After U.S. Open Loss, Serena Williams Turns to Fashion Business at NYFW

Serena Williams suffered a shock defeat at the hands of Italy’s Roberta Vinci in the U.S. Open semifinals. Not only was she bidding for major title No.22, she was also gunning for the coveted Grand Slam in professional tennis (winning the four biggest tournaments in a calendar year). So how did the American tennis champion recover? By hosting a fashion show at New York Fashion Week on Tuesday.

And not only that, Vogue editor and mentor Anna Wintour helped Serena to fine-tune the clothing. The line was for HSN, or the Home Shopping Network, on which Serena regularly hawks her products. This was her second fashion show at New York Fashion Week in two years, according to The New York Times.

It’s little surprise among hardcore fans of tennis that Serena (and older sister Venus) are diehard fashionistas when they aren’t on court. In fact, Serena has taken fashion courses in the past when she wasn’t playing. Meanwhile, Venus owns EleVen, a women’s tennis apparel brand.

“It’s been keeping me busy and keeping me happy because I love fashion. Everyone knows I love fashion, so it’s been really great,” she reportedly said.

Serena’s line was apparently impressive, too, garnering accolades from various publications, including The Daily Beast, USA Today and The Daily Mail. It’s no wonder, given Wintour’s tutelage. “Anna’s really been my mentor,” Serena is quoted as saying ahead of the show. “She’s gone over this whole collection.”

Not only that, but rumored beau Drake attended the event and sat at the front row. Two of his songs played as models strutted the runway wearing lots of fringe.

Check out the full video of the HSN fashion show here:

For more on Serena Williams, here’s a look at her marketability versus Maria Sharapova, and a look at how tickets for the women’s final fell sharply after her loss.