"Incredibly rewarding": Serena Williams unveils her new Nike collection; sheds light on bringing in designers from her hometown who 'looked like her'

Serena Williams showed off the new clothes from her fashion line earlier on Tuesday (April 30). The American also expressed pride at collaborating with designers at Nike who shared her lineage in a heartfelt message.

The 23-time Major winner worked with ten budding designers in 2021 to launch 'Serena Williams Design Crew', which was aimed at creating tennis outfits and footwear that would cater to a diverse group of consumers.

Serena Williams brought focus to the project last week, taking to her Instagram account to post snaps from a photoshoot where she was wearing pink hoodie and pants from her own fashion line.

"I started SWDC to bring diverse designers to Nike. This is their latest collection from Los Angeles designers. I am obsessed! 💕 @nike @nikewomen #SWDC," Williams wrote on Instagram last Tuesday.

The 42-year-old has now followed up with white hoodie and pants, posting photos of herself in the SWDC's new clothes on Instagram. She also showcased a pair of custom-made baby pink Nike Air Max 1 shoes.

The American icon reminisced about the selection process for her fashion line, claiming in the caption of her post that it was "incredibly rewarding" for her to give "talented designers with diverse backgrounds" a platform.

"Have you ever been a part of something amazing where no one in the room looked like you? Well, I wanted to change that," she wrote on Instagram. "A few years ago, I started with Serena Williams Design Crew at Nike. We traveled around the US to find incredible designers who looked like me."

"It has been incredibly rewarding to bring in talented designers with diverse backgrounds. This collection is from the May LA designers cohort, which is from my hometown. You all did an amazing job, and I'm obsessed with it. It's now available at @nike and @nikewomen #SWDC."

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Serena Williams on motivation behind launching her make-up brand: "When I was traveling 20 years ago... Many products weren't made for Black skin"

Serena Williams poses with the 2012 Wimbledon title

Serena Williams has offered diverse group of people a chance to express themselves not only through fashion but cosmetics, as well. The American launched her own beauty brand 'Wyn Beauty' earlier this month.

Speaking to skincare magazine Byrdie, Williams claimed that her own experience with make-up during her playing days was far from ideal.

"When I was traveling 20 years ago, brands didn't offer 40 shades. Many products weren't made for Black skin," she told Byrdie. "We had brands like Iman Cosmetics and Black Opal, but they weren't always available where I was. I had to learn to do my makeup so I could present myself in the best way."

Williams is arguably the greatest female tennis player of all time. Having turned pro in 1995, the American won 23 Major titles and spent 319 weeks as the World No. 1. She retired from pro tennis after a hardfought third-round loss to Australia's Ajla Tomljanovic at the 2022 US Open.