Serena Williams paid tribute to Virgil Abloh as she was gifted a pair of custom Nike trainers inspired by the late designer.
The sports star, 40, is currently competing in the US Open after announcing her intentions to ‘evolve away from tennis’, but took time out from training on Wednesday to film herself unboxing gifts from her sponsor, Nike.
She looked delighted as she laid eyes on a pair of lilac and neon green shoes with her name on the side that were created in honour of her late friend.
Unboxing: Serena Williams paid tribute to Virgil Abloh as she was gifted a pair of custom Nike trainers inspired by the late designer on Wednesday
‘Oh my goodness!’ she exclaimed. ‘I loved Virgil so much and I still do. I always will.’
Serena then revealed the shoes had been created in honour of a lilac tutu she had worn at the 2018 US Open by Virgil’s brand Off-White.
She continued: ‘This is his shoe that was inspired by the quotation Serena and this is the tutu which I’m obsessed with and will always be obsessed with.’
Virgil, the first black artistic director of Louis Vuitton, died in November at the age of 41 from a rare form of cancer called cardiac angiosarcoma.
New shoes: She looked delighted as she laid eyes on a pair of lilac and neon green shoes with her name on the side that were created in honour of her late friend
Looking good: Serena then revealed the shoes had been created in honour of a lilac tutu she had worn at the 2018 US Open by Virgil’s brand Off-White
He had joined the luxury brand in 2018, having previously created his own label called Off-White in 2013.
As well as Serena, celebrities such as Beyoncé, Michael B. Jordan, Kim Kardashian West and Timothée Chalamet and Serena Williams wore his work, and he even designed Hailey Bieber’s wedding dress in 2019.
Serena was once credited as being the fashion designer’s ‘muse’ as the pair previously worked together for a collaboration with Nike.
Firm friends: Serena was once credited as being the fashion designer’s ‘muse’ as the pair previously worked together for a collaboration with Nike (pictured in 2019)
In March she walked the runway for Off-White’s Autumn/Winter 2022 show – the first since Virgil passed away.
Taking to Instagram she penned: ‘I had an unbelievable time walking in the @off____white show … Virgil meant so much to me, and to walk in a collection that he was still a part of was something I could not miss.
‘Thank you for the opportunity. I am so grateful to show love to my friend.’
Serena is currently focusing on her tennis and was cheered to victory as she pushed retirement to one side during an emphatic victory at the US Open on Wednesday evening.
The decorated sportswoman defeated Estonia’s Anett Kontaveit 7-6, 2-6, 6-2 in front of a packed USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Centre at New York’s Flushing Meadows during the second round of the annual championship – her last as a player.
Having previously announced her intention to ‘evolve’ away from tennis, many expected that she could bring the curtain down on her illustrious career at Flushing Meadows, but the star was not quite ready to take her final bow.
The 23-time Grand Slam champion knocked out No. 2 seed Kontaveit 7-6 2-6 6-2 in a three-set thriller Wednesday night to set-up a third-round match against Australia’s Alja Tomljanovic.
Catwalk queen: In March, Serena walked the runway for Off-White’s Autumn/Winter 2022 show – the first since Virgil passed away
Source: | Dailymail.co.uk