Tennis icon Serena Williams will receive the Style Icon Award at the 2023 CFDA Fashion Awards, making her the first athlete to win the award.
The Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) will hold an awards ceremony at the American Museum of Natural History in New York on November 6, 2023. The winners include a group of accomplished designers, and Serena is the only athlete on the list of winners.
The 23-time Grand Slam champion retires from professional tennis in September 2022, although she despised the use of the word “retirement” in her farewell message, saying she was “evolving” away from tennis. Williams is now focusing on raising her children, recently giving birth to her second daughter, Adira River Ohanian.
Throughout her career, Serena has been the embodiment of courage and inspiration for many up-and-coming tennis players on the WTA Tour. Now, the 42-year-old is banking on her tennis aura to inspire and empower women to feel fashionable when they wear them.
Serena has been a champion of fashion and design since her playing days and launched her eponymous clothing line in 2018 called “Serena.” She has built an online presence where, in addition to dresses and blazers, women can choose from a variety of athleisure and therapeutic apparel, some of which convey positive messages through embroidery of inspirational quotes.
“Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve used fashion as a way to express myself. It’s been fun learning my style and letting it change as my life has evolved, but I’ve always stayed true to one Thing: —Fashion is for everyone, no matter your size, race or income.”
“I am extremely honored to receive the prestigious Fashion Icon Award from the CFDA, an organization I have long admired for its work, and to join the list of fashion icons I have always respected.”