Tennis superstar Serena Williams on Monday opened up about the “Queen” collection, her latest partnership with sports apparel giant Nike and American fashion designer Virgil Abloh.
When the U.S. Open kicks off next week in New York, the Olympic medalist will hit the court in an all-new Nike outfit, created in collaboration with Abloh, who is artistic director of Louis Vuitton’s menswear collection and has designed items worn by celebrities such as Kanye West.
Sports apparel maker Nike said in a blog post that the new collection, “celebrates future-forward design, championing ambitious products that harness Nike’s unwavering commitment to redefining performance and style.”
In an exclusive interview with CNBC’s Sara Eisen, Williams said this year’s design is particularly special due to the collection’s strong balance between performance and fashion. Williams said it’s important to create apparel that’s functional for consumers whether at the gym or the office.
“This year [Nike] had this amazing idea to partner with Virgil and I can’t even say I came up with this,” Williams said in the interview on “Closing Bell.” “Nike has been a brand that’s been able to support my career and to back me and also make me look good on the court. … It’s really important to have that cross-fit brand.”
Williams has worked with Nike for more than 14 years. This year’s collection includes a dress, a bomber jacket, a bag and three pairs of sneakers. Select styles from the collection will launch exclusively in New York City, Nike said.
In the same interview, fashion designer Abloh said the partnership with Nike and Williams was a “no brainier.”
“My interest in fashion isn’t sort of about fashion, it’s about people,” he said. “[Williams] is beyond an amazing athlete, she’s a muse of a generation, so the clothes in a way design themselves.”
