Serena Williams talks fashion school and her line

"I’ve literally been doing and designing for my whole life," she said.

August 8, 2019, 7:47 PM

After dominating the tennis world for two decades, Serena Williams is now fulfilling another dream as a fashion designer and entrepreneur.

The 37-year-old tennis champion created her self-titled fashion line in 2018, and on Sept. 10, she'll celebrate Fashion Week in New York City with a 24-hour shopping party.

So far, no details on the party are available.

“My biggest joy is that I know that I’m doing something that I’ve always wanted to do, that I always dreamed of doing,” Williams told Essence. "I went to fashion school back in the early 2000s. This didn’t just pop up for me. It’s something I’ve literally been doing and designing for my whole life."

The four-time Olympic gold medal winner says she decided to launch her own fashion company after failing to find the right partnership,

"I just needed to do it on my own. Because when you invest in yourself, it helps your confidence, and you’ll know forever that whether you make it or not, you stepped up to the plate," Williams said.

"That’s what I’ve done my whole career. Not everyone believed in me in the beginning, but I stepped up to the plate, and it’s been working out," she added.

Williams said that her clothes "represent women everywhere—indomitable mothers, daughters and sisters; resilient businesswomen and entrepreneurs; outsiders and underdogs; little girls with crazy dreams and unflinching women of color."

The Essence September Global Fashion issue featuring Williams on the cover will hit newsstands Aug. 16.