Open Statement: Venus Williams lost, but her fuzzy bag won

One way to make a statement in the August heat at Arthur Ashe Stadium during the US Open is to accessorize with fuzzy shearling.

Most attendees of the event opt for breezy blouses and linen separates, with the competitors wearing standard athletic apparel. Venus Williams, 45, who boasts seven Grand Slam titles, made a far bolder statement when she walked onto the court to face Karolína Muchová on Monday. It wasn’t with her outfit — a white short-sleeve polo and matching pleated skirt — but with her racket bag, which was covered in an almost yellow, fuzzy shearling, instead of the standard polyester or nylon.

While Williams’ match with Muchová ended in defeat, the eye-catching bag brought a great deal of attention to ERL, the Los Angeles-based label that designed the shearling bag and ensemble.

“She is someone who has kind of, you know, seen everything before, she’s probably worn everything,” Ronald Burton III, the stylist responsible for Williams’ looks during the US Open, said in an interview. “It was nice to see her excited by this new up-and-coming gen.”

ERL was created by Eli Russell Linnetz, who launched the brand in 2020 as a menswear label aimed at capturing the relaxed spirit of California. ERL soon expanded into womenswear and accessories and then launched a “Made in California” collection last year with garments made from shearling waste and wool from farmers around the state as well as from the flock in his studio.

The styling of Williams’ ensemble was intended to reflect the “perpetually youthful and playful energy Venus still brings to the court after all these years,” Linnetz wrote in an email.

Williams, who spent 16 months away from the sport for health reasons, wanted to make a “splashy” return to professional tennis, Burton said.

She embraced looks from American brands like a custom navy and white tennis dress by minimalist label Khaite and a monochrome skirt set from Luar. Burton also commissioned custom ensembles from Who Decides War and Phillip Lim.

Burton intentionally chose to work with designers from the United States to spotlight homegrown brands committed to serving an American audience, rather than those that have decamped to other fashion capitals or more established houses like Ralph Lauren. (It has been the official outfitter of the tournament since 2005.)

“I was sort of inspired by this, you know, new kind of Americana,” Burton said. “To keep American fashion moving, we also have to celebrate it on its home turf.”

That is fitting, as Williams said Monday that she did not plan to compete in tournaments outside the United States this year. “I don’t know that I’m willing to travel that far at this stage in my career to go play,” she said.

The brands Williams and Burton worked with are not deeply entrenched in the tennis world, but they are apace with a growing trend of labels across fashion and beauty tapping into the sport in recent years as viewership increases.

With Williams, who joked that her return to the game was a ploy to regain her health insurance, the brands involved have one of the most recognisable people in sports, showcasing their products.

“These up-and-coming brands are game to roll up their sleeves and strap up the boots and kind of turn this around in the time that they did,” Burton said. “Why not celebrate them?”

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