Brand new Venus

For reigning Wimbledon champ Venus Williams, the court has always been her catwalk

Remember 19998217;s US Open? The leggy tennis star, who collaborated with Reebok on designing seven different outfits, one for each of her possible matches, has since become the latest celebrity to partner with the budget-minded retailer Steve 038; Barry8217;s on a women8217;s line.

Called EleVen after her one-time Lynwood address, it features more than 120 pieces of low-cost active wear, accessories, jewellery and under-15 sneakers. The 27-year-old Williams says her collection grew out of a sketch of a pleated tennis skirt. 8220;I couldn8217;t help myself,8221; she says. 8220;I love pleats.8221;

From flirty skirts to puffy down jackets with removable sleeves, denim to jewellery, Williams8217; brand is, according to Steve 038; Barry8217;s, the largest collection ever launched by a female athlete, and that includes her sister, Serena Williams.

Serena is in the process of launching Aneres Serena spelled backward, a couture collection of formal wear, to be sold at high-end boutiques. And like many athletes, Serena has her own custom-apparel line with her sponsor, Nike.

But Venus has stepped outside the sports bubble by coming up with designs for a lifestyle brand that8217;s more in line with the kind of collections launched by big-name celebrities such as Sarah Jessica Parker, Jessica Simpson and Jennifer Lopez.

8220;We8217;re reading more about stars who are doing this sort of thing,8221; says Mary Stephens, fashion design director of Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising. 8220;With someone like Parker, it8217;s aspirational for the fans who admire her and who want to look like her by wearing the same kind of clothing.8221;

Steve 038; Barry8217;s has also been drawn to celebrity wear. Last year, it released its first athletic-inspired sportswear line, Starbury. 8220;It brought a lot of new customers to us, and what really made a mark was entering the women8217;s market a few months ago with our Sarah Jessica Parker brand,8221; says Howard Schacter, chief partnership officer of Steve 038; Barry8217;s stores, which also carries lifestyle brands by Chicago Bulls star Ben Wallace. 8220;But the EleVen brand opens us up to a new category of woman shopper, and we have very high hopes for it.8221;

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Williams, who models the clothing on Steve 038; Barry8217;s Web site, debuted several pieces from her collection at this year8217;s US Open and has been sporting the brand at matches ever since. She says it8217;s attracted a lot of attention in the locker room.

8220;All the players and trainers were like, 8216;Is that your line? It8217;s so cute,8217; 8221; she gushes. 8220;It8217;s great that my colleagues like it. It8217;s really what I8217;ve always wanted,8221; added Williams, who will be graduating from the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale with a degree in fashion design in December.

8220;Obviously, I wanted to finish school first but 8230; Steve 038; Barry8217;s believed in me, and that8217;s so important because if someone doesn8217;t quite believe in you then they won8217;t believe in your vision.8221;

So, what was her vision? 8220;My vision for EleVen is that whoever wears it will have a fashionable fate,8221; she says. 8220;Whether you8217;re in the car or at the gym, or if you happen to play tennis like I do, you8217;ll look good and feel good.8221;
-sandra barrera NYT