The on-court fashion

As the final tournament of the summer, the US Open is known for its Grand Slam level of competition and focus on personal style of the stars both in the stands and on the court. The 2008 US Open will be missing one star with Maria Sharapova down due to a shoulder injury.  But while Maria is out, Maria's Day and Night Dresses are in, and ready for their Big Apple debut.

Each year, Nike athletes and designers pair up to develop a fresh look for the fashion-forward Open. Colleen Sandieson, Nike's Senior Global Women's Tennis Designer, says, "Maria is very inspirational to work with. She has a strong sense of style and knows what she wants on the court. The challenge is to find the balance between function and fashion for the ultimate in performance wear. We have succeeded when we can marry the two and Maria is excited to wear the product. For this year's Day and Night dresses, each material was chosen for moisture management, comfort and strength. Design elements were then added, resulting iconic pieces that meet the performance needs of Maria and athletes everywhere."

The US Night Dress: Style Personified.
Nike's designers developed a fresh look for the classic, iconic a-line tennis dress. Drawing from Maria's love for vintage dress design, they focused on the iconic, v-neck front and back which are emphasized by the use of different fabrications; stretch velvet and frayed silk. This adds richness through texture and brings a modern attitude to a classic with the differing tones of black.

The US Night Dress is made up of two layers.  The under layer silhouette is very sleek and body hugging in Dri-FIT premium lightweight jersey. The over layer is made of permanently pleated Dri-FIT ultra-fine transparent jersey, allowing the dress to be fluid with controlled movement. Most of the seams are no-sew (seams are bonded without stitching) and bonded for a clean approach to the finishing of seams and for anti-abrasion. There are also elements of Nike revolutionary support integrated into the bust of the dress.  Taking cues from the red carpet and the runway, Maria's color palette for the night dress is black adorned with gold accents.

The US Day Dress: The Color of Champions.
Following the lead of its night-time counterpart, Maria's US Day Dress continues with all the performance features and facets including Dri-FIT premium lightweight jersey, stretch velvet and frayed silk for trims. Maria exudes cool confidence in all she does. Inspired by Maria's style and fashion-forward sense both on the court and off, the Day Dress gets a color overhaul with her exclusive shade called concord. Maria's Day look provides world-class support with a bodice fitted top, black stretch velvet waist details, sheer conchord fabric overlay in the skirt to add depth and movement, and a black seamless short, letting female tennis athletes elevate their game without sacrificing freedom of movement or fashion.

Get the Look:
The US Day Dress is available at retail for $95.00.  The US Night Dress is available for $110.00. Each dress is available through Nikestore.com.

www.mariasharapova.com