Who Are the Women Who Started 2023 Viral Trends?
These Women Inspired the Trends You Love, From Y2K Style to Maximalist Nails
9
As one of the fastest women in the world, Florence "Flo-Jo" Griffith-Joyner broke several barriers as a Black athlete — but her exceptional taste in an acrylic set will always be just as memorable. In the 1980s, she wore various styles — from a USA diamond-studded set to bubblegum-pink nails — at her Olympic appearances, where she also set records in the 100- and 200-meter races.
Similar to hair, nails hold a lot of history in the Black community, and Flo-Jo's long, curved nails set a precedent for Black women expressing themselves via nail art. The unapologetic behaviour by Griffith-Joyner has been compared to that of American sprinter Sha'Carri Richardson, who donned a stiletto set and fiery orange hair at the 2020 Olympic trials. In an interview with the Associated Press, Richardson said that if the graceful Flo-Jo could do it, "there was no excuse why [she] couldn't have long nails."