The tennis star turns her attention to her HSN collection and opens up to ET about her third runway show, Beyonce and more.
Despite losing to Karolina Pliskova during the semifinals on
Thursday and losing her No. 1 ranking -- an end of an era after 186 weeks at
the top -- to U.S. Open champion Angelique Kerber, Serena Williams was all smiles on
Monday as she returned to New York Fashion Week for the third time to debut the
Serena Williams Signature Statement fall collection presented by HSN. Her focus -- for the time being, at least -- is
on fashion, as she quite literally slayed in a lace gown with a high-waisted
short.
MORE: Why Serena Williams Is the Greatest Athlete of All Time
“I wasn’t as nervous this time at all, until the girls
started walking. Then my heart started beating real fast,” Williams admits to
ET backstage after the show.
Perhaps inspired by best friend Beyoncé, the show featured a
poem about female empowerment written by Williams, which was heard in between
songs by female artists. Yes, that was Sia’s “The Greatest” -- “You recognized
that one?” she laughs -- helping set the mood for the looks seen on the runway.
(The show was also streamed live on HSN apps, giving customers the opportunity to
buy any of Williams’ 42 original pieces online immediately.)
Serena Williams
“I wanted people to come to my show and leave with more than
a fabulous coat -- I definitely want them to leave with that too, but I wanted
them to also leave inspired," Williams says. "That’s what I wanted to
pass along to all women of today: I wanted to give almost an appreciation to
what women do [in life], and it was so important for me to do." Written
between tournaments, the poem was an attempt to answer the question “How do you
feel about being the greatest female athlete?” she told the Associated Press.
And to further the connection between her runway show and Beyoncé’s
Lemonade, which featured Williams
dancing in the music video for “Sorry,” another track (“Pray You Catch Me”)
played in between stanzas. But she did seek her friend’s permission to use the
song.
“I was like, ‘Listen, I want to use your song.’ She was all
for it. She loved the spoken word,” Williams said. “It's always good to have
that support.”
Also providing her with support was Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, who not only sat front-row at
the show, but has also helped Williams find her voice as a designer. “Anna has
been such a huge influence in particular,” she says. “Her critiques are always
so important to me. She is someone you really respect in fashion.”
Besides, “I can’t have Anna Wintour sitting in the front row
saying, ‘This doesn’t look good,’” Williams says.
MORE: Serena Williams Celebrates Wimbledon Win With Sexy, Stylish Night Out
While she and her sister were once criticized for not
focusing enough on tennis and spending too much time involved in acting and
interior design, among other ventures, there’s no doubting that Williams can
manage both, especially as she looks to her future in the sport.
“I know I have been playing forever, but one of these days,
I’m not going to play,” Williams says, knowing that she has the validation and
discipline to pursue other ventures full-time.
“It’s great, especially when you don’t win the U.S. Open,”
Williams says with a laugh.