Serena Williams collaborates with Virgil Abloh and Nike

COLLABORATION

VIRGIL, SERENA, AND NIKE:

THE HOLY TRINITY

WORDS

by KRISTOPHER FRASER

PHOTOGRAPHY

COURTESY of NIKE

Serena Williams is not only a force to be reckoned with on the tennis court, but she’s also a force of style. She’s also no stranger to fashion collaborations, having collaborated with HSN and Nike in the past. Now, the tennis champion is collaborating with Off-White’s Virgil Abloh and Nike again for the 50th incarnation of the U.S. Open in Flushing Meadows.

Williams will be making a statement when she arrives in a dress created by Virgil Abloh for The Queen Collection, which is the result of a union between Nike and Abloh for Serena. Abloh, who has made his biggest mark with Nike through footwear, will be exploring an unfamiliar canvas with this collaboration — the tennis dress.

"With Serena, we have one of our generation's most powerful, inspiring athletes as the muse," said Abloh. "I was trying to embody her spirit and bring something compelling and fresh to tennis.”

Virgil Abloh X Nike

for Serena Williams

Nike and Virgil Dress Serena Williams at the U.S Open

The collaboration began when Abloh and the NikeCourt design team met in Paris to discuss a performance dress for Williams. Nike sent a body form designed specifically for Williams’ figure to Italy to explore options with materials, then it was flown back to Indian Wells, California, where Williams could pick the features of the dress that spoke to her.

One of the most important inspirations for the dress was Williams’ love of dance and ballet, which appears in the tulled design to give her a tutu-like airiness on the court. After Williams tried on the dress, the body form was sent back to Italy for the final modifications that will appear in New York City.

"What I love about tennis is the gracefulness. It's an aggressive and powerful game, but it takes touch and finesse," said Abloh. “So the dress is feminine, but combines her aggression. It's partially revealing. It's asymmetrical. It has a sort of ballerina-esque silhouette to symbolize her grace. It's not about bells and whistles and tricks. It's just about it living on the body, and expressing Serena’s spirit with each swing of the racket."

Of course, designing for optimum performance was always a priority. The tulled dress flares out to accommodate the athletic moves in Williams’ arsenal, while the supportive-mesh fit hugs her body and simultaneously keeps her cool for the hot New York City evenings.

The collection also has “flare” in the literal sense, as Serena will step onto the court wearing a special PE edition of her NikeCourt Flare 2.

The collection includes a dress for both day and nighttime play, a bomber jacket, a bag, the NikeCourt Flare 2 and limited editions of The 10: Nike Air Max 97 and The 10: Nike Blazer Mid SW. Price points range from $130 to $900.

VIRGIL ABLOH

Born in Rockford, Illinois in 1980 – Virgil Abloh is an artist, architect, engineer, creative director and fashion designer. After earning a degree in civil engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, he completed a Master's degree in architecture at the Illinois Institute of Technology. It was there that he learned not only about design principles, but also crafted the principles of his art practice. He studied a curriculum devised by Mies van der Rohe on a campus he had designed. Currently, he is the artistic director of menswear at Louis Vuitton and the chief creative director and head designer of menswear and womenswear at Off-White.

The Queen Collection. The result of a union between Nike and Virgil Abloh for Serena Williams.

“With Serena, we have one of our generation’s most powerful, inspiring athletes as the muse, I was trying to embody her spirit and bring something compelling and fresh to tennis.”

- Virgil Abloh-