The CFDA will be honoring the tennis champion at its upcoming 2023 Fashion Awards.
Tennis champion Serena Williams will be the first athlete to receive the Fashion Icon award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA). The annual awards ceremony and gala dinner will take place on November 6 at the American Museum of Natural History in New York.
Williams will be joining the likes of Lenny Kravitz, Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez, Naomi Campbell, Beyoncé, Franca Sozzani, Pharrell Williams, and Rihanna who have previously received the award.
READ ALSO: Luxury Game-Changers: The Fashion Evolution Of Tennis Athletes
“Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve used fashion as an outlet to express myself,” Williams said in a statement. “Fashion gave me the confidence to step on the court and own who I was, and where I knew I was going.”
“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,” she concluded.
Greatest Of All Time
Considered one of the greatest tennis players of all time, Williams spent 319 weeks ranked No. 1 at the Women’s Tennis Association. She has also racked up 23 Grand Slam singles titles throughout her illustrious career.
In the middle of winning Grand Slam tournaments and rocking the court with her iconic tennis outfits, Williams studied fashion design at the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale and launched her own clothing line.
Together with established designers and up-and-coming creatives, the tennis champ has been able to collaborate and learn about her own style. In 2018, Williams launched S by Serena, focusing on confident and dynamic styles in her designs.
“Serena is one of the most inspiring people in the world…a true individual…she is an icon of the sports world…representing greatness on the highest level…bringing fashion to another world…” Thom Browne, chairman of the CFDA, stated.
“The ultimate example of individuality in everything she does.…Serena is a true fashion icon.”
Images via Instagram @serenawilliams.
