Serena Williams Design Crew: Utopia
Behind the Design
Sandra, Sheena and Juan explore what utopia means to them and how this concept shaped their designs.
Serena Williams Design Crew is all about uplifting a wide range of voices. For this first collection, Utopia imagines a future where all communities are celebrated.
“We thought about what Serena would see for the future when it comes to her daughter.”
Sandra Cruz
Apparel Color Designer
Just as the crew was getting started, the world changed completely. With the pandemic hitting a few months into the program, and social justice movements sweeping the globe soon after, the idea of utopia was suddenly more relevant than ever.
“To me, utopia is just a more accepting world, a more loving world. Somewhere where kids can feel like, ‘Okay, I can do this. I can be whatever I want.’”
Sandra Cruz
Apparel Color Designer
So the crew set about designing their own better world.
Sandra’s utopia is all about inclusivity. When designing the color range, she explored what colors would work best on the widest range of skin tones and body sizes. “I wanted it to look good on everybody,'' she says.
For graphic designer Juan Huerta, utopia is about representation. He set out to keep it real and stay true to the culture his designs come from.
“We need that representation. We need somebody to tell our story correctly, that’s how I feel. I’m doing it for my homies. I’m doing it for the culture. It comes from the heart.”
Juan Huerta
Graphic Designer
Graphic designer Sheena Wong Shue focused her design process on the intersection of sport and style, focusing on how these concepts work together to create something even more beautiful and functional.
“I love fashion, I love art, I love sports. And I feel like it's all intertwined, it all makes sense. It just gels together and it creates the culture.”
Sheena Wong Shue
Graphic Designer
See Sandra, Sheena and Juan’s utopian designs and shop the SWDC collection.
The Serena Williams Design Crew is a collective of dreamers, innovators and creators. Each year, a group of apprentices partner with Serena and Nike—with the aim to develop and inspire the next generation of talent. The result? Game-changing work and a brighter future for design.
The Serena Williams Design Crew is a collective of dreamers, innovators and creators. Each year, a group of apprentices partner with Serena and Nike—with the aim to develop and inspire the next generation of talent. The result? Game-changing work and a brighter future for design.