Serena Williams Design Crew
Footwear Design Apprentice
Footwear Product Designer: Heather Truong & Shade Pratt
Footwear Color Design: Lafayette Doty
Footwear Graphic Design: Chantel Sanchez
Material Design: Daniela Triana Mayorga
Footwear Developer: Thi Quach
Product Line Manager: Negin Mani
Apparel Design: Nelissa Carillo & Kechantra Ward
Apparel Color Design: Alisa Wilbon
Apparel Graphic Design: Briana Davis
Accessories Design: Larry T
3D Design: Abdullah Quick
Serena Williams Design Crew Cohort 2
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.
I was a part of SWDC Cohort 2 (Chicago and greater Midwest area) as the footwear design apprentice. SWDC Cohort 2 worked within Nike’s Design function at Nike World Headquarters for six months to create a capsule collection centered around 23-time Grand Slam winner Serena Williams.
“My partnership with Nike on the Serena Williams Design Crew was born from our shared desire to continue to create a more diverse, inclusive design community. When you have diversity, you discover new perspectives, which leads to new and innovative ideas. I’m so proud of this program and the opportunities it offers,”
-- Serena Williams.
Serena Williams Design Crew
"Design Combine"
A 3-day design competition to narrow down 40 contestants to 11 final design apprentices.
Pensole Academy
Brief: Choose an athlete before 1950 and design a shoe.
The program's first month was with Pensole Academy. The footwear team was trained by D'Wayne Edwards where we were expected to show up to the best of our abilities. We used the first month to train by designing a collection for an athlete before 1950; my group chose Kittie Knox as our athlete - a biracial cyclist. My goal was to design a cycling shoe while leaning heavily on Knox's narrative of her life. We used the symbolism of the Black Swan as a main motif in our design.
Footwear Research
The footwear team centered the design concept around the idea of human nature, with the goal of creating a product that felt authentic, expressive, and crafted by hand. Every area of the design process—including color, materials, construction, and graphics—was guided by this vision, ensuring that each detail contributed to an overall sense of warmth, individuality, and human connection.
Rather than feeling overly technical or manufactured, the shoe was designed to celebrate the imperfections and unique characteristics often associated with handmade products.
The construction plays a key role in bringing this concept to life. Decorative stitching details were intentionally incorporated throughout the design to create a distinctive hand-stitched aesthetic. A variety of stitch patterns, including zig zags, linear seams, and circular motifs, add visual interest while reinforcing the crafted, human-centered story. These elements not only enhance the overall appearance of the shoe but also communicate a sense of care, artistry, and attention to detail, helping the product feel more personal and approachable.