Lifestyle Beauty & Style Red Carpet Style Serena Williams Is the G.O.A.T. of the 2023 CFDA Awards Red Carpet as She Receives Fashion Icon Award The tennis superstar became the first athlete to win the award, following previous winners like Naomi Campbell, Zendaya and Beyoncé By Genevieve Cepeda Genevieve Cepeda Genevieve Cepeda is a staff shopping writer for PEOPLE. She was formerly a PEOPLE beauty and style intern and wrote about style, entertainment, and arts for four years at Northwestern University. People Editorial Guidelines and Brittany Talarico Brittany Talarico Brittany Talarico is PEOPLE's Deputy Style Director, where she oversees the brand's digital Style and Beauty coverage. This includes running lead on the Met Gala, which is among PEOPLE.com's top-trafficked red carpet events every year, interviewing the industry's top influencers (including all the Kardashian-Jenners), and breaking A-list celeb news (a New Jersey shore native, it is no surprise that her favorite interview ever was with Bruce Springsteen). Brittany is a style contributor to People Every Day Podcast and has represented the brand on national TV programs including Good Morning America and The CW's two TV specials on the British Royals. She joined PEOPLE from Cosmopolitan in 2013, where she was an Associate Editor. People Editorial Guidelines Updated on November 6, 2023 10:42PM EST Photo: Bryan Bedder/WWD via Getty Multihyphenate Serena Williams just added another hyphen. Williams is known as the G.O.A.T., a record-shattering athlete, entrepreneur, philanthropist, designer — and now, a fashion icon, thanks to the Council of Fashion Designers of America. The tennis star received the 2023 CFDA Fashion Awards fashion icon honor Nov. 6, making her the first athlete to win the award. And she hit the red carpet in a look worthy of her icon status. Williams made her mark at the American Museum of Natural History in a bespoke black sequin dress, designed by CFDA Chairman Thom Browne. The design featured statement black sleeves and a train. She added even more sparkle via her David Yurman jewelry including the brand's "Fleur de Mer" pavé diamond and pearl and pavé cable drop earrings. Matt Baron/BEI/Shutterstock The champion even drove to the CFDA Awards in style, traveling in a Lincoln Navigator SUV that was custom-wrapped to match her ensemble. Landon Nordeman Previous award recipients include Zendaya, Naomi Campbell, Beyoncé and Rihanna. “Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve used fashion as an outlet to express myself — fashion gave me the confidence to step on the court and own who I was, and where I knew I was going,” Williams told the CFDA prior to the award show. See All of the Best Red Carpet Photos from the Star-Studded 2023 CFDA Awards In between collecting a record 23 Grand Slam singles titles throughout her career, Williams took on fashion school, a clothing line and the scrutiny of those who weren’t welcoming of her on-court style. CFDA chairman Thom Browne called her “the ultimate example of individuality in everything she does.” Serena Williams at the 2004 US Open. Al Bello/Getty Williams has delivered iconic looks throughout her 27-year professional career, from proving the denim miniskirt is match-ready at the 2004 US Open to donning a white blazer at Wimbledon a decade later. She cemented herself as a force of fashion in 2018, when her French Open catsuit was banned. French Tennis Federation President Bernard Giudicelli deemed the look unacceptable, saying that “one must respect the game and the place.” The tennis champion shook off the controversy and pursued her dream, launching her clothing line S by Serena one year later. Just as Williams finds strength in her own style, she hoped to share that power with others through the line. Serena Williams warming up at Wimbledon in 2014. ANDREW YATES/AFP/Getty Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Williams told Essence in 2019 that her clothes “represent women everywhere—indomitable mothers, daughters and sisters; resilient businesswomen and entrepreneurs; outsiders and underdogs; little girls with crazy dreams and unflinching women of color.” The 2023 CFDA Fashion Awards, hosted by Sarah Jessica Parker, are being held at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. Close