Tennis star Serena Williams has been named a fashion icon by the Council of Fashion Designers of America. The organization awarded Williams the award Monday night at a ceremony in New York. Williams is the first athlete to win the award. Previous winners include artists such as Beyoncé, Zendaya and Rihanna.
“I explore fashion and style as a way to differentiate myself,” Williams told media at the event. “For me, the tennis court became my running track in a lot of ways.”
The 23-time Grand Slam singles champion walked the red carpet at the American Museum of Natural History in a custom black sequined dress designed by CFDA Chairman Thom Browne.
The event is considered the Oscars of fashion. Williams was awarded the 2023 CFDA Fashion Icon Award by fashion mogul and television star Kim Kardashian.
The audience included big-name stars such as Anne Hathaway, Gwyneth Paltrow and Demi Moore, as well as singers Mary J. Blige and Vanessa Hudgens.
In her acceptance speech, Williams spoke of her love for fashion and its role on the tennis court.
“I styled the dress out of denim, wore a purple tutu and leotards, put beads in my hair and braided it,” she said. “It was a really fun time for me.”
Williams has always been a fashion student and attended fashion school during the Grand Slam – and launched her S by Serena clothing line in 2018.
In 2019, Williams told Essence magazine that her clothes “represent women everywhere—indomitable mothers, daughters, and sisters; resilient businesswomen and entrepreneurs; outsiders and underdogs; little girls with crazy dreams. Girls and determined women of color.”
Williams, 42, retires at the 2022 U.S. Open in New York after a stellar 27-year career. “I’m not retiring,” she warned, and “the chances[of returning]are very high.”
Williams thanked several people during the ceremony on Monday but left the last one for her mother. “Watching her sew gave me a sense of creativity that I still have to this day,” Williams said.