Venus Williams, tennis super star-turned-designer, is posed to relaunch her fashion line EleVen while trend-setter Alexa Chung’s design hopes were shattered when she was rejected from Central Saint Martins.
Venus – who took six months off to seek treatment for autoimmune disease Sjogren’s syndrome – will unveil her collection of sports and leisure wear when she returns to the court this week.
The seven-times Grand Slam singles winner explains her inspiration behind the designs.
She said, “EleVen is really about being better than a 10. It’s bringing your personal best which makes you an 11, and not accepting the standards of what is considered the best.
“It’s overcoming defeats and being a champion in life. If you don’t look good, you won’t play well.”
And having worked with Ralph Lauren and earned a degree in fashion design from the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale, the 31-year-old says the range was inspired by her own attitudes to style.
She told WWD, “EleVen is about being yourself. I don’t like to be told what to wear and how to look.”
The label – which was originally created for chain store Steve & Barry’s which went into liquidation in 2008 – will be debuted at the Sony Ericsson Open tennis tournament in Miami.
The model and TV presenter originally applied to study at London’s Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, but had to find another way to pursue her dreams after she was rejected.
She told The Observer newspaper, “I didn’t get in. So I feel a bit jealous of design students, like I want to join in. I should’ve done this. I’m from a family of designers, so this feels very natural to me.
“And I veered into TV, but always end up in fashion one way or another. I suppose, even though I didn’t get in to Saint Martins, I managed to leapfrog the process.”
Alexa – who has a Mulberry bag named after her – says her wide influence as a brand comes at a price for her personally.
She added, “I’m told about the influence I have, but it’s not me – it’s Alexa Chung. It does make it difficult to shop, though. I walk around thinking, ‘everything’s a bit samey.’ Then I see that the stuff I think is samey – like the saturation of Peter Pan collars – comes from me.”
