NEW YORK - Serena Williams inspires her legion of fans as a world-class athlete, but for fashion inspiration, she turns to Kimora Lee Simmons.

Less than a week after winning the U.S. Open, the tennis champ stepped out in a black dress and pretty-yet-painful-looking platform heels to support Simmons at the designer's Baby Phat show at Roseland Ballroom in Manhattan Friday night.

"I love Kimora," gushed Williams, who moonlights as a fashion designer for Aneres (her name spelled backward). "She's a great person and I love her fashions."

Williams said she's amazed by Simmons' "whole persona." The star of The Style Network reality series "Kimora: Life in the Fab Lane" has never been shy about her love for the good life and all things blingy.

Simmons' spring collection marked the 10th anniversary of the urban wear line, which she launched in 1999 with then-husband Russell Simmons.

As expected, her latest show was high on fabulosity.

She trotted out jumpsuits, hot pants and dresses in a variety of colors including turquoise and lilac. Sparkly gold panties peeked out from under a super short khaki dress; in a more ladylike look, a safari-inspired denim jacket topped a pair of wide-legged pants — worn with heels, natch.

Men's looks ranged from a laidback white suit to shiny gold-tinged shorts in pink and blue. The shoes: gold and silver loafers.

Other celebs in the front row were R&B singer Maxwell and Aubrey O'Day of the girl group Danity Kane. O'Day's accessory: her dog Ginger, whose white fur was dyed pink, blue and purple.

Wearing a green jumpsuit and gold belt, a smiling Simmons walked the runway after the show with daughters Ming and Aoki.

Source: AP