When Venus Williams, the four-time Wimbledon Champion (including 2007) and two-time U.S. Open Champion, takes to the court tonight at the U.S. Open she will be debuting her new V-Court line.
The tennis superstar and retailer Steve & Barry's have announced they are creating the largest fashion collection ever launched by a female athlete. The collection, called EleVen™ by Venus Williams, features a wide assortment of classic, active lifestyle and performance looks, on-court as well as casual footwear, accessories, and more. The signature item in the line is the “V-Court,” a high performance, on-court sneaker.
Venus joins a growing stable of athletes and celebrities who have exclusive collections with the retailer, including Sarah Jessica Parker, Amanda Bynes, golfer Bubba Watson, Marbury and Ben Wallace of the NBA’s Chicago Bulls, whose $14.95 Big Ben shoes will hit Steve & Barry’s shelves to coincide with the 2007-08 NBA season in October.
The launch of EleVen includes over 120 pieces, including nine styles of athletic footwear in a wide variety of color ways, track suits, fleece outerwear, street active apparel, graphic t-shirts, puffy down jackets with removable sleeves, denim jackets and jeans, velour items, tote and gym bags, jewelry, sports socks and bras, and more.
EleVen marks Williams’ first-ever fashion line created with an exclusive retailer. Collaborating with a dedicated team of Steve & Barry’s designers, Williams has immersed herself in the creation of every piece. Having spent much of her personal time over the past several years receiving a formal education in fashion design, Williams is drawing upon her learning to create a collection that represents her confidence and energy on the court, and her personal style, femininity and fun personality off of it.
Another very personal touch — the name EleVen comes from the address of the home where she first lived in California, together with her sister Serena and the rest of her family.
Everything in EleVen will be priced at $19.98 and under, including the V-Court sneaker, which will retail for $14.98. While the price point is affordable, the quality of the V-Court is high-end, offering similar construction and styling as many of the most expensive tennis sneakers on the market.
It's hard to imagine that shoppers won't love this line.
Hitting store shelves in time for the Holiday Season this November, EleVen will be sold exclusively at Steve & Barry's stores nationwide. More information about EleVen and Steve & Barry's is available online at elevenbyvenus.com.