When Louis Réard introduced his fabulous new swimsuit to the masses in France, he chose to use the word “bikini,”
The word “bikini” comes from the Bikini Atoll in the Pacific Ocean, a cluster of islands famous for being the first site of nuclear testing by the United States. Just as the first nuclear explosion was a groundbreaking and culture-altering moment in the history of the world, Réard hoped that his new swimsuit would “explode” onto the popular fashion scene of the world. He wasn’t wrong!