Grand Slam champion Serena William is ready for the world to see her new collection with sportswear giant Nike, created by a diverse team of designers from her latest initiative known as the Serena Williams Design Crew.
Created in 2019, the Serena Williams Design Crew (SWDC) apprenticeship program grants a group of talented designers the opportunity to design in collaboration with the tennis star for the course of six months. With diversity at the forefront, the program is paving a way for the future of design all the while uplifting the talents of emerging designers. For the first collection under SWDC, 10 New York-based designers were brought to Nike’s headquarters in Portland, Oregon to begin their apprenticeship alongside the iconic Serena Williams. Every year, new designers will be added to the “crew” and Nike has already secured 11 designers from Chicago for the next collection in progress.
The first-ever SWDC collection is essentially inspired by Serena William’s aesthetic as she is known for being bold, empowering, and confident in both personality and style. Williams expresses, “When I step on the court, I definitely want to stand out. I’m Serena and I like to be different. I just like taking a chance when it comes to design.”
Pieces feature fearless design details such as cutouts, colorblocking, and asymmetry plus the incorporation of vibrant prints such as the Kente clothe print. The collection offers both sportswear and streetwear including bodysuits, jumpsuits, jersey dresses, tops, shorts, pants, hoodies, and tees. Accessories such as bucket hats, totes, and socks will also accompany the rollout. Not to mention, a Nike RYZ 365 2, Air Max Koko sandals, and two Court Legacy sneakers.
Pieces feature fearless design details such as cutouts, colorblocking, and asymmetry plus the incorporation of vibrant prints such as the Kente clothe print. The collection offers both sportswear and streetwear including bodysuits, jumpsuits, jersey dresses, tops, shorts, pants, hoodies, and tees. Accessories such as bucket hats, totes, and socks will also accompany the rollout. Not to mention, a Nike RYZ 365 2, Air Max Koko sandals, and two Court Legacy sneakers will be apart of the mix as well.
The capsule references many instances in William’s journey as a tennis champion including motherhood. In fact, an embroidered “Williams 00” graces the back of a tennis jersey as a nod to her daughter’s initials O.O.
Serena Williams is no stranger to Nike as she signed with the brand in 2003 at the age of 22. Since then, she has worked closely with the brand and its partners like Off-White designer Virgil Abloh, who created an entire Nike capsule collection for her following a ban on her “controversial” catsuit at the 2018 French Open. Additionally, Williams graced the red carpet at the 2019 Met Gala wearing a poofy floral Versace dress matched with bright neon Off-White x Nike Air Force 1 “Volt” sneakers, making headlines as she opted for sneakers under her avant-garde gown at the biggest formal fashion event of the year. The champion can also been seen wearing Nike from the head to toe on the court during her matches.
The star designers of the first SWDC x Nike collection include apparel designer Emiko McCoy, footwear designer Emil Blanco, graphic designer Sheena Wong Shue, footwear color designer Bria Thomas, graphic designer Juan Huerta, equipment designer Julio Colon, footwear designer Toussaint King, apparel designer Simone Sullivan, footwear materials designer Mika Osoro, and apparel color designer Sandra Cruz.
The Serena Williams Design Crew x Nike collection drops on Wednesday, September 1st on Nike.com. Apparel and accessories range from $20 to $250. The Nike Court Legacy is priced at $90. The Nike RYZ 365 2 and Air Max Koko is priced at $85 and $110, respectively.
Photos: Nike