Q&A: Serena Williams merges love of design, travel with new Away collaboration
Credit to Author: Aleesha Harris| Date: Tue, 04 Feb 2020 02:04:58 +0000
Serena Williams spends a lot of time on the road.
The celebrated professional tennis player routinely travels for competitions, engagements and personal holidays, so it makes sense that she’d be tapped for a limited-edition collaboration with the buzzy suitcase brand Away.
For the release, Williams created two customized takes on the company’s expandable and polycarbonate suitcase designs. All featuring a bold shade of red, the release also includes a few organizing accessories.
We caught up with Williams to hear more about the launch, her travel must-haves and more.
Away x Serena Williams The Expandables, from $375.
Q. How much of your year, on average, is spent travelling?
A. Travelling is something that has been ingrained as part of my day-to-day lifestyle for so long now. If not for work, I’m still on the go for vacation or to visit family and friends. In 2019, I lost count after I logged 200 hours.
Q. What are your must-haves when it comes to luggage?
A. For me, luggage needs to be just as functional as it is fashionable. I try my best to pack light, but sometimes that doesn’t work, so I need luggage that allows me to bring all my essentials. I typically bring multiple pieces of luggage on any trip, opting for one or two Away carry-ons as well as a checked suitcase.
Q. How did this partnership with Away come about?
A. Travel is such a huge part of my life, and finding ways to make it a better experience is important to me, which is how I discovered Away in the first place. I also love design, and have always dreamed of creating my own travel line. This collection gave me the ability to take all I’ve learned over my many, many trips, design something that personally reflects my style and travel needs, and share it with people across the world.
Away was such a great partner to bring my vision to life, adding their expertise throughout the process. With this collection, we were able to combine two major influences that have shaped who I am: design and travel.
Q. How would you summarize the pieces in this limited-edition range in three words?
A. Bold. Stylish. Thoughtful.
Q. How has your packing style evolved over your years of travel?
A. I’ve always done my best to try to pack light, but the reality is that’s not always possible and it has only got worse over time. Now that my family has grown, I bring even more, but I’ve embraced my packing style and always make sure to bring whatever will keep us comfortable on the road and offer us flexibility if and when our plans change.
Q. What are your top tips for staying organized while you travel?
A. Staying organized is one of the biggest challenges for travellers — myself included. With this collection, we’ve created packing cubes and shoe cubes, both of which I swear by as a way to pack smarter and stay organized. The packing cubes are a game changer because you can group your clothes by day or by destination, so that you don’t need to go digging through your suitcase looking for that one item you’re hunting for. Shoe cubes are a perfect way to keep pairs together and separate them from your other belongings.
My other pro tip is to use your iPhone Notes app to make lists before you go, so you don’t forget anything important.
Q. Any pre-flight rituals you can share?
A. I don’t typically hang around the airport for very long, so I have a habit of arriving right before the flight boards. I have to time it perfectly because I also like to be the first person on the plane, so that usually means no stopping for snacks and making a beeline to the gate.
Q. Lastly, what’s the one thing you take with you wherever you travel?
A. In my backpack I always have two laptops, two iPads, multiple chargers, and a pair of big headphones. And I never travel without my stuffed monkey Max and my Moana blanket.
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