As she prepares to play in the final tennis tournament of her illustrious career, Serena Williams and Nike have a series of elevated outfits and sneakers in store for the US Open.
Designed months ago through insights from Williams, the tennis icon will take the court in a figure skating-inspired dress. With cues and construction details drawing from the competition dresses often worn on ice, according to Nike, Williams was looking to draw on the gracefulness and elegance of the figure skating silhouette.
The skirt is made with six layers, as a nod to her six prior singles titles at Flushing Meadows, which began in 1999 with her first US Open championship at age 17. Nike is also providing Williams with a matching jacket and tote bag for her arrival, each featuring affixed crystals meant to shine bright through the evening tennis match.
On her feet, Serena will lace up a diamond-encrusted special edition of the NikeCourt Flare 2, the brand's latest statement tennis sneaker. Along with the diamond-laden swoosh along the heel, the black shoes also feature solid gold lace deubré with 400 hand-set diamonds, created in conjunction with her Serena Williams Jewelry company.
Since signing with Nike in 2003, Williams has been a featured face of the brand and will continue her partnership with the company long after her retirement from the sport.
Earlier this year, as part of the company's 50th anniversary celebration, Nike unveiled the Serena Williams Building at its Beaverton, Oregon, headquarters. The sprawling, 1 million-square-foot building is now the largest at the brand's campus. In addition to several design labs, research studios and showcase spaces, presentations are held in the two-story Olympia Theatre, named after her daughter.
Williams will also continue her Serena Williams Design Crew program with Nike, an annual apprenticeship for a mix of 10 diverse young designers who create Serena-branded footwear and apparel collections with the brand.