Williams shows off her $15 sneakers at Steve and Barry's Clothing Store in New York on Thursday, Nov 17th

BY SANDRA BERRARA>LA.COM

For reigning Wimbledon champ Venus Williams, the court has always been her catwalk.

Remember 1999's U.S. Open?

The leggy tennis star, who collaborated with Reebok on designing seven different outfits, one for each of her possible matches, has since become the latest celebrity to partner with the budget-minded retailer Steve & Barry's on a women's line. Called EleVen after her one-time Lynwood address, it features more than 120 pieces of low-cost activewear, accessories, jewelry and under-$15 sneakers.

The 27-year-old Williams says her collection grew out of a sketch of a pleated tennis skirt.

"I couldn't help myself," she says. "I love pleats."

From flirty skorts to puffy down jackets with removable sleeves, denim to jewelry, Williams' brand is, according to Steve & Barry's, the largest collection ever launched by a female athlete, and that includes her sister, Serena Williams.

The younger of the fashion-forward Williams sisters is in the process of launching Aneres (Serena spelled backward), a couture collection of formal wear to be sold at high-end boutiques. And like many athletes, Serena has her own custom-apparel line with her sponsor, Nike.

But Venus Williams has stepped outside the sports bubble by coming up with designs for a lifestyle brand that's more in line with the kinds of collections launched by big-name celebrities such as Sarah Jessica Parker, Jessica Simpson and Jennifer Lopez.

"We're reading more about stars who are doing this sort of thing because it leads to sales and it extends their visibility," says Mary Stephens, fashion design director of FIDM/Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising. "With someone like Sarah Jessica Parker, it's aspirational for the fans who admire this person and who want to look like this person by wearing the same kind of clothing."

Kohl's has certainly used this kind of thinking to its advantage with its licensed Tony Hawk collection of action sports-inspired apparel, accessories and shoes. The clothing collection was launched in 2005.

"As a board-riding legend, Tony Hawk has strong name recognition among Kohl's young male shoppers and their parents," Kohl's president Kevin Mansell said in a statement on the addition of this year's shoe launch.

Steve & Barry's has also been drawn to celebrity wear. Last year it released its first athletic-inspired sportswear line, Starbury.

The collection's signature item was the under-$15 Starbury sneaker, which Stephon Marbury wore on court for the New York Knicks until recently, when he debuted the same-priced Starbury II.

Both have been good for business.

"It brought a tremendous amount of new customers to us, and what really made a mark was entering the women's market a few months ago with our Sarah Jessica Parker brand," says Howard Schacter, chief partnership officer of Steve & Barry's stores, which also carries complete lifestyle brands by PGA Tour long-distance driver Bubba Watson and Chicago Bulls star Ben Wallace.

"But the EleVen brand opens us up to an entirely new category of woman shopper, and we have very high hopes for it."

Williams, who models the clothing on Steve & Barry's Web site, debuted several pieces from her collection at this year's U.S. Open and has been sporting the brand at matches ever since. She says it's attracted a lot of attention in the locker room.

"All the players and trainers were like, `Is that your line? It's so cute,' " she gushes. "It's great that my colleagues like it."

EleVen features hoodies, graphic T-shirts, tote bags, visors, sports bras, socks and her signature V-Court sneakers, all of which are priced at less than $20.

"It's really what I've always wanted," says Williams, who will be graduating from the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale with a degree in fashion design in December.

"Obviously, I wanted to finish school first but ... Steve & Barry's really believed in me, and that's so important because if someone doesn't quite believe in you then they won't believe in your vision."                                      

So, what was her vision?

"My vision for EleVen is that whoever wears EleVen will have a fashionable fate," she says. "Whether you're in the car or at the gym, or if you happen to play tennis like I do, you'll look good and feel good."

Sandra Barrera (818) 713-3728 sandra.barrera@dailynews.com

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VENUS WILLIAMS

>What: Meet the tennis star-turned-fashion designer, who will be signing autographs to celebrate the launch of her new low-cost EleVen line.

>Where: Steve & Barry's at the Beverly Connection, 8489 W. Third St., Los Angeles.

>When: 3:30 p.m. Sunday.

>Information: www.elevenbyvenus.com.