EXCLUSIVE: Venus Williams Just Launched a New Athleisure Collection & It’s All Aces

Get the look: Isola Lattice Dress ($99)

Isola is a collection Williams conceived with a specific woman in mind. Someone who’s bold, who’s fearless and who loves a feminine touch. “I always say my line is not for wallflowers and this Isola collection really speaks to that. The print is a work of art and there’s this beautiful lace you would never find anywhere else. I’m really proud of that. A lot of work went into Isola!” she explained.

Get the look: Isola Vision tank ($71); Isola Vision skirt ($71)

Her passion for design comes through in the pieces, which speak to Williams’s sensibilities whether she’s preparing for a tournament or taking a day off.  “I love my leggings and sports bras. As an athlete, I design knowing the type of support I would want while sprinting on the court or during a high-intensity workout. So, I design to make sure that the function’s there and then give it a fashion spin!” 

And as a newly inducted member of the coveted CFDA (Council of Fashion Designers of America) program, Williams knows a thing or two about a “fashion spin.”

Get the look: Black mock neck tank top ($69); Isola tremor short ($61)

“It’s the highest honor for a designer,” Williams said of her accomplishment. And the drive that helped get her there appears to be innate in the collection. “EleVen is built on the idea of being better than your best, and always hustling. This collection speaks to that hustle.” (We’d have to agree.)

But Williams says you don’t have to be a professional athlete to challenge your idea of how far you can go. No matter who you are, Williams says, “Always switch it up so you’re challenging your body and your mind. Also, plank, plank, plank. It’s a move I swear by and I find ways to switch it up so I’m always making them more of a challenge.”  

Armed with that simple piece of advice and a printed legging that’ll take us from brunch to yoga seamlessly, the idea of a plank actually doesn’t sound that bad.