Venus Williams’ affordable line of sports clothing hits stores
Venus Williams is serving up her tennis-court couture so the rest of us can look as good as she does working out. EleVen, the largest fashion collection ever by a female athlete, hits Steve Barry’s stores today. The tennis titan’s 120-piece line includes everything from track suits and sports bras to denim jackets and jewelry. Like all the clothes at Steve Barry’s, everything in the Eleven line costs under $20.
There are graphic T-shirts, down jackets, jeans, sport socks, visors and gym bags in all shapes and colors. Williams wore the V-Court sneaker, the collection’s signature item, during her U.S. Open matches. The high-performance shoe comes in a variety of colors, including teal, purple and pink. Silver went from my least favorite to my most, she admits in an exclusive interview with The News. I thought the silver would be too masculine, but now it’s my favorite.
It’s easy to put it with jeans and a white shirt, or you can dress it up a little bit too. Steve Barry’s has previously partnered with other celebrities, including Sarah Jessica Parker, Amanda Bynes and Knicks point guard Stephon Marbury, but Williams is the first who’s actually studied fashion. She’s due to graduate from the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale next month with a degree in design.
When we decided we wanted to reach our female shoppers with an activewear and lifestyle line, she was absolutely the top of the list, says Howard Schacter, the chief partnership officer at Steve Barry’s. First, she’s a superstar athlete with wide appeal among all women, but she also has an incredible fashion sense. Williams isn’t the only one in the family with a stylish sensibility. Her younger sister, Serena, has a sportswear line with Nike.