Despite the Olympics being a sporting event, this year’s games has provided quite a lot for us to sink our teeth into, fashion-wise. Team Mongolia kicked things off before the games even started, revealing some beautifully intricate uniforms that referenced the country’s rich cultural history. Then the opening ceremony gave us an ample amount of style moments, from Lady Gaga as a Dior showgirl, a mystery Joan of Arc figure in Jeanne Friot, and Telfar once again collaborating with Team Liberia on its uniforms. Once the games actually began, everyone then became obsessed with the slick sharpshooting uniforms, and France’s artistic swimming team also provided some retrofuturistic, poolside fashion, too.
One moment that stuck out from the rest, though, was Sha’Carri Richardson watching the USA’s men’s basketball team shoot to gold medal glory on the penultimate day of the games. Sitting courtside in a casual fit, underneath the sprinter’s jacket was a custom-made sneaker corset, crafted by LA-based designer Cierra Boyd under her label FRISKMEGOOD. The corset felt like a knowing wink towards Richardson’s profession, while still retaining an avant-garde edge that didn’t veer on the side of costume. It was a difficult ask to pull of such a memorable fashion moment when they’d been such stiff competition throughout the games, but, no surprise here, Richardson once again came out on top.
We caught up with FRISKMEGOOD founder Boyd to discuss her brand beginnings, the importance of circular fashion, and making Richardson’s corset in just two days.
“I had about two days to complete it before it was sent out to NYC so she could take it with her to the Olympics. I’m used to working under pressure” – Cierra Boyd
Hey Cierra! Congratulations on the look – when did Sha’Carri first reach out to you to create the corset?
Cierra Boyd: Her team reached out the week prior, on July 31. I had about two days to complete it before it was sent out to NYC so she could take it with her to the Olympics. I’m used to working under pressure and I was super excited to get it done for her.
Was there a brief when she asked you to create it?
Cierra Boyd: 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. My favourite 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!
How did you feel when you saw the piece courtside?
Cierra Boyd: Honestly, I didn’t even know what she was wearing it for, I only knew that the event was Olympics related. 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. 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.
Where did you get the initial idea to make corsets from sneakers?
Cierra Boyd: In 2019, I desperately wanted to be on a design competition TV show after binge watching Project Runway. I googled competitions and one came up in my hometown of Cleveland, Ohio. They gave me the theme of heavy metal and three challenges: one was to make something without using thread, the other they gave me a dress to upcycle, and the final challenge was to create something without using fabric. I had the no thread and upcycling challenge down pack, but the only one that was tripping me up was no fabric. One night as I was working, I was watching YouTube and this episode of Vice came on about a guy who made gas masks out of sneakers, and I finally had an ‘aha’ moment. I decided to grab some of my dads old sneakers from my attic and deconstructed them to make a top.
[At first] I didn’t really love the way it looked as a top. I was taking it off and somehow it ended up around my waist, and I decided to make it a corset instead. I wasn’t even that confident with how it looked, but I didn’t have time, so I just went with it. Fast forward to the day of the competition and I ended up winning second place. From there, I put the winning pieces on my Depop and people were going crazy over it, so I started making more, and I’ve evolved the designs by expanding my line to dresses, bras, bustiers, chaps, bikinis and more.
What’s the idea behind the name FRISKMEGOOD?
Cierra Boyd: At the beginning, FRISKMEGOOD only started as a catchy Instagram name that I made up when I was in high school around 2012. I decided to listen to music on my iPod Touch on shuffle to see if there were any lyrics or phrases that stood out. Then the song ‘Rockstar 101’ by Rihanna came on and she said ‘make sure you frisk me good/Check my panties and my bra’, and that was it.
I never thought this name would become a part of my identity as a personal brand. I officially started the line in 2017 after graduating from university. The only thing that was stopping me was figuring out a name. I went through so many, then it clicked! My Instagram name is FRISKMEGOOD and everyone already knows me as that.
“Upcycling made me think about my ancestors and other Black seamstresses and designers… they had to use what they had to create, regardless of their circumstances” – Cierra Boyd
Cierra Boyd: After I graduated, I couldn’t afford to buy fabrics. I was working in my mom’s attic using old clothes we had around the house and getting fabric donations from my neighbours, friends, and family. Later down the road, I made the conscious decision to stop purchasing commercial fabrics when I realised that my entire brand has been centred around making something out of nothing – I had been unconsciously upcycling without even knowing it the entire time.
I also noticed a different response when people saw my upcycled work versus my work using store bought fabrics. I really wanted to stick to my roots and commit to using recycled materials to create, just like how I started. It also made me think about my ancestors and other Black seamstresses and designers who had to make a way to create clothing for themselves and their families. They had to use what they had to create, regardless of their circumstances when they lacked resources.
Your website says you want to ‘bridge the gap between sustainability and fashion.’ Why is this important to you?
Cierra Boyd: My entire mission with FRISKMEGOOD is to change the way we consume fashion. I want to create a space where we don’t have to wait on the fashion conglomerates to make the ethical changes for us, but instead it’s up to the next generation of creators to take the lead. I want to create a space where we can feel empowered in our purchasing decisions. Sustainability is important, but creating circularity is even more so when it comes to the future of fashion.
For those who don’t know, circularity in fashion is basically creating a closed loop system, reducing waste and maximising the lifespan of clothing and textile materials. It’s all about creating a circular economy by rethinking how garments are designed, produced, used, and disposed of.
Do you have any designers that inspire your work?
Cierra Boyd: My two biggest fashion inspirations are Virgil Abloh and Patrick Kelly. I love how Virgil had a unique vision for his designs that inspired so many people, and how he made a huge impact on diversity and inclusion at Louis Vuitton. It’s very inspiring that he was the first African American to hold his role for the menswear line. I hope to be the first Black woman to make an impact in the fashion industry on the same scale.
I also love Patrick Kelly because he and I have a similar story. He’s from Vicksburg, Mississippi, and that’s where my mom’s side of the family originated before they migrated to Cleveland. His designs are so colourfully extraordinary for the time, and he was lost too soon when he reached the peak of his career. The reason I do this is for and because of designers like him who paved the way for me.
Is there anyone you haven’t made a corset for that you would really love to?
Cierra Boyd: Rihanna! My entire brand was created from one of her songs and she’s been a huge inspiration to me when it comes to style and attitude. During the time I came up with FRISKMEGOOD, it was her Good Girl Gone Bad era, and that has forever been ingrained in my memory as an influential and monumental moment. Once Rihanna wears my designs, my life will be complete, and that will be a defining and validating moment in my purpose for starting my clothing line.
