Virgil Abloh has revealed his next project with Nike, specifically designed for women's tennis star Serena Williams, who will be competing at the U.S. Open starting August 27.
The upcoming "Queen" collection will consist of special edition colorways of the Off-White x Nike Blazer Mid, Off-White x Nike Air Max 97, and the Nike x Virgil Abloh NikeCourt Flares, which Serena will wear during competition. Additionally, the collection includes an Abloh-designed jacket that Serena will wear off the court, as well as a limited edition dress and other gear.
Abloh tells Vogue,
“When I was thinking about outfits for Serena, I was thinking about her playing the game and her aesthetic while she is. Also about the confidence that’s needed while playing at the top level of tennis,” Abloh told Vogue via email. “This is very far from a design-by-numbers project. As you can tell by her personality in her play, she’s very much involved in her aesthetic. She has a level of creativity with how she expresses herself in terms of clothing in any event, so I made everything with her logic in mind. We traded images and there was a lot of back-and-forth to get this done in short order.”
Serena added, "I have never worn a tutu. Every girl loves a tutu, or at least I do! It’s always been my dream to wear a tutu, and I can’t wait to wear it on court.”
According to Footwear News, a limited edition of the styles will be available at select Nike stores starting late August.
Check out a preview of the collection in Abloh's IG post embedded below.