On Nov. 6, Serena Williams will become the first-ever athlete to receive the CFDA’s Fashion Icon Award.
If you didn’t already know, Serena Williams is more than just a tennis icon. This week, the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) announced Williams as its 2023 Fashion Icon Award recipient, making her the first athlete to receive the award.
“Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve used fashion as an outlet to express myself — fashion gave me the confidence to step on the court and own who I was, and where I knew I was going,” said Williams, per WWD. “[…] I am incredibly honored to be receiving the prestigious Fashion Icon Award from the CFDA, an organization whose work I have long admired, and to stand among style icons I have always looked up to.”
As Williams blazed her trail on tennis courts, the record-breaking athlete simultaneously followed her passion for fashion. In 2019, Williams revealed to Forbes that she grew up sewing, a skill she inherited from her mother, Oracene Price, who used to design her early tennis outfits. As Williams continued to blossom in her career, she consistently made sartorial statements on the court, rocking tutus, catsuits, and bold colors, and collaborating with designers like the late founder of Off-White, Virgil Abloh. Off-court, she also made an impact, even co-chairing the 2019 Met Gala.
“I ended up going to fashion school,” Williams told Forbes. “I always joke that somewhere between winning Wimbledons and US Opens, I was in school doing fashion projects.”
Williams founded her own clothing line, S by Serena, in 2018, which appeared in New York Fashion Week in 2019 and 2020. A year after introducing the apparel line, the tennis star added jewelry to the brand’s portfolio.
“My dream of owning my own brand, S by Serena, has become a reality and throughout my career, I have been blessed to collaborate with the most established designers and the most exciting up-and-coming creatives,” Williams added. “I have had so much fun learning my style and allowing it to change as my life has evolved, but I’ve always held one thing true — fashion is for everyone, no matter your size, race or income.”
During the awards ceremony set to take place on Nov. 6 in New York, the 23-time Grand Slam champion will join the likes of previous recipients such as Zendaya, Beyoncé, Pharrell Williams, Rihanna, Lenny Kravitz and Naomi Campbell. In honor of Williams’ addition to the CFDA fashion icons list, here are some of the tennis star’s best fashion moments.
Serena Williams attends the 54th NAACP Image Awards at Pasadena Civic Auditorium on February 25, 2023 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
Serena Williams at the premiere of “Creed III” held at TCL Chinese Theater on February 27, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Michael Buckner/Variety via Getty Images)
Serena Williams arrives for the 2023 Met Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 1, 2023, in New York. – The Gala raises money for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute. The Gala’s 2023 theme is “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty.” (Photo by ANGELA WEISS / AFP) (Photo by ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images)
Serena Williams attends the Michael Kors SS23 Show at Highline Stages on September 14, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Udo Salters/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images)
Serena Williams attends the 2022 Vanity Fair Oscar Party following the 94th Oscars at the The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills, California on March 27, 2022. (Photo by Patrick T. FALLON / AFP) (Photo by PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)
Athlete Serena Williams at the 94th Academy Awards held at Dolby Theatre at the Hollywood & Highland Center on March 27th, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Dan Steinberg/Variety/Penske Media via Getty Images)
Serena Williams attends the 27th Annual Critics Choice Awards at Fairmont Century Plaza on March 13, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)
Serena Williams arrives at the Gucci show during Milan Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2022/23 on February 25, 2022 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images for Gucci)
Serena Williams attends The 2021 Met Gala Celebrating In America: A Lexicon Of Fashion at Metropolitan Museum of Art on September 13, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images)
A detailed view of Serena Williams’ shoes as she practices on day two of the 2021 French Open at Roland Garros on May 31, 2021 in Paris, France. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
Serena Williams celebrates winning match point in her Women’s Singles Quarterfinals match against Simona Halep of Romania during day nine of the 2021 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on February 16, 2021 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Daniel Pockett/Getty Images)
Serena Williams and daughter Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr. on the catwalk (Photo by Masato Onoda/WWD/Penske Media via Getty Images)
Serena Williams attends the 91st Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood and Highland on February 24, 2019 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
Serena Williams of the United States in action against Carina Witthoeft of Germany while wearing a tennis outfit designed by Virgil Abloh and designed in conjunction with Nike, in the second round of the US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Centre on August 28, 2018 in New York City, United States. (Photo by TPN/Getty Images)
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