Yahoo Lifestyle Serena Williams Designs Kids’ Collection for Janie and Jack
Tennis champion Serena Williams has designed a limited-edition collection for Janie and Jack, the childrenswear manufacturer, for spring 2025.
The collection’s campaign also marks a milestone for Williams since she appears alongside both her daughters, Olympia, 7, and Adira Ohanian, 18 months, in their first campaign together. (Williams is married to Reddit cofounder Alexis Ohanian.)
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The spring collection is designed for children up to 12 years old. It features resort-ready apparel, swimwear and accessories in bold colors and ombre designs. The collection also includes two coordinated mommy-and-me styles and a re-creation of Williams’ childhood tennis look.
The collection will be available starting Wednesday at janieandjack.com, and in Janie and Jack stores in the U.S.
“As a longtime fan of Janie and Jack, I’m thrilled to bring this collection to life alongside my girls,” Williams said. “Every piece is designed to celebrate family, style and the special moments we share together. I poured so much love into this collection and can’t wait for families everywhere to experience it.”
Asked how the partnership came about, Williams told WWD, “Quite frankly, I’m always there. My agent called me and asked, ‘What do you think about Janie and Jack?’ I always post pictures of my kids and they’re always in Janie and Jack. Maybe I posted a picture and they saw it, and we’ve been trying to do something together. When I had Adira, this was a perfect time to do something.”
“I love them [Janie and Jack]. They’re at my local mall. I like to go there and shop. It was very authentic and very normal,” she said in a Zoom interview.
As reported, The Gap sold off Janie and Jack in 2021 to brand investment platform Go Global Retail for an undisclosed sum. The Gap had acquired Janie and Jack in 2019 for $35 million during parent company Gymboree’s bankruptcy.
For Williams, the design process was fairly easy. “Janie and Jack did everything. They made these great mood boards to choose from. As a designer, there’s always a lot of stuff to do. They gave me all the mood boards, so I didn’t have to do it. That was amazing. We had meetings, ‘What am I thinking about florals, and what am I thinking about colors? etc.’
“Our initial call was, ‘Are we really going to do this? This is crazy.’ It was so authentically us on both sides. And my girls love the products,” Williams said.
Williams said she wasn’t looking to bring a different aesthetic to the brand, since she already likes what they’re doing. “I don’t know if I want to do anything different because they do everything right. I feel that’s the reason why I like them because they bring so much joy and fun, just colorful and whimsical things in their stores. I wouldn’t want to do anything different from that. I just wanted to add to that. It’s almost like a fairy tale through clothing.”
Parnell Eagle, president and chief commercial officer of Janie and Jack, said, “Serena has been our dream partner since the moment she became a mother. We were so excited when we first saw her dress Olympia in Janie and Jack at Wimbledon. Her vision and creativity brought a fresh perspective to every design, resulting in a collection that exudes her iconic style and celebrates family bonds. It’s been a privilege to work alongside Serena, and we’re excited to offer families timeless pieces that inspire connection and special moments together.
“The collaboration is more than just fashion — it’s a celebration of storytelling through style. Serena infused this collection with creativity and heart, making each piece both iconic and deeply personal. We hope these designs inspire families to create their own unforgettable moments, wrapped in love and purpose,” Eagle said.
Williams’ collection includes 35 styles, retailing from $18.50 to $175.
Discussing some of her favorite pieces, Williams said she was inspired by an outfit she wore as a kid, which was a skirt and top to play tennis. “We were really inspired by that iconic piece and bringing a different version of it to life. We used it as an inspiration as we looked at designs,” she said.
Williams said she’s never designed kids’ clothing before. “I was really nervous about it. They have a wonderful team and they have a wonderful designer who was able to help me through that process. And it was cool. I’ve designed adult clothes and sportswear, but I’ve never done this,” she said.
Williams studied fashion design at the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale from 2000 to 2003 and launched S by Serena, her first independent clothing collection of dresses and tops, in 2018. In 2023, Williams became the first athlete to receive the CFDA Fashion Icon Award.
As for whether Olympia had a say in the designs, Williams said, “I actually asked her. There were some choices. When we were narrowing down the collection, I actually asked her which one she liked better. Thankfully it was the same one I liked better.”
Another look she’s excited about is an asymmetrical dress with rosettes. “I love pink and it was an opportunity to explore that in a big way. We played around in this collection with a lot of pinks,” Williams said.
Each item reflects Williams’ personal style, with functional designs, fresh textures and fabrics inspired by sunny getaways.
She said her youngest daughter likes to go in her own closet and pick out her own clothes. “Olympia did the same thing. She [Adira] will pull it off the hanger because we keep her hangers really low for her. Honestly it’s too cute,” she said.
Williams said she’s excited about the fashion shoot that she and her girls did in Miami. The campaign captures joyful family moments in a vibrant, resort-inspired setting.
“I can’t wait for those pictures to come out. I just want to frame them all, and put them in my house,” she said. While the girls were outfitted in Janie and Jack, Williams said they made some Janie and Jack looks for her, and she wore some non-branded things. Some of the looks were mommy-and-me pieces.
Regarded as one of the greatest tennis players of all time, Williams was ranked world number one in singles by the Women’s Tennis Association for 319 weeks. She has won 23 Grand Slam women’s singles titles, the most in the Open Era, and the second most of all time. Williams was a trailblazer on the tennis court with her aggressive playing style and her standout, brightly colored tennis outfits, including tutus, catsuits and neon skirts. She retired from her professional tennis career in 2022.
Speaking about her post-tennis life, Williams said, “I just work on VC and my beauty brand. That’s kind of what I do nowadays.” Williams started Serena Ventures in 2017, a venture capital fund that supports underrepresented founders, and launched her own beauty brand, Wyn Beauty, a vegan, cruelty-free makeup line, last April at Ulta and ulta.com.
While she may have said goodbye to professional tennis, it’s still a part of her life.
Asked if Olympia is working on her tennis game, Williams said, “She is. She likes it.” Williams said she doesn’t have the patience and has hired a pro to teach her.
Would she encourage her daughter to pursue a professional career in tennis?
“Of course, that would be so legendary. I would love that. I don’t know if she would do it [but] that would be amazing.”
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