Serena Williams’ passion for fashion and skilled training have constantly influenced her magnificent, distinctive outfits. Williams took charge of her most up-to-date attire on the US Open 2022 at Flushing Meadows, Recent York, with assistance from Nike Lead Apparel Designer Carly Ellis, who provided the general concept and guided the small print for an exciting design geared toward making her feel confident and relaxed.

Williams has been partnering with Nike since 2004. Nonetheless, Ellis joined the apparel team in 2018, and the 2 women have been working together ever since. “One of the special moments in my profession was after I got to see a glance I designed debut on-court on the Australian Open in 2021—the lilac dress,” Ellis tells ESSENCE. “It’s been a dream come true to work so closely together with her from that moment forward.”

In response to Ellis, the tennis champion was extremely hands-on, with incredibly high standards, which makes her a tremendous collaborator. “She knows what she likes, what she wants, and what she doesn’t. This has fostered a fast-paced, honest, and respectful partnership between her and our design team,” Ellis explains. “The more direct feedback she shares with us, the more tools we’ve to create our vision together.” 

The Grand Slam champion has at all times understood the influence of clothing, as any fan would agree. At first of her profession, she used vivid colours, dangerous cutouts, and historical accessories (who can forget those white beads). We’ve got witnessed how that modified over time into fearless disruption. “Serena is playful and unafraid of expressing her personal style each on and off the court. Relatively than conform, she selected to embrace, own, and rejoice the whole lot that makes her different,” Ellis explains. “She undoubtedly modified the sport itself, from the facility and pace of ladies’s tennis to its reach beyond the court. We’ve long known the facility of a uniform when dressing for a giant match and stepping onto the world stage to compete. She has elevated sports right into a runway for self-expression, individuality, and celebration.”

Williams was given freedom of movement in addition to a spotlight due to the frilly bodice and skirt, which were inspired by the elegant competition gowns worn by figure skaters. The skirt includes six layers in memory of her six previous championship triumphs in Flushing. The deep hue and crystal-encrusted bodice, which is worn with an identical jacket and tote, allude to the competition’s night sky by reflecting light and shining magnificently.

“In our first meeting together on the concept, she prepared a temporary for me and brought her own sketches,” Ellis describes their brainstorming sessions. “Serena loves the grace, strength, and sheer skill of ice dancers and was really inspired by the embellishments of their costumes. “We worked on several different designs, combining her ideas, experimenting, and ideating. We knew this needed to be perfect.”

The look was paired with the NikeCourt Flare 2—custom Serena PE sneakers featuring a diamond-encrusted Swoosh design and her initials on the medial side. The solid gold deubrés on the laces feature 400 hand-set diamonds in black ceramic created in collaboration with Serena Williams Jewelry. Overall, all the look took a little bit over nine months to create. 

“Once we had her dress dialed, we, in fact, wanted to construct in some surprises for the Queen, which got here in the shape of the crystal-emblazoned train,” Ellis shares. “I’ll always remember watching her walk out onto center court Monday night in that train, bedazzled jacket, and diamonds adorning her hair and nails, with the world watching her every move. She went on to win in straight sets after which powerfully won her second-round match as well. I wish to think possibly the sparkles are giving her some extra magic.” 

One in all Ellis’s favorite accessories to match Williams’ look was the matching outfit for her 5-year-old daughter, Olympia, who sat within the bleachers cheering her mother on. “We knew this dress was special for Serena, but we all know that nobody is more special to her than Olympia,” Ellis points out. “I like the tradition we’ve began at Nike of making matching outfits for this iconic mother-daughter duo. We made it a priority for her on-court debut on the Open, but they definitely surprised us with Olympia’s beads, which were a throwback to Serena’s first-ever US Open match. How lovely was that?”

We could be remiss if we didn’t ask Ellis how she feels about being a component of history. “There are not any words that may summarize the pressure and responsibility that include designing a chunk of history for the Best Of All Time,” she shares. “Every moment I even have spent working with Serena Williams, even in times of pressure and problem solving, is a delight to be relished for the remaining of my life. It’s been the best honor of my profession up to now, and this is definitely a bittersweet moment to see her storied tennis profession come to an end.”

We couldn’t agree more!