"Florence Griffith-Joyner's fashion, her outfits were always amazing": When Serena Williams' Australian Open catsuit was inspired by sprinting great
Besides her on-court prowess, Serena Williams is also highly regarded for her fashion sense. This was spotlighted at the 2021 Australian Open when Williams wore a multi-colored, one-legged catsuit inspired by the legendary Florence Griffith-Joyner, also called 'Flo-Jo'.
The 23-time singles Grand Slam champion has time and again shattered the old dress codes in women's tennis. For her 2021 Australian Open campaign, Williams stated that Nike thought of taking inspiration for her outfit from Flo-Jo, .
The American shared in February 2021 (via ESPN):
"I was inspired by Flo-Jo, who was a wonderful track athlete, amazing athlete when I was growing up. Watching her fashion, just always changing, her outfits were always amazing."
Williams gave credit to the Nike team for the design and added:
"The Nike team actually thought of this design of inspiration from Flo-Jo. I was like, 'Oh, my god, this is so brilliant'."
Flo-Jo, who is celebrated for her bold fashion style, is widely regarded as one of America's greatest-ever athletes, and was a three-time Olympic champion. During her racing days, she wore colorful asymmetrical one-legged track suits — a trend she popularized across the globe. Flo-Jo boasted a vibrant, fashion-forward style and look. She also had a mantra:
"Dress good to look good. Look good to feel good. And feel good to run fast!" (Vogue)
Williams' 2021 Australian Open ensemble was asymmetrical with pink, black, and red color blocking. It was cut off at the upper thigh on the left side. The tennis legend complemented this with a blue headband and matching sneakers.
Florence Griffith-Joyner has also served as inspiration for track star Sha'Carri Richardson
Modern-day American athletes such as Sha'Carri Richardson draw inspiration from Florence Griffith-Joyner, who was the fastest woman on the planet. Richardson turns heads with her on-track style and long nails, something Flo-Jo was also famous for.
Richardson said in June 2021:
"Flo-Jo came to the track and knew she was going to dominate. The way she did that was graceful. I always liked that. If the amazing Flo-Jo had long nails, there was no excuse why I couldn't have long nails." (via AP)
The 23-year-old boasts a 10.65s personal best time in the 100m, which makes her time the joint 11th fastest for a female athlete in the history of the event. She still has a major chunk of her career ahead of her and one can expect the two-time World Champion to claw her way up the list in the near future.