Serena Williams relives iconic fashion milestones with Vogue’s Life in Looks

From her World Cup salute to Olympia’s first magazine cover, the 23-time Grand Slam champion walks down a sartorial memory lane with her most memorable on and off-court styles.

ByDavid Kane

Published Aug 10, 2022

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With three snaps in a “Z” formation, Serena Williams opens up a veritable fashion bible to relive 22 of her most unforgettable ensembles for Vogue’s Life in Looks.

“My mom used to make all of our clothes for us, and that’s why I like fashion so much,” explains the 23-time Grand Slam champion as she turns to a blue-and-white dress from 1992, one of the few outfits she can recall picking up at a store. “I used to see her literally get out the old Vogue patterns, and cut them and make them.

“I always wore this outfit to play my tournaments. Definitely styling in a crop top and a high waist. I should remake this!”

Williams, who announced her decision to wind down her tennis career in Vogue on Tuesday, turns to her first photoshoot for the high-fashion magazine from 1998, sharing the spotlight with elder sister Venus in their then-signature beaded hairstyles.

“We still had our beads and we still had our youth!” she jokes as she looks on their Carolina Herrera dresses.

“My mom was doing my hair back then but I did the beads because that was my freedom back then, to be able to pick out my beads.”

Another iconic on-court look is her 2003 Australian Open outfit, in which she captured the first of two Non-Calendar Year “Serena” Slams.

“I was definitely studying fashion in this era and attending the Art Institute. I wanted to bring a little more pizzazz, so on the shoulder sleeve, I put each rhinestone in, and sewed my bra into the dress!”

Looking back on her first solo Vogue shoot, Serena reflects on body image with an important message for young women.

“This is when I started discovering myself more and being more confident. I was in a bikini and POW! No athlete at that time really had the POW so I was starting to try and be more comfortable with my body because I was not that average athlete. I was this crazy, insane athlete with crazy curves but moving as fast as everyone else. That was definitely different.”

Check out all 22 of Serena’s favorite looks in the full video.