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Honored Contributor
Posts: 18,415
Registered: ‎11-25-2011

Re: I did not realize Serena W. has an actual design degree

I wrote a post about Serena back on 07/2012:

 

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"What did Serena Williams do during the month of July??

 

 

She flew over to Wimbleton, won the Women's Singles for the 5th time & Doubles with her sister...yes, she's the top ranked Women's Tennis player.

 

Eight days later (jet-lagged), she flew back to California to solidify her spot on the Olympic team.

 

Between now & July 28th, most athletes would be in rest/recovery so they would be fresh to fly BACK to England for the Olympics....but what we don't realize, she's not a 'normal' athlete.

 

I just tuned in to HSN...and there's Serena selling her clothing line all day today with a Today's Special! Whether you like her clothes or not, you HAVE to give that gal cred for being at HSN today.

 

Even if she's there for only an hour, I still applaud her...and not having a 'rep' in her place.

 

I'm in awe of this amazing young lady!!"

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Today, she's the Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year.  

The OP probably saw Serena on the cover of Sports Illustrated.  

 

Again, over TWO years later, I'm saying...."amazing young lady!!"

Trusted Contributor
Posts: 1,033
Registered: ‎03-11-2010

Re: I did not realize Serena W. has an actual design degree

I definitely admire her tennis ability and work ethic. I also like her clothes. the one design of hers that I have is well made with good quality fabric. I always get compliments on it.

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Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 5,891
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: I did not realize Serena W. has an actual design degree

Both Serena Williams and Giuliana Rancic's clothes are made by the same company -- Tiger J LLC and their design director Guillaume Poupart has a big hand in both of those clothing lines sold on HSN. The Dennis Basso line sold on QVC is also manufactured by Tiger J LLC too.

 

From what I've seen from watching HSN, Serena's clothing isn't very attractive and Serena does not look comfortable speaking on air. Maybe a voice coach could help her to become more comfortable speaking on air because after all she is the face of her clothing line.

 

Giuliana's clothing is average for the most part and for some reason the faux leather always looks cheap and wrinkled. I'm not sure what designer cred she brings to the table though other than she says her dad is a tailor.

Super Contributor
Posts: 414
Registered: ‎03-13-2010

Re: I did not realize Serena W. has an actual design degree


@gabstoomuch wrote:

Did anyone else know that? She is on the cover of a magazine (don't make me try to remember which one haha). I was in a waiting line and reading it.

 

Anyway, in the article about her, and her life , she went to fashion design school and really does have a design degree.

 

Guess it just surprised me. She is like superwoman. How does she do it all?

 

Regarding the degree, I was reflecting because there are other "fashion designers" who have hit or miss clothing lines on HSN/QVC (some gone now) who were just regular people who had a passion/interest for designing clothes and had the money to pursue it.

 

Guiliana R. comes to mind. She is not the only one though. She makes cute stufff, but it is very geared to young, skinny, LA type clothes. My opinion. Quality so so. Her stuff all looks the same to me. She just changes up the color palettes.

 

Then there is Wendy Williams who makes really nice stuff, nice quality, is totally involved in the design and material, wears her own clothes, etc. I do not know if she has a degree or not.

 

I am just mulling over whether having a design degree makes a difference in making clothes right. Proportion, fit modeling, appealing to all ages, etc.

 

Back to my original thought, Serena is an impressive woman. Very nice person too, according to those that know her.


I wanted to address this particular part...my husband has to/gets to deal with lots of athletes due to his job...some come with a full posse and even fuller egos. Some are just normal, down to earth people. He's worked with several female tennis stars. There's one who is a demanding, unpleasant diva, who is a huge pain to deal with. And then there's Serena. He was blown away by her. Not only did she seem truly interested in what he had to say, she asked knowledgeable questions to show she was actually listening and valued what he was suggesting. When the meeting was over, as everyone was walking out, she turned around and went back to shake his hand and thanked him for his time and info/suggestions he provided. Other athletes have thanked him and have been fun to deal with...but none of them had made a point of coming back in to acknowledge him. Serena did.

 

Ever since hearing this story, I've paid close attention to articles and stories about her. The insults and the double standards used against her sicken me, but she handles it with such grace. The fact that she got her design degree is just another example of her character and strong work ethic. She has earned everything she's gotten. Needless to say, I've become a huge fan of hers and I just smile really big when she defeats any and all of the mean girl divas out there. 

Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.
~ Ian Maclaren
Honored Contributor
Posts: 16,566
Registered: ‎04-04-2014

Re: I did not realize Serena W. has an actual design degree

In response to the OP's question 'does it matter?' Absolutely! I call the celebrities/designers pseudo-designers. Anyone can hire a team of designers and then claim credit for it. The fact that Serena had the drive to get the education and THEN slap her name on something speaks volumes.

I once saw Suzanne Runyan (hsn) ask Iman what she was thinking when she designed the garment...her face went blank for a moment and then she said 'I see it and say whether I like it or not; tell them to make changes...'

I'm paraphrasing but it was pretty darn funny!

FYI: Melissa Mccarthy has a degree in design too.

Occasional Contributor
Posts: 12
Registered: ‎09-17-2014

Re: I did not realize Serena W. has an actual design degree

I agree she has alot of talent....She is having the same trouble as all of the manufacturers are..The clothes are cute but manufacturing makes them unwearable.

Trusted Contributor
Posts: 1,762
Registered: ‎02-22-2014

Re: I did not realize Serena W. has an actual design degree


@Andreatoo wrote:

In response to the OP's question 'does it matter?' Absolutely! I call the celebrities/designers pseudo-designers. Anyone can hire a team of designers and then claim credit for it. The fact that Serena had the drive to get the education and THEN slap her name on something speaks volumes.

I once saw Suzanne Runyan (hsn) ask Iman what she was thinking when she designed the garment...her face went blank for a moment and then she said 'I see it and say whether I like it or not; tell them to make changes...'

I'm paraphrasing but it was pretty darn funny!

FYI: Melissa Mccarthy has a degree in design too.


A design degree does not necessarily a designer make.   While it may help with basic understanding I do not think it's necessary.  All these lines are made by the same company and the same group of designers who work there.  Their individual input defines the style of the line.  I think Iman has incredible style and while she has no degree her line is so much more slightly than Melissa's (and I love Melissa!!)  Many forget that Chanel, Vera Wang and many others never had degrees and were/are commercial successes.  

Respected Contributor
Posts: 3,537
Registered: ‎03-15-2010

Re: I did not realize Serena W. has an actual design degree

Yes I do remember hearing that she had a design degree and remember thinking "when did she have time to do that?"

I think it does give her creditability and separates her from the other celebrities or "celebrities" who put their name/face on a line of clothing to make a buck.

It is wonderful to read the comments that she is also a genuine and nice person.  I am so over self important people who do not make time for others.   

Honored Contributor
Posts: 16,566
Registered: ‎04-04-2014

Re: I did not realize Serena W. has an actual design degree

@JerseyGirl: you're comparing apples to elephants. Iman is not Chanel nor Vera Wang. She's a celebrity that put her name on a label. There are plenty of chefs that didn't go to culinary school and Mike Ditka enjoys food. The fact that he put his name on a restaurant does not make him a chef. Incidentally I was just using Iman as an example. I don't consider the Kardashians, or any of the other celebrities with labels, designers either. The question in the original post is whether or not it made a difference. To me it does
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Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 7,413
Registered: ‎01-22-2012

Re: I did not realize Serena W. has an actual design degree

Although I haven't bought Serena's collection, I've watched her. She appears to be quiet and a very nice young woman.