The name Venus Williams needs no introduction. Considered one of the greatest professional players and athletes of all time, the tennis star is beloved for her trailblazing style on and off the court, which she has parlayed into her own fashion-forward activewear and lifestyle brand. “I created EleVen with the dream of creating a community to help empower women to feel and do their best in clothing that they can feel confident in on and off the court,” she says. Here, the champ shares her style, fitness and lifestyle essentials.
“My life is essentially one big workout,” says Williams. “I love fitness because of how it makes me feel and the strength it gives me. I’m always rotating between the muscle groups — arms, legs, core — and I do cardio and plyometrics too. It’s also crucial to take time to stretch, I can’t emphasize that enough. I love using these resistance bands for workouts — they’re very adaptable for different types of training and help activate so many different muscle groups.”
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“I describe my style as classic with quirk. I’m a big proponent of evergreen fashion, buying timeless pieces that will be in my wardrobe forever,” Williams says. “I don’t like the type of fashion that’s in today and out tomorrow. What I wear always needs to be an expression of who I am and how I want to present myself, rather than just following a mass trend. In terms of my go-to pieces, I’m often in a simple black or white tee. My sisters tease me that I never wear real pants, so I’ll often be wearing my tees with a good jean short.”
“I love an accessory, recently my EleVen x Look Optic Muse glasses are my go-to,” Williams says. “I co-designed this frame with the eyewear brand to empower and instill confidence in everyone. The all-metal frame was created with so much attention to detail and features a unique half-rim design. These glasses are a modern classic with a luxurious edge that always pulls my outfit together — they’re the perfect finishing touch.”
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“My beauty and wellness routine always begins with a double cleanse of my face,” Williams says. “I start with a rice bran oil wash, followed by a milk wash. I also use this cleansing and exfoliating tool too. It’s great for taking off that dead surface layer of the skin. Protecting your skin is so important, so I’m always moisturizing and I use SPF every day, especially living in Florida. I love the EleVen x Credo Unrivaled Sun Serum because of how lightweight it is.”
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“I have this almost every day for breakfast for nutrient recovery,” Williams says. “I’m primarily plant-based and Happy Viking is full of superfoods that replenish my body with the nutrients it loses during workouts and helps build lean muscle mass throughout the day. All of their products are delicious but, if I had to pick a favorite, this is so tasty. I truly believe that the better fuel we put in our bodies, the better we perform and feel.”
“I always have my pink UE Boom Speaker with me at home and when I travel,” Williams says. “I start off the morning listening to good music to set the tone for the day, and I’m always dancing around my room. I also love to travel with a karaoke mic, which, as you can imagine, leads to some very fun times on the road.”
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“Recovery is such an important part of fitness and I use a couple of different types of equipment,” says Williams. “I love my Rollga Foam Roller to roll out my body after a workout. I’m also always using my Pro-Tec Orb massage ball and my Acupoint Massage Ball because they help with recovery, prevention and flexibility.”
“When I walk on the court or board a plane to travel, I want to feel just as good as if I was walking into a gala,” Williams says. “Lately, I’ve had a lot of pieces from our Hip Hop collection in my rotation. It was an especially fun one for me to design because it was inspired by my roots growing up in Compton, California. I also can’t live without our Flutter skirts, Fly skirts, and our Love Buzz Dress.”
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