Serena Williams And Nike Champion Diverse Designers With Design Crew’s First Collection

Few athletes have transcended their sport quite like Serena Williams has, who has become a symbol of strength among Black women, mothers and more. In 2019, the American tennis player and her NIKE, Inc. family partnered to create the Serena Williams Design Crew (SWDC), an apprenticeship program with the goal of promoting and establishing a generation of diverse talent at the Swoosh and beyond.

From January 2020 to June of that year, the crew’s first cohort spent six months at Nike’s World Headquarters during which it worked on a Williams-inspired collection, which includes footwear, apparel and accessories. Blending both performance and lifestyle, sport and culture, the capsule marks the start of an apprenticeship with a promising future with regards to cultivating talent that historically might’ve not had the opportunity to create on such a high-profile scale.

The first 10 apprentices, of which seven became full-time Nike employees, produced a total of four footwear styles to accompany the tennis body suit, crossover tights and other items. Every product under the Serena Williams Design Crew’s inaugural drop has details of the 23-time-Grand-Slam-singles-titles-winner’s life woven into them, further immortalizing Williams’ legacy outside of sport. As for the shoes included, two colorways of the Nike Court Legacy arrive alongside the eye-catching Nike Air Max Koko and Nike RYZ 365 2. All four footwear options indulge in components close to Serena – West African Kente cloth; gold eyelets representing gold medals; nods to the “SWDC” itself – and serve as well-thought-out complements to the aforementioned apparel. Serena’s signature is also found on all pieces, marking her stamp of approval.

Enjoy images of the Serena Williams Design Crew’s first capsule here below, and find all items launching on Nike.com on September 1st.

For more from under the Swoosh banner, check out the black Nike LeBron 19.