While most tennis stars bask in the glow of Indian Wells, Venus and Serena Williams have boycotted (girlcotted?) the event since 2001, when an allegedly racially-fueled mass altercation occurred with the crowd. Onlookers were apparently still miffed that Venus had pulled out of a semifinal match against her sister, and they took it out on Serena during her final against Kim Clijsters.
That was then. This is now. Venus is in New York City this week unveiling her new spring collection from EleVen, her own sporty fashion brand. As she notes in the linked interview, she is surely a fan of floral prints. Some might say that she perhaps over-relies on florals, at least in this case. That said, the brand's Facebook page notes that Venus' new lineup of prints will debut at the Sony Open in Miami later this month.
Here are some choice quotes from the Q&A with Venus:
On wearing makeup during matches: “I joined the eyeliner club so I wear eyeliner in almost all of my matches. I hardly ever wear eyeliner when I’m at home, but I wear eyeliner almost every day on the road. It makes you look good on the court. My favorite is the waterproof 24-hour formula by Milani.”
As to whether she plays into current trends: “I’m not really a trends person. I was so happy when bright colors were popular because they go well with my skin tone, especially bright yellow. I couldn’t get enough of it! Some of my other favorite trends are florals and dark backgrounds."
Furthermore, she reveals how she "cured" her shopping habit (read: six months to better monetary "health"!) and taps Mara Hoffman as her favorite fashion designer at present, noting that her tastes are fluid and ever-changing.
Meanwhile, in Indian Wells, where tennis is being played, the all-access hour took place for the pros who are on hand to win this big-time title, arguably the fifth-biggest on the season behind the four Grand Slam event crowns.