Serena Williams' Balmain Rose Dress Blooms With a Powerful Hidden Meaning

When it comes to style that's both modern and multidimensional, few can compete with Serena Williams. The tennis icon's off-court looks have varied between minimalist, sporty, and fully glamorous aesthetics over the years. However, there's always a playful and powerful air that makes Williams' outfits her own—much like her latest outing at Paris Fashion Week.

At Balmain's Fall/Winter 2024 womenswear show, Williams arrived at the Pavillon Cambon in a black knit dress that paid tribute to the classic rose with a floral motif. The sleeveless style featured a white-trimmed neckline and the aforementioned flower in a large central pattern, with an easygoing finish from a black overcoat draped over Williams' shoulders.

For a whimsical flair, Williams slipped on a pair of open-toed black leather sandals with squared toes and lattice-woven straps. Glossy leather rose accents gave the pair a dramatic edge, blooming outwards for a garden-worthy touch. Though the shoes certainly made a statement, they also brought a themed finish to Williams' neutral Olivier Rousteing-designed look—making her look decidedly "la vie en rose."

Williams' dress tapped into the rosette fashion trend that's blossomed in recent seasons. The 3-D floral motif has grown roots, seen on stars like Selena Gomez, Jennifer Lopez, Meghann Fahy, and Natalie Portman during awards and couture shows this year.

However, there's a more symbolic undertone to William's rosy moment. Historically, the flower is a symbol of courage, as well as beauty, romance, renewal, and honor—as evidenced by its presence in the cultures of Ancient Rome, France, and England, where it was used in fragrances, as decorations, and even love potions. In a more contemporary example, the Met Gala's 2024 theme highlights the flower's transformational nature.

Those values of bravery and courage hold true for Balmain, too: the French fashion house spotlit roses in its Spring/Summer 2024 collection, presented days after its runway show pieces were virally stolen last September.

Williams' embrace of the rose is a symbol of both her support for Balmain and Rousteing's legacy (the designer just celebrated his 12th anniversary as the label's creative director), as well as her own inner strength—after all, she's renowned as one of the best female tennis players of all time, with 23 Grand Slam Singles titles wins under her belt.

While dynamic, however, Williams' rose dress still hinted at the flower's subtler side—and winked at her own smart style, which we'll be monitoring as she makes the rounds during Paris Fashion Week.