virgil abloh designs NIKE 'queen collection' for serena williams

designer virgil abloh has continued his ongoing collaboration with NIKE with a new collection for tennis superstar serena williams. revealed in advance of the upcoming US open, the ‘queen collection’ includes contrasting dresses for both day and nighttime play, an all-black bomber jacket, a bag, and three pairs of sneakers for wear on- and off-court. at the tournament, serena will wear a special PE edition of her NIKEcourt flare 2 — an evolution of the shoes williams first discussed in an exclusive interview with designboom.

all images courtesy of NIKE

with his design, virgil abloh — who has made his biggest mark within NIKE through footwear — sought to highlight one of sport’s most dominant athletes while complementing williams’ individual aura. ‘with serena, we have one of our generation’s most powerful, inspiring athletes as the muse,’ explains abloh. ‘I was trying to embody her spirit and bring something compelling and fresh to tennis.’

the collection includes a black bomber jacket

williams’ love of dance and ballet informed the tulled design of the dress, which flares out to accommodate her on-court movement. meanwhile, the supportive-mesh fit hugs her body and simultaneously keeps her cool for the hot new york city evenings. the sneakers in the collection are the NIKEcourt flare 2 as well as limited editions of the 10: NIKE air max 97 and the 10: NIKE blazer mid SW.

the dress flares out to accommodate on-court movement

‘what I love about tennis is the gracefulness. it’s an aggressive and powerful game, but it takes touch and finesse,’ abloh continues. ‘so the dress is feminine, but combines her aggression. it’s partially revealing. it’s asymmetrical. it has a sort of ballerina-esque silhouette to symbolize her grace. it’s not about bells and whistles and tricks. it’s just about it living on the body, and expressing serena’s spirit with each swing of the racket.’

the supportive-mesh fit hugs the body