Tennis legend Serena Williams told an audience of celebrities and designers that as she grew up in the public eye, fashion became her favorite form of expression and the tennis court was her fashion show.
“When I was a kid, I knew I was different, so I explored fashion and style as a way to differentiate myself.” Williams said Monday night while accepting the Fashion Icon Award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA). “For me, in many ways, the tennis court became my runway and the U.S. Open was my own New York Fashion Week.”. Reimagining traditional tennis clothing became a way to express “my personality and confidence and, most importantly, my culture,” she said.
Williams retired last year She was the first athlete to win the Fashion Icon Awardand gave him kim kardashian, won the honorary title issued by the State Food and Drug Administration last year. Kardashian called Williams “fearless, heroic, authentic, iconic, the greatest of all time.”
The CFDA Awards, the fashion world’s equivalent of Oscar night, take place at the American Museum of Natural History in Manhattan Anne Hathaway As master of ceremonies. In the Best Designer Awards, Catherine Holstein of the Khaite brand was named Womenswear Designer of the Year, while Willy Chavarría won the Menswear Award. The Best Accessories Award went to Ashley Olsen and Mary-Kate Olsen of The Row.
Other honors include: Gwyneth Paltrow Accepted the Innovation Award from goop, the lifestyle brand he founded 15 years ago Demi Moore.Vanessa Hudgens Pay tribute to the CFDA Board of Directors Wang Weiwei, for its impact on the wedding industry. Designer María Cornejo received the Lifetime Achievement Award, presented by Laura Linney.
The director also created a short film to pay tribute to hip-hop’s 50th anniversary Hyp Williamsproposer Mary J. Blige Music composed by Pharrell.
When Williams, 42, retired from tennis, she said she needed to make the difficult decision to focus on motherhood. She gave birth to a daughter in August, almost exactly a year after she last competed as a tennis star. Adira River Ohanian is the second daughter of Williams and her husband, Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian. The first one, Olympia, was born in 2017.
In his speech, he spoke fondly of how he learned to express his creativity on the court. “I styled a denim skirt and wore a purple tutu and leotards,” she said. “I put beads in my hair and braids. “It was a really fun moment for me. “
Williams, who studied fashion during her tennis career and launched her clothing line “S by Serena” in 2018, said in her speech that the goal of the line is “Inspiring women to embrace their bodies and love who they are, no matter their size, race. Or income.”
Among his many thanks, he left the last one to his mother “for making my first tennis outfit when I was young.” Watching her sew, he said, “It created this creativity in me that I still have to this day. “
The CFDA Awards are presented by Amazon Fashion. Among other honors, Alina Cho received the Media Award, Domenico De Sole received the Founder’s Award, Mara Hoffman received the Sustainability Award and JW Anderson and Loewe’s Jonathan Anderson received the International Award.