August 13, 2008 17:08
INSPIRATION: Florence “FloJo” Griffith-Joyner, captured above en route to one of three gold-medal victory laps during the 1988 Seoul Olympics. The flashy American sprinter made the track a runway with her trademark six-inch nails, tousled Diana Ross-like mane and clingy running outfits she designed herself and called “athletic negligees.”
FloJo’s style and athletic legacy still endures: whether it’s inspiring Dutch designer Joline Jolink’s Spring/Summer 2009 collection or the 100m and 200m world records waiting to be broken in Beijing. Beijing Olympic Team Track Jacket, now on sale for $40 at Old Navy (Yorkdale Shopping Centre, 3401 Dufferin, 416-787-9384) and other downtown locations (www.oldnavy.com).
“Colour excites me,” FloJo once said. “Sprinting is excitement.” DimePiece (www.dimepiecedesigns.com) _ussy Party Tank, $42, available at MULTI (167 Augusta, 647-637-6139, www.multitoronto.ca).
FloJo did her own nails, often painting them red, white and blue. Take note: skip the salon and DIY faux FloJo manis. Kiss Lightning Speed Nails Salon Manicure Kit, $19.99 (www.kissusa.com), Nailene Deluxe Nail Art Kit, $11.99 (www.nailene.com), Nicole by OPI “Blue Lace” nail polish, $9.99 (www.nicolebyopi.com). All available at Shoppers Drug Mart (220 Yonge, 416-979-9373, www.shoppersdrugmart.ca).
A notable FloJo athletic negligee was her one-legged bodysuit. “I was trying for a new idea,” she explained, “and had cut one leg off some tights, and happened to look in the mirror and said, ‘That might work.’” Of course, you could do shorts. American Apparel Interlock Running Shorts, $30, available at their Queen West location (499 Queen W, 416-703-5146, www.americanapparel.com).
Email rmcnamara@eyeweekly.com.