We’re not done obsessing over track and field star Sha’Carri Richardson’s Olympic style quite yet.
The Aug. 10, men’s basketball gold medal match in Paris — in which Team USA, led by LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant, beat out France 98-87 to take home the gold medal — was attended by celebrities ranging from basketball legends Scottie Pippen and Carmelo Anthony to comedian and television host Jimmy Fallon and even French Prime Minister Emmanuel Macron. However, no one stole the spotlight the way Richardson did, sitting courtside in a custom-made sneaker corset top.
Fans were abuzz on social media during the match, attempting to uncover who was responsible for creating Richardson’s Nike Dunk-constructed corset.
According to an article from Dazed Fashion, the corset was designed and crafted by Los Angeles-based designer Cierra Boyd under her label FRISKMEGOOD, under which she has previously created custom pieces for artists including Cardi B and GloRilla.
In an interview with Dazed, Boyd said Richardson’s team reached out to her just a week and a half before the gold-medal match, on July 31, giving her just two days to design and complete the custom top before shipping it to New York City for Richardson to pack for her journey to Paris.
“I’m used to working under pressure,” Boyd said in the interview. “I was super excited to get it done for her.”
According to FRISKMEGOOD’s website, each iconic sneaker corset is custom-made and uses real, upcycled sneakers. Richardson’s custom corset was constructed using multiple pairs of Earth-toned Nike Dunks including the Nike Dunk Low Retro Prm.
According to the Dazed interview, the sneaker corset wasn’t the original plan for Richardson’s look.
“When they first approached me about the project we were originally planning to do a skirt with a cupless bustier top, but eventually I was told that I had full creative freedom,” Boyd said in the interview. “My favorite thing to make is my signature bustier corset top, and they also wanted bottoms to go with it, so I made a pair of shorts that she hasn’t worn yet, but hopefully she will soon.”
The sprinter, who won her first Olympic gold medal on Aug. 9 during the women’s 4x400-meter relay, paired the corset with a denim set, made up of a cropped jacket and carpenter pants, along with a red Louis Vuitton Speedy bag designed by the label’s current creative director of menswear, Pharrell Williams.
According to an article from Women’s Wear Daily, Richardson’s look was curated by stylists Sankara Turé — who is known for her work with Lil Jon, Jermaine Dupri and Saweetie — and Khalilah Beavers — whose client list includes Carmelo Anthony and NBA star Jimmy Butler.
The look wouldn’t be complete without a new set of nails. After switching them out several times during the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, Richardson debuted her final set of nails during the match: this time, her long, bedazzled manicure featured black and orange tips reminiscent of a tiger print.
During the Dazed interview, Boyd said that she wasn’t even sure where Richardson planned to wear the corset and that she only knew it was for the 2024 Olympics.
“I went to the happy hour at Joey’s [a bar in Los Angeles] and they had the gold medal basketball game on. So as I was watching it and cheering on Team USA, I looked away from the TV for a split second and I started getting a bunch of text messages,” Boyd said during the interview. “People were asking me if she was wearing my top and I couldn’t believe I missed it. Then the stylist sent me a photo and I was completely ecstatic. Me and my friend did a celebratory cheers to the moment.”
