Simone Biles Glamour photographer: 'Patriotism has many different looks'

The original idea for the remarkable Glamour magazine photoshoot was to have Simone Biles literally dress in an American flag as a way of showing her patriotism for the upcoming Tokyo Olympics.

Photographer Kennedi Carter, however, had another idea. She wanted to show that patriotism comes in many forms. So Carter had Biles wear the red, white and blue but do it in a way that was subtle yet powerful.

"I wanted to do something that would reference the aesthetic of America," Carter told USA TODAY Sports, "but not have her literally dressed in an American flag."

The result is the best gymnast of all time, in one of the most elegant and powerful athlete photoshoots ever done. 

 "Patriotism has many different looks," said Carter. "I wanted to show that patriotism isn't just about a flag, but other things."

The shoot was unique in another way. Black women are increasingly appearing on mainstream magazine covers after years of effectively being ignored. It's still rare for Black women to grace them and even rarer to have a Black woman like Carter shoot those covers.

Read More:    USAtoday.com

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