Coming off her
fourth U.S. Open win, “athlete of a generation”
Serena Williams discusses her next move off the court — growing a fashion empire — with
New York magazine.
“It’s a little past midnight at HSN headquarters, and
Serena Williams is nine minutes into a disquisition on a piece of fabric
she’s called “Convertible A-line Top With Scarf,” available to you, the
home shopper, for $39.95 or three “flexpays” of $13.32. “It’s like one
huge circle that has a lot of style in it,” she says, not without
conviction, fiddling with the bottom of the one she is wearing (“This
is, um, mustard”), flapping it like a fan, rubbing one hand on her arm,
and smoothing her hair. She forgets the names of colors, misstates a
price. There with the right number and the right name is HSN savant
Bobbi Ray Carter, sheathed in a hot-pink Convertible A-line Top With
Scarf and raccooned in black eyeliner, filling in her co-host’s “ums”
with the deft patter of a sales professional: “Amazingly transitional,
think-fall-think-summer-think-winter-summer-into-fall versatility,
quality, surprise scarf.” Bobbi Ray Carter knows how to touch a piece of
fabric: She gives it a crisp snap between her fingers, smartly smooths
the drape, all the while growing progressively more tense as Serena
fumbles some hangers and launches, at 56 minutes, into a long anecdote
about packing jeans for Wimbledon. “Mmmm,” says Bobbi Ray Carter,
tight-lipped and possibly not breathing, awaiting the arc of Serena’s
story to make its mumbly descent — “I felt good packing my own jeans, I
had a moment there” — so she can finally change the subject — “And it’s
our customer pick!” — and steer us back to the safe harbor of Denim Moto
Legging color choices …”
Serena recently took a moment to address her outrage at the police
shooting of Texas college football player Christian Taylor, who was
unarmed at time of his death.
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