid and not knowing how to protect my skin. I only started wearing sunscreen recently.
"This is a public health need. I used to tell people that I didn't need to wear sunscreen — but even if you have melanin, you need to take care of your skin, and I am passionate about that."
KINLÒ will include a lip balm, body spray, eye cream, and an SPF 50 Tinted Face Lotion and sunscreen.
The formulas have been created with dermatologist Dr. Naana Boakye and are built to survive a round of tennis.
What's more, Osaka says the products could "potentially" save lives, after CDC data found 33% of Black Americans who are diagnosed with melanoma in the United States die.
She wrote on Instagram: "I never thought I would ever start my own company, but I'm super excited to announce that I'll be launching KINLÒ, a new brand of skincare products developed to protect and rejuvenate melanated skin tones.
"I hope these products can help a lot of people and potentially save lives because I really feel that we aren’t protecting ourselves as much as we could."
The 23-year-old sports star unveiling her skincare brand comes after she was named a brand ambassador for Louis Vuitton and was photographed by the luxury brand’s Artistic Director of Women’s Collections, Nicolas Ghesquière, for their 2021 spring collection campaign.
In a statement, she said: “Aside from tennis, my most treasured passion is fashion, and there is no brand more iconic than Louis Vuitton. “It is such an honour to work with Nicolas - he’s a designer I admire so much and we share a mutual love of Japanese culture and style. To become a global brand ambassador is truly a dream come true for me.”