NEW YORK: Tennis legend Serena Williams took to her Instagram account on Thursday to launch her own fashion brand for the first time called as ‘Serena’. Her passion for fashion stems from her education at the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale and has previously collaborated for her exclusive collections with brands such as Nike and Puma. She has also made waves at the French Open 2018 with her catsuit-style dress, which makes her feel like a ‘warrior princess’.
She wrote the following on Instagram, using the hashtag #BeSeenBeHeard: “They say life is about timing. I learned this lesson at age 18, when I chose to play a light tennis schedule because I wanted to go to fashion school.
“Some criticised my decision, but I knew I had two loves—tennis and fashion—and had to find a way to make them coexist. After 15 years of false starts, and people in fashion telling me ‘no,’ it only drove me to work harder.
“As a result, I discovered what it meant to invest in myself, and I allowed that belief in myself to drive me to reach my dream.
“Today, I am proud to launch @serena , my own online shop. Never stop believing in yourself, you’re worth it.”
In an interview with Harper Bazaar, Serena said that her dresses were available for purchase on her website, serenawilliams.com and hoped that it would help women feel strong, confident and sexy. Her inspiration is her 9-month-old daughter, Alexis Olympia Ohanian, Jr.
“Ever since [giving birth to] Olympia I was like, ‘Okay I have a daughter, I want her to feel good about herself.’
“She is strong already, so I want her to feel beautiful and I want to spread that message through the collection,” Williams told Harpers Bazaar.
