You won’t find any catsuits or tennis tutus in Serena Williams’s first independent clothing line, the aptly named Serena, but the 23-time Grand Slam winner still has power moves aplenty.
Replete with streetwear-inspired styles, including bralette tops, cropped hoodies, bodycon dresses, satin joggers and denim pieces, Serena boasts vegan-friendly materials and a mostly American provenance, not unlike Williams herself.
It’s also centered around the letter S—not just “Serena” but also concepts like “strength,” “sexy” and “survivor.” (Williams has said in previous interviews that her own person S-word is “sure,” as in “I need to be sure of myself.”) Logo tees feature slogans like “Be Greater,” and a pair of track pants carries the mantra, “I am beautiful, I am strong.”
Related Stories
“My designs are inspired by strong, sexy, sophisticated, sassy, sure, smart, stylish, silly and spontaneous women who are living their best lives, or making it up as they go—kinda like me,” she wrote on her website. “As an athlete, an entrepreneur, a daughter, a sister, a wife and now (wow!) a mother, I know it’s not always about perfection, but being prepared for whatever life throws in your direction.”
Williams has collaborated on collections with HSN and Nike before, but Serena is the first endeavor to allow her completely free rein.
The pieces, which are sold exclusively online at www.serenawilliams.com, are manufactured chiefly in New York or Los Angeles, though there are a few exceptions. They range from $30 for a basic white tank top to $215 for a boxer-esque hooded jacket with oversized patch pockets and metallic accents. Other standouts include a preppy “varsity” dress with a zipper that runs straight down the middle, a spread-collar button-down with the word “Slay” embroidered above the left pocket, and high-waisted ’90s jeans with frayed hems and light and medium washes.
“[My customer is] a practical woman; they don’t want to spend $3,000 on something, that just doesn’t make sense,” Williams said. “Our prices are practical, our fabrics are practical, but [the customer] is also a smart woman, they’re a smart girl. These are high-end quality fabrics and high-end quality feels, and you don’t have to pay over price for it.”
While sizes currently span XS to XL for tops and 25 to 32 for bottoms, Williams said that extended sizes will be coming soon. She’s not keen on the phrase “plus size,” though.
“We’re calling it ‘great,’ because I don’t like the word plus,” she told Teen Vogue. “People [often] say I’m great and use [that] word, so we’re calling our plus sizes ‘great.’”
