EXCLUSIVE FROM STYLE.COM: SERENA WILLIAMS & NIKE UNVEIL HER LOOK FOR THE U.S. OPEN

Courtesy of Style.com

Officially, Fashion Week doesn’t start until September but a catwalk of sorts has popped up today in the Flatiron district in the surprising form of a tennis court, and the designer-to-watch is the number-two-ranked women’s tennis player in the world. In a presentation not unlike the anticipated debut of a designer’s collection in Bryant Park, Serena Williams, in collaboration with Nike, is unveiling her look for the U.S. Open today. So too will other players’ looks including Roger Federer, Maria Sharapova, and Rafael Nadal.

“I really wanted to go with a strong color this year,” says the 28-year-old Williams. “I love wearing black at night but for day I wanted something that popped, which is why I chose magenta (pink is her favorite color).” Williams also added plenty of details, like small pleats at the chest, piping on the back, and a streamlined silhouette that flows into a tiered skirt. It’s a look so sleek it could easily be paired with Fendi heels for a night out, which is exactly how Williams says she would wear it off the court. The footwear she will actually be wearing during the U.S. Open, which kicks off on August 31, is of utmost excitement to the self-proclaimed “shoe freak.” “It’s a real high-fashion shoe, but it’s also functional and can be worn on the court,” she says. “When you go to a Nike store, you see all of these wonderful, colorful shoes, but they’re usually for skateboarding or hanging out. I wanted to incorporate that style into a tennis look.”

The 11-time Grand Slam champion and winner of last year’s U.S. Open, whose dramatic fashion sense attracts as much attention as her powerhouse serve (the white trench coat at Wimbledon last year, anyone?) plans to accessorize with a braided leather necklace and big hoop earrings (both embellished with small crystal diamonds) from her line Serena’s Signature Statement, debuting on the Home Shopping Network in September. “Fashion has always been a main part of my tennis game,” Williams says. “When you look good, you really take pride in what you do. And for me, that means I play better.”