ICE STYLE.....ISU World Figure Skating Championships 2016: Figure Skating Costumes Recap LADIES and MEN!

ICE STYLE.....ISU World Figure Skating Championships 2016: Figure Skating Costumes Recap LADIES and MEN!

Fave Costumes: 2016 ISU World Figure Skating Championships Ladies and Men

The 2016 ISU World Figure Skating Championships took place this last week.This is like the "Miss Universe" or "Miss World" of Figure Skating International Competitions (sorry for the beauty pageant analogy...it's just my nature!)....

The 2016 ISU World Figure Skating Championships, TD Garden Boston

The Worlds, as they are called by fans and followers of the sport, were held in Boston, Massachusetts USA at the TD Garden. It is the sports most important competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union, or ISU. As many of you may know, I am a big fan of figure skating and especially figure skating costumes and love to give my "Nick Two Cents" here on that latter subject.

The 2016 ISU World Figure Skating Championships, TD Garden Boston

I wanted SOOOOOO badly to be there (and I--along with my partner David--almost began the ticket purchasing and airline-and-hotel-booking process...until I realized that I was already scheduled to be part of the annual FIDM DEBUT Fashion Show in Los Angeles. Well, that does not stop me from giving my "Ice Style" fashion critique on the costumes of the 2016 World Figure Skating Championships so...Here we go!

First up: The Ladies and Men!



Ladies------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ashley Wagner of the USA Free Skate to Moulin Rouge Soundtrack: I LOVE this costume on Ashley. The white and gold detailed costume pays homage to the design worn by Nicole Kidman in the film/musical. Very similar gold applique is seen on Ashley's costume and I really love the "statement making" necklace. This is one of my favorites of the season!

Short Program to Hip Hip Chin
Chin performed by Club des Belugas: I
liked this black costume on Ashley for her Short Program. It is subtle yet
elegant and quite sexy (from the back). The halter mock-neck design isn't
necessarily exciting or innovative but it is really the back detail of the
silver and gold sequins that are the stars. Literally! I also LOVED when she
plopped her little you-know-what down on the ice after her Short Program (see
photo above!). This has nothing to do with my Costume Critique but I just love
that moment. 

Gracie Gold of the USA Free Skate to The Firebird by Igor Stravinski: I also really loved this costume worn by Gracie Gold. The red and gold look is very "Firebird" and in a not so koo-koo way; it's more Couture Firebird! The bust/torso detail is one of my favorite details but I also love...

The back: The multicolored sequin work is exquisite and reminiscent of a fabulously bedazzled spine. I also liked the same detail on the "sleeve".

Short Program to El Cochlo by Angel Villoldo: Gracie gave "Tango Chic" in this black with red costume worn for her Short program. This costume was dubbed the "Christian Louboutin" costume because of the fact that the inner part of the skirt was red (like the iconic Louboutin shoes). This was a simple look and I admit that I wish there was just a little more to this but, overall, I LIKEY!

Mao Asada of Japan Free Skate to Madame Butterfly to Puccini: I like this ombre-shaded lilac kimono-inspired costume worn by Asada for her "Madame Butterfly"  Free Skate. The chiffon look features little sequined butterflies on the top section, a gathered torso, and bell-shaped sleeves.

Short Program to Bei Mir
Bistu Shein (Bei mir bist du schoen) by Sholom Secunda, Jacob Jacobs: Asada wears this fuchsia colored costume for her Short Program which at
first seems a bit too "Junior" but with closer inspections, one
notices the haute sequin work and chiffon godets which add movement to her
skirt. It is still not one of my favorite costumes and looks a little too
bourgeoisie for someone like Mao Asada, but it's a nice choice. A 7.0 out of
ten. 

Free Skate to Sheherazade by Nikolai Rimski-Korsakov: Anna's costume for her "Sheherazade" Free Skate is very "Disney Exotic" with it's bright and bold turquoise blue color and almost excessive use of gold jewelry-like embellishment. It's a lot of costume for sure but we all know Anna loves a good over-the-top costume. And this is no exception.  While I appreciate the visual festiveness, it becomes almost kitschy and too-mucheey, as I like to say.   

Anna Pogorilaya of Russia, Short Program to Bolero for Violin and Orchestra by Walter Taieb and Vanessa Mae:I liked this red costume on Anna for her short program. It's very Versace runway couture! The costume mixes the solid strips with skin-baring illusion throughout the torso and arms. It's sexy and fashion fab! 

Evgenia Medvedeva of Russia: Gold medal winner Evgenia Medvedeva's costumes for both her Short and Free Skate are above. She skated her Short Program to Melodies of the White Nights (soundtrack) by Isaak Schwarz (left) and Free Skate to Dance For Me Wallis (from "W.E." soundtrack) by Abel Korzeniowski, Allegro by Rene Aubry, Charms (from "W.E." soundtrack) by Abel Korzeniowski (right). I liked both costumes worn by Evgenia; they were pretty, sweet and appropriate for each skate. If I had to pick a favorite, it would be the blue Free Skate one, since she reminded me of a super young/super cute Wallis Simpson/Duchess of Windsor--which was the point since she skated to "W.E.", a film about Simpson and her husband, Prince Edward Duke of Windsor. 

Elena Radionova of Russia Free Skate to Titanic (soundtrack) by James Horner: Elena wore this ombre-shaded pink-to-teal dress for her Free Skate. I guess this was to represent the sweet Rose DeWitt Bukater (played by Kate Winslet). While the overall look achieved it's sweet quality, it looked almost as if she was wearing her grandma's old dress. But that wasn't my biggest style pet-peeve...I was a bit disconcerted (and alarmed) at how her skirt kept lifting up and she had a VERY VERY scooped under-panty (attached to the dress of course)...

Elena is all but 17 years old and personally, I was not comfortable with seeing soooo much of her--and if I was her mom, I would have not approved this look! There were major fit issues going on that needed to be worked out before she hit the ice.

Rika Hongo of Japan: I wanted to add Rika here in my Recap because she is a skater who always "brings it" when it comes to fun and creative costumes. Above are the designs she wore for her Free Skate to Riverdance by Bill Whelan (left) and Short  Program to Incantation by Benoit Jutras (from "Cirque du Soleil") (right). I liked both for being wonderfully expressive and representative of the music she skated to (the "Cirque du Soleil" one is SOOOOO Cirque du Soleil"!). If I had to pick a favorite, it would be that one, just for being so fun, theatrical and creative--and just a little kooky!

Mirai Nagasu of the USA Free Skate to The Great Gatsby Soundtrack: Finally, in terms of the Ladies, I wanted to give a special Costume Shout-Out to Mirai Nagasu and her Free Skate costume. I love this 1920's Flapper Chic look on Mirai. the blush color, along with the exquisite sequin work is beautiful and very Vogue Magazine fabulous.



Men--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Javier Fernandez of Spain Short Program to Malaguena performed by Paco de Lucia and Placido Domingo: This Sexy Toreador look on Javier is one of my favorite costumes in terms of the Men in the 2015-2016 Season. I loved the satin shawl collared vest with pearl and sequin embellishment and the blood-red colored shirt. But I also appreciated the bullfighter-tight black pants. The entire look was Muy Bien!

Free Skate to Guys and Dolls Preformed by Frank Sinatra: Another great look on Javier is his trousers-suspenders-and-dress shirt look for "Guys and Dolls". Javi always looks sharp in UBER masculine costume looks and it's obvious he and his people know this. I just love how music-appropriate and well put-together this ensemble was. Muy bien tambien!

Yuzuru Hanyu of Japan Short Program to Ballade No. 1 op. 23 in G minor by Frederic Chopin: Yuzuru's look is very "bedazzled Classical Music conductor" with the blue and white ombre sequined blouse, gathered gold cummerbund and black pants. When I first saw this during the season, I admit, the costume looked a little unsophisticated (and a little cheap) to me, but it grew on me through the season. I do still find the nude illusion under each arm and wrist quite odd though.

Free Skate to Seimei (Japanese movie soundtrack) by Shigeru Umebayashi: Yuzuru skated his Free Skate in an outfit that was evocative of a Japanese Period costume look. I liked the soft fluidity of the top and purple insets and sleeve hems. But, there was still something about it that looked inexpensive and (here we go again) unsophisticated. For some reason, Yuzuru (and his people) choose fabrications and designs that tend to look more Ready-to-Wear Skating Costume than Haute Couture. 

Adam Rippon of the USA Short Program to Who Wants to Live Forever by Queen: Adam wears two of my favorite looks on Men this season. Exhibit A: his Short program costume. The entire look is sleek and chic. The star here is the shirt with his see-through panels, velvet front and gorgeous sequin work. It really highlights how SUPER thin Adam is and works to emphasize his sinuous skating...

I also think this back...is EVERYTHING!

Free Skate to Because (The World is Round), Get Back, Black Bird and Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band by The Beatles: Another Costume Stunner on Adam is this violet-blue and black look for his Free Skate; it's FAB-u-LOUS!!! That shirt should go in a Figure Skating Costume Museum ASAP! I love the geometric sequin hints of a band leader's uniform and once again, the sheerness of the top (hello Sexy Adam!) and then, those super-tight black pants...This look is a definite TEN when it comes to male figure skating costumes. 

Max Aaron of the USA: It would be a waste of my time even saying what music Max skated to, since by the looks of the costumes, he could have been skating to the sound of dripping water (!) but just to waste blog space, here we go: For his Free Skate, he skated to Black Swan (soundtrack) by Clint Mansell, Petr I. Tchaikovski (top photo) and for his Short, it was Nessun Dorma (from "Turandot") by Giacomo Puccini, performed by Luciano Pavarotti (lower photo). Both costumes were drab, uninspiring and oh-so-nothing. I get that Max wants to be the non-costume male figure skater but there are more creative ways to achieve this style other than looking as if you went through the Zara sale rack. What a fail.

Patrick Chan of Canada Short Program to Mack the Knife performed by Michael Buble: Patrick is another non-costume male figure skater. Or better said, he doesn't like to spend a lot of design time on his look. But for Patrick at least it looks as if there is still a little bit of effort and I appreciate that. This vest, shirt and pant look is a yawn but it works with the music. What I do like is the non-belt pant. I HATE seeing a tacky 90's "Ross Dress For Less" belt on these male figure skaters so if anything, I'd rather see NOTHING. Thank you Patrick!

Michal Brezina of the Czech Republic Free Skate to Le Corsaire by Adolpe Adam: I just had to add Michal because he's a male figure skater who embraces a costume WHOLEHEARTEDLY. Sometimes it works and sometimes, it can veer into too-mucheey territory. One thing you can say is that he gives you a TOTAL LOOK...from head to toe! 

Misha Ge of Uzbekistan Short Program to Piano Concerto 2 in C Minor, Op.18 by Sergei Rachmaninov: Misha is another skater who loves a costume. His look for the Short Program involves this blue ensemble with chiffon inset ombre-dyed panels and mini beads of sequins throughout. He almost looks like an underwater sea creature in this; and I say that in a good way! I'm a big fan of Misha and his total love of costumes.

Mikhail Kolyada of Russia Short Program to Nightingale Tango, John Gray by Matvei Blanter: I would have assumed that Mikhail was skating to an Irish dance but oh well. I liked the graphic quality of his short (even though it verges on a tablecloth) and I also appreciated the piping detail down the front of his pants.

Deniss Vasiljevs of Latvia Free Skate to Adagio for Tron by Daft Punk: Oh, how I love a complete jumpsuit on a man! Deniss decided to wear one for his "Tron" by Daft Punk Free Skate. I think this Robot Couture look worked on him, highlighting the theme of the music and sleekness of his skating lines.

Ivan Righini of Italy: Ivan is another male figure skater who does not shy away from costumes, and especially a sequined top...as seen from both his Short Program and Free Skate looks to You Raise Me Up by Josh Groban (left) and Shine On You Crazy Diamond and Money by Pink Floyd (right). For both, I just wished the tops were sleeker, shorter and tighter, and same for the pants! Those pants look like "Grandma" trousers. He needs to talk to Adam Rippon's costume designer and get a pair of super tight ones. Pronto!

Maxim Kovtun of Russia Short Program to I Can't Dance by Genesis: Love the guitar applique on his shirt and I especially like the "jean" skating pants; complete with the jean top-stitching!

Finally I wanted to give a male Figure Skating Costume (and Fedora) Shout Out to...Denis Ten of Kazakhstan. Denis wore this GORGEOUS ensemble for his Free Skate to Romeo and Juliet by Tchaikovsky. I am OBSESSED with the beautiful drape and twists of the top and sublime sequin detail. Oh and then there's his coach, Frank Carroll. The fedora, the tie, the suit. I wish I could ever be half the Style God he is!

Congratulations to the Top Men and Ladies of the 2016 ISU World Figure Skating Championships!

**UP NEXT: My Figure Skating Costume RECAP of the 2016 Worlds Pairs and Ice Dance!

ICE STYLE.....2016 Prudential U.S. Figure Skating Championships Costumes Recap: The MEN!

ICE STYLE.....2016 Prudential U.S. Figure Skating Championships Costumes Recap: The MEN!

 Costumed Men: Collage of Men's Costumes from the 2016 U.S. Prudential Figure Skating Championships, Xcel Energy Center Saint Paul Minnesota

All Photos from David Paul

In my last post HERE on the COSTUMES of the 2016 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, I discussed the LADIES, so now it's time for the MEN! Now, I have to say that the LADIES costumes were just a teeny weeny bit more exciting (visually) than the MEN and yes, that's normally the case--except when I'm talking about the JAPANESE male skaters; they always BRING IT when it comes to costumes (Thank goodness!). So, without further ado, here's my Costumes Recap of the MEN...

Let's begin with Gold medal winner Adam Rippon:

Adam Rippon: Adam skated his Short Program to "Who Wants to Live Forever" by Queen wearing this great ensemble above. The black and silver sequined costume was chic and SLEEK! Adam--and his costume designer--know how to best highlight his super slim (my goodness he is thin!!) body and at the same time give enough costume support to his skate and music.

Plunging: I loved the plunging neckline (I'm a sucker for a deep-V neckline on men) and the diagonal sequin detail added enough "pizzazz". I also give Adam props for a nice clean-waisted pant. No tacky "Ross Dress For Less" belt, thank you!

And that back see-through and silver crystal sequin detail is Costume AMAZING! A definite TEN in Male Costume Design.

Free Skate: Adam skated his winning Free Skate to a Beatles Medley including "St. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" in another fabulous costume. This costume consisted of a purple colored see-through (of course!) long sleeve shirt featuring epaulets and sequined front details, finished off with super tight black pants. The whole look was perfect for Adam and perfect for his music. Another TEN!

Max Aaron: Max skated his Short Program to Nessun dorma by Giacomo Puccini. Max is not known for being "Costume effusive" in terms of what he wears, and frankly, it can be a little (sometimes a lot!) disappointing in my fashion designer eyes. At least for his Short Program costume, there is some detail and by "some" I am giving a lot of credit. He wore a white long sleeve shirt with pintuck detail, a matching cummerbund and black pants. I can see where he is going: evoking a "tuxedo lite" look. I guess this works for Max but still, I'd love a little something more, like maybe five sequins on the shirt, at least!

Free Skate: Max Aaron skated his Free Skate to Black Swan by Clint Mansell and if this looks boring, it's because it is. I understand the sleek, aerodynamic look but I think there is a way to achieve this look with a little more style. Heck, he is skating to BLACK SWAN! Being in the arena and viewing it up close, it doesn't look like a costume of a champion, plain and simple. As much as it should be about the skate, THE COSTUME IS PART OF THE ENTIRE PACKAGE, and he didn't look like a champion. When he first came out, all I could think was "I could get that top at Zara". Now, I did notice that obviously it wasn't and it had an under lining that didn't expose his .00003% fat-free body, therefore someone actually made him this as a costume (yikes!). On the plus side, I do like the wide boatneck of the top and the flared hem. But that's about it kids.

Nathan Chen: Nathan skated his Free Skate to Symphony No. 3 in C Minor by Camille Saint-Saens in the costume above which consisted of a royal blue draped sequined top and black pants. I liked this! At least Nathan (as opposed to you-know-who) gave me something--costume-wise. The top had gathered draping, a mini sheer panel and interesting vertical folds. I also liked the asymmetrical hem and those ribbed knit sleeve bands reminiscent of sweatshirts. Thank you Nathan for this costume...and of course, for all those AMAZING quads!

Grant Hochstein: Grant skated his Short Program to Due Tramonti by Ludovico Einaudi in the costume above. Here's another look I liked. I'm a designer who appreciates a nice drape, and especially on a male figure skater. Normally, when one thinks of draping (in relation to fashion), your mind goes to Grecian Goddess Draped Gowns for women. But here's a note to figure skating costume designers: they can be useful on men as well. And I'm glad some of the men (and their costume designers) are taking that cue--besides the Japanese skaters! I liked the asymmetrical drape on the front and ombre-like effect of the gray/lilac and black colors. The lightly sprinkled sequins added some interest (note to Max Aaron, again).

Free Skate: For his Free Skate to Les Miserables: "Bring Him Home" & "One Day More", Grant went with an all-black look consisting of a loose blouse and tight-fitting pants. I liked the light sequin details on the band collar and sleeve bands but overall, I wished this look had a shot of color or somehow related better to the Musical.

 Scott Dyer: Scott skated his Short Program to Adios Nonino by Astor Piazzolla & La Cumparsita (version by Contursi, Maroni, Rodriguez). Scott has pizazz. He is stylish and the complete package. No surprise he is coached by the elegant Frank Carroll (Love Him!). I am a fan of this Tango Hot look on Scott. He's another skater who is .00003% fat-free and it's nice that his costume designer knows to make his ensemble as close to his body as possible. The look consisted of a black and sequined shirt, black pants, cummerbund and my favorite detail: the braces--or suspenders, as they say here in the USA

Free Skate: Scott skated his Free Skate to Cinema Paradiso by Ennio Morricone, Siberia (opera) by Umberto Gordano and he wore this costume above. Now, naturally, the minute I saw the gathered draped front: I LIKEY! Overall this was a nice costume with the ombre shading and crystals that gave a little bit of sparkle to his look. It reminded me of a Mediterranean evening star-lit sky while watching a movie outdoors in Sardinia!

 Timothy Dolensky: Timothy skated his short program to Cinema Paradiso sung by Josh Grobin. Timothy never met a PLUNGING NECKLINE he didn't like. And this costume is a perfect example of this. The ensemble consisted of a second-skin tight royal blue top with blouson sleeves and that aforementioned deep-plunging neckline; black pants and a fabulously sequined cummerbund. I liked this costume on Timothy for the color, the sequins and that neckline, of course.

Free Skate: Timothy skated his Free Skate to Variations on Themes of Chopin /Anze Rozman wearing this all black blouson sleeve shirt, cummerbund  and pant look that was basically the same items as what he wore for his Short Program. There were some changes (other than the shirt's color), in terms of details: the shirt featured a collar and vertical sequin embellishment down the front of the shirt plus the fact that there were no sequins on the cummerbund. But notice something that definitely remained: The plunging neckline. I told you. he loves a good deep V.

Daniel Kulenkamp: Daniel  performed his Free Skate to a Frank Sinatra Medley in this very Sinatra-esque ensemble which featured a white shiny dress shirt, black pants and sequined tie. I think this was appropriate for the program but as you know, I am just not a fan of the "Ross Dress For Less" belt. Not sure what else he could have done. Maybe secretly, I also wished he would have skated with a Dirty Martini and a cigarette a la Sinatra!

Emmanuel Savary: Emmanuel skated his Free Program to Reveil by Cirque du Soleil. Of course, Emmanuel got my fashion attention with this multi colored costume which was right for the Cirque du Soleil music. I liked this and also appreciated that he even wore black gloves to finish it all off.

Alexander Johnson: Alexander skated his Free Skate to "Eleanor Rigby" by Paul McCartney performed by violinist Joshua Bell wearing this costume above. He wore a watercolor/tie-dye-esque stretch Lycra mock neck turtleneck long sleeve top and black pants. He also had that dreaded cheesy "Ross Dress For Less"-like belt. I liked the top and how snug and perfectly fitted it was on him but after that, I was bored.

Vincent Zhou: Vincent performed his Short Program to Crystallize by Lindsey Stirling in this very Crystallized costume above. I loved this look on little Vincent. He's so small that he needs something to make him stand out. But at the same time, one has to be careful that the costume isn't overwhelming. This was just right. I loved the white and silver sequined detail on the top portion of the costume especially.

Free Skate: Vincent performed his Free Skate to The Godfather Trilogy: New Recordings from the Classic Scores performed by The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra in this very "out-there" look. And I LOVED it! This is costume design fab. Just take in the red and black printed vest--with crystals highlighting the princess seams and faux welt pockets (Love!). And then, all that is attached to black chevron printed Lycra pants. But my favorite part was: the red Ascot with a sequin "pin". Two words: Atta Boy.

Congrats to the Top Four Men in last weekend's 2016 Prudential U.S. Figure Skating Championships!!! 

All Photos by David Paul

**UP NEXT: The PAIRS and ICE DANCE COSTUMES RECAPS of the 2016 Prudential U.S. Figure Skating Championships!!