Serena Williams is the CFDA’s 2023 Fashion Icon Award recipient

By Haniyah Philogene

·October 12, 2023

If you didn’t already know, Serena Williams is more than just a tennis icon. This week, the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) announced Williams as its 2023 Fashion Icon Award recipient, making her the first athlete to receive the award.

Serena Williams is this year’s CFDA Fashion Icon Award recipient. Above, the tennis legend arrives in February for the NAACP Image Awards ceremony in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images)

“Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve used fashion as an outlet to express myself — fashion gave me the confidence to step on the court and own who I was, and where I knew I was going,” said Williams, per WWD. “[…] I am incredibly honored to be receiving the prestigious Fashion Icon Award from the CFDA, an organization whose work I have long admired, and to stand among style icons I have always looked up to.”

As Williams blazed her trail on tennis courts, the record-breaking athlete simultaneously followed her passion for fashion. In 2019, Williams revealed to Forbes that she grew up sewing, a skill she inherited from her mother, Oracene Price, who used to design her early tennis outfits. As Williams continued to blossom in her career, she consistently made sartorial statements on the court, rocking tutus, catsuits, and bold colors, and collaborating with designers like the late founder of Off-White, Virgil Abloh. Off-court, she also made an impact, even co-chairing the 2019 Met Gala.

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“I ended up going to fashion school,” Williams told Forbes. “I always joke that somewhere between winning Wimbledons and US Opens, I was in school doing fashion projects.”

Williams founded her own clothing line, S by Serena, in 2018, which appeared in New York Fashion Week in 2019 and 2020. A year after introducing the apparel line, the tennis star added jewelry to the brand’s portfolio.

“My dream of owning my own brand, S by Serena, has become a reality and throughout my career, I have been blessed to collaborate with the most established designers and the most exciting up-and-coming creatives,” Williams added. “I have had so much fun learning my style and allowing it to change as my life has evolved, but I’ve always held one thing true — fashion is for everyone, no matter your size, race or income.”

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During the awards ceremony set to take place on Nov. 6 in New York, the 23-time Grand Slam champion will join the likes of previous recipients such as Zendaya, Beyoncé, Pharrell Williams, Rihanna, Lenny Kravitz and Naomi Campbell. In honor of Williams’ addition to the CFDA fashion icons list, here are some of the tennis star’s best fashion moments.