How I Shop: Venus Williams

We all buy clothes, but no two people shop the same. It can be a social experience, and a deeply personal one; at times, it can be impulsive and entertaining, at others, purpose-driven, a chore. Where do you shop? When do you shop? How do you decide what you need, how much to spend and what’s “you”? These are some of the questions we’re putting to prominent figures in our column “How I Shop.”

Walking into this year’s U.S. Open, Venus Williams made an unmissable fashion statement: With the help of stylist Solange Franklin, she paired patent platform heels with Willy Chavarria suiting. The look reaffirmed how much the tennis legend values style on and off the court — something she and her sister have both made very clear throughout their decades-long careers dominating the sport.

“Fashion started at a grassroots level for me,” Williams tells Fashionista. “My mom ended up sewing my tennis skirts for my first professional tennis match. I still love it at that creation level. I studied fashion, and it was a great experience. It taught me so much about the garment, what that means and how to create something that’s entirely you.”

She’s leaned into fashion both as a business — through her clothing line, Eleven, and design collaborations with the likes of Lacoste and, most recently, jewelry brand Reinstein Ross — and as a form of expression on the red carpet, at fashion week and, yes, on the tennis court. She describes her style as a mix of ridiculous, nerdy and artsy. Ahead, the 43-year-old reveals early fashion memories, her sartorial muse and the pieces that help her feel confident.

“As a kid, I remember trying to sew clothes for my doll. My mom used to sew, and I always wanted to learn. If I had more free time, or any free time, I would definitely spend time sewing. Making patterns is a real joy of mine. Understanding clothing construction makes you a lot more picky when you’re out buying things — I look at the seam, I pull up the hem. I’m looking at it really closely and deciding where the value is. It’s not always about that: Sometimes it’s just about the design, but other times, it is about the make.

“(Personal style) is about how you feel. Every couple of years, I create a mood board. Sometimes, I just feel like changing my style, so I’ll go on Pinterest and create a mood board like, ‘This is going to be the new me.’ Then, I go after it and start shopping in that direction. There was one point where all I wanted to do was be more risqué and wear shorter stuff, and I made another mood board after. I haven’t made one recently, though. We’ll see where it goes.

“Naomi Campbell is my whole style icon. She’s incredible. I love her. She just keeps reinventing herself. She’s amazing.

“I’m not a huge fan of things that go out of style before you even walk out of the store. There are moments where I really am like, ‘Okay, this is the only time that this is going to ever exist.’ Like, if neons are in style, I’ll really want this neon yellow blazer, because I know once it’s out of style, this will be very difficult to ever find again. Other than that, I really like things that will last forever. I don’t like to look in my closet and say, ‘Oh my gosh, I have to get rid of this.’ I keep my clothes for years and years and years because they’re always in style.

“I bought some sweaters from Off-White when I was in Paris for fashion week — they were actually all men’s sweaters, but everything blends. I’m traveling a lot, and I’m always cold. I love sweaters that make you look fabulous when you’re walking through the airport. Then, there’s my Lacoste haul! I go to headquarters, have fun with the team and look at the new fall or spring collection. Some of my favorite finds would be my Lacoste blazers. It’s tennis heritage. I grew up with Lacoste.

“I’m at this point where I’m just trying to (shop for) things that I need. I had to go to this wedding in May and had to shop for something quickly — I’m still getting ads to buy dresses that I would never buy because I’m not going to another wedding. I’m like, ‘Guys, you don’t get it. This is not what I usually wear. Algorithm, you’re wrong!’ 

“I’m trying to stay focused on the things that I need and the things that are essential. That’s also how I tried to design the Reinstein Ross (Diamond Match) collection, too: How can this piece work into your wardrobe every day, that you could dress it up or dress it down and that it’s continually fabulous?

“There’s no limit to (jewelry) combinations. I’m a real lover of jewelry. I know everything that’s happening in the jewelry world. It has been super exciting to work with Reinstein Ross, because we got to decide where we wanted to go. It all started with a basis on my match ring, the one I wear on courts sometimes and its big, oval dome. We made our own translations of it and then included different motifs throughout the collection. It was really organic to what I was wearing and also to the heritage of Weinstein Ross.

“With tennis, you go there… You’re sweating at the tournaments, but I was always wearing something bling-y: diamonds on my ears and on my hands, carrying a sparkly purse through the hallways. I wanted to feel fabulous, even if I would have pounds of sunscreen on and be soaked in sweat. It’s about feeling fabulous and empowered. It can be transformative.

“Art is my happy place. Art has no limits and no stoppage of expression. The art of jewelry, the culinary arts, fine art — there are so many. Even the way you think, how you dress yourself… I even think tennis is an art, the way everyone has their own style. Art really encompasses everything. While there are no references to particular pieces or particular artists in terms of fine works, it was a reference to my own life.” 

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

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