"Flo-Jo's athletic speed was surpassed by her flashy, personal style -- one-legged track suits and talon-length nails with outrageous designs," says Bernard. Griffith-Joyner's fearless approach to fashion in sports paved the way for future athletes like Serena Williams to break boundaries with fun, out-of-the-box designs in athletics. Her insane manicures had the world focusing on nail art long before #ManiMondays.

Sudanese model Alek Wek broke barriers in the high fashion industry by becoming one of the first African models to experience mainstream success, even though she didn't conform to traditional Caucasian aesthetics. In a speech at the Black Women in Hollywood Luncheon earlier this year, actress Lupita Nyong'o spoke of the positive influence Wek had on her self-esteem. "When I saw Alek, I inadvertently saw a reflection of myself that I could not deny," said Nyong'o. "Now, I had a spring in my step, because I felt more seen, more appreciated by the far-away gatekeepers of beauty."

As someone who openly spoke out about being oneself, it's no surprise the singer-songwriter/rapper is known for her unique sense of style -- often expressed through her hair, like the iconic China bumps she wore in the '90s. The style made a cameo this year at the iHeartRadio awards in Los Angeles, where Rihanna paired a couture Givenchy gown with green lipstick and Hill's knots.

Pixie fever comes and goes in the celebrity hair circuit, but few have worn it better (or as consistently) as Halle Berry. With her signature cropped cut, Berry became iconic in her scene as a Bond Girl bursting from the surf in an orange bikini. She broke down barriers by becoming the first African American woman to win an Academy Award for a leading role in "Monster's Ball."

"Michelle Obama was brazen to bare arms and ushered in a new rise in American fashion by wearing trendy designers like Jason Wu and J. Crew," Bernard notes. With the first arm-baring portrait and a whole slew of preppy-chic ensembles, Obama has reignited national excitement for a decade that's nostalgic for "Mad Men" era fashion and its style-conscious FLOTUS, Jackie O.