Figure Skating Costume Minute--Cup of China 2012--Ice Dance Costume Recap!

Figure Skating Costume Minute--Cup of China 2012--Ice Dance Costume Recap!

Cirque du Soleil, Can Can, Two-Steppin' Dancing Queens and Princes...Say Hello to Ice Dance:

Can Can Love: Nathalie Pechalat and Fabian Bourzat of France skating their Short Dance, ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating 2012/2013 Cup of China, Shanghai China

If you've been keeping up with my little ol' blog here, I've been recapping the Figure Skating Costumes at this past weekend's ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating 2012 Cup of China, which happened at the Shanghai Oriental Sports Center in (you guessed it!) Shanghai China. I've discussed the Men HERE, the Pairs HERE, the Women HERE and now, it's time to give my "Nick Two Cents" on the Ice Dancers, always one of the most fun disciplines when it comes to fashion and costumes.

Ekaterina Bobrova and Dmitri Soloviev of Russia: When I first saw these costumes, I thought, "Are they skating to a Disney film?". Then after a little research, I found out that for their "polka/waltz" Short Dance, they actually skated to "Say a Word About the Poor Hussar" by Andrei Petrov and music from the Air Crew soundtrack by Alfred Schnittke. Now,  I was still a bit perplexed because I had no idea what these songs were from. More research and I found out that the second "Air Crew" one is from a Russian film about an airplane crash (Ummm, OK...) but then I found out that the first song (Hussar) is from a Russian comedy/drama historical/period TV movie:

BINGO! That's why they are dressed liken that!! Yeayyy...

He was the officer and looked dapper, polished and strong. I especially loved the bold red stripes set against the white pants which made for nice lines to look at as they skated and especially, when extending his legs.  She was the ultra soft, feminine counterpart and looked romantic and pretty.

For the Free Dance to "Man with a Harmonica" from the Once Upon a Time in the West soundtrack by Ennio Morricone, they went the polar opposite of what they wore for their Short Dance--modern, contemporary looks that seem to be quite the trend with a lot of Ice Dancers as of late; they do the "costumes" in their Short and go a little more contemporary for their Free.

Madison Chock and Evan Bates of USA:  For their "Polka/Waltz" Short Dance, these two cuties from the US skated to Selections from Quidam by Cirque du Soleil:

On the IceNetwork.com site, it says that Madison designed the costumes for both the Short and Free Dance for this season. I liked these "Cirque" costumes. The colors were impacting, vibrant and perfect for the dance. Like Joshi Helgesson of Sweden, it is a bit over the top, but she looked sexy and still "Soleil" fun. I also liked Evan's slim. fitted velvet midnight blue-colored costume, although I'm not a huge fan of the "all-in-one" costume. While I think it works with Madison's costume, it is a little "Costume Store" looking for my taste.

For their Free Dance, Chock and Bates danced to Selections from Doctor Zhivago composed by Maurice Jarre. I like the striking black and white colors but I am always afraid of white dresses with figure skating especially when the makeup rubs up against it. I think they look clean and safe with their costumes here, I only wished they might have "punched" them up a bit more; these costumes need a little more "pizzazz". His especially--it looks like a weird hybrid of a Roman toga/Russian soldier. Again, I think they wanted to go a bit softer, especially after what they showed for their Short Dance. And, as I stated above, they certainly are on trend with the more minimal, modern aesthetic of the Free Dance. I just wish they were a little less minimal and a bit more modern.

Charlene Guignard and Marco Fabbri of Italy: OK, let me get this out of the way: LOOOVE! When I saw them step into the ice to do their Short Dance, I think I quietly exclaimed "Now, these are Costumes!". For their Short Program, they skated to a Waltz sung by Luciano Pavarotti and a Polka by Strauss. These two looked like they came out of a Vienna Austria dinner theatre and straight onto the Shanghai ice! These costumes blend camp, color, and actual historical period costumes and do it superbly.

I especially love the back "lace up" detail of her intricate corset and how the gold was brought back to his ensemble in the trim. Well done Italia!

For their Free Dance to "Summer" and "Winter" from The Four Seasons by Antonio Vivaldi, Guignard and Fabbri they went the semi-contemporary route (Che Sorpresa!). It was a nice counterbalance from their previous Short Dance costumes. I like the sequined multicolored butterfly motif in her dress. It looks like a pretty DVF cocktail dress but still seems costume-y enough for a dance like this.

Victoria Sinitsina and Ruslan Zhiganshin of Russia: Let's see, I wonder what type of music these two kids skated to?? I hope it wasn't Tchaikovsky "Swan Lake"....And I was right (not a difficult guess!), Sinitsina and Zhiganshin skated their "Polka/Waltz" Short Dance to "Tennessee Waltz" by Eva Cassidy and
"Country Polka".  I always love when another country does "US Country and Western" and takes it to a whole other level! These outfits were fun, "Line Dancing"-festive and impacting with the colors and details; such as her ribbon lacing on the sides, puffy sleeves and her ombre dyeing effect. I also love his faded denim vest and jean look. He looks pretty HOT and I would warn him to be careful if he ever mistakenly ends up at a Gay Rodeo. He will be MOBBED!

Nathalie Pechalat and Fabian Bourzat of France: Pechalat and Bourzat won the Gold Medal at this past weekend's Cup of China 2012 and Congrats to them. For their "Polka/Waltz" Short Dance to "Gaite Parisienne" by Jacques Offenbach and "Sous le ciel de Paris" performed by Yves Montand. They went Can-Can Fab with their costumes, giving a cheeky homage to their home nation, but at the same time looking like a pair of extras in a Clint Eastwood Western Movie. I liked the fuchsia and black color contrast. Notice how they used a little bit of her fuchsia on his vest's welt pockets. I also like his turned-down French Cuff.  Good clean "Can-Can" Costume fun.

For their Free Dance--once again like may of the other Ice Dance competitors--they went "Anti-Costume" and donned more contemporary looks. Pechalat and Bourzat skated to "Miss You," "Angie," "Symphony for the Devil" and "Start Me Up" by The Rolling Stones. Their "costumes", if you could call them that were what I would call "Boho Hippie Chick Meets 'Survivor' Reality Show Contestants". It was a bit of a mish-mash.

She wore a cami-like tunic top (or was it a dress) that was a teeny bit short and her black panties kept showing whenever a turn or a lift occurred. The panties were cute but..it was still  distracting to say the least. She had accessories on her forehead and a long dangling necklace that I guess were there to reiterate the "Hippie" part but they looked a bit contrived. He looked like he belonged in a "Jesus Christ Superstar" revival. To sum it up: I wasn't a fan. But who cares, they got the Gold! Although, let's just say, I really, really miss this:

Pechalat and Bourzat's costumes from last season's "Mummy and Pharaoh" themed Free Dance. I so wish there was a way to bring these back! S'il vous plaît

Figure Skating Costume Minute--Cup of China 2012--Ladies Costume Recap!

Figure Skating Costume Minute--Cup of China 2012--Ladies Costume Recap!

Time for the Ladies!

Mao Asada of Japan at ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating 2012/2013 Lexus Cup of China

The ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating 2012 Cup of China is ending today but that doesn't mean my Costume "Two Cents" has to--there's still a couple more disciplines I need to discuss--Ladies and Ice Dance, of course...So, let's see what the pretty LADIES featured in Shanghai China this past weekend:

Joshi Helgesson of Sweden:  Sometimes when I am recapping these Figure Skating Costumes and giving my "Nick Two Cents", I say (as a not-so-positive critique) "Oh that costume looks like she's an extra from Cirque du Soleil". Well kids, this costume above looks TOTALLY like it's from Cirque du Soleil, and guess what? It's because that's the music she skated to! So, here IT WORKS! Yes, the lovely Helgesson skated to "Mystere" and "Taiko" from Cirque du Soleil and the costume perfectly reflected this, working seamlessly with the music.

I loved the bright colors, the multi-colored shredded "skirt" section, and how she carried the look even to her eye makeup. Now, some may argue that it's too much--even for a Cirque du Soleil-themed skate but I am not one of those people; whoever made this costume gets lots of "Nick Costume Points"!

Amelie Lacoste of Canada: Amelie skated her Short Program to "The Feeling Begins" by Peter Gabriel. The song is from "Passion: Music for The Last Temptation of Christ". Her lipstick red costume was very "Near Eastern Princess Meets Pageant Girl", featuring crystal trim and side "cut-out''s". I like her forehead crystal "crown" but I think she didn't need the armband. It just looks as if she had extra trim and said "Oh, don't throw it away...I can use it on my arm!". Next time, keep it in the trim bin darling.

Li Zijun of China: The dainty (she's all of 5'0"!) and doll-like Li Zijun of China skated her Free Skate to Music from Sleeping Beauty by Tchaikovsky. She wore this dusty rose colored costume with intricate yet beautifully-placed sequin detail on the neckline and throughout her torso. 

 Elie Saab Spring/Summer 2011 Haute Couture

The design looked expensive and reminded me of a "Mini-me" of an Elie Saab Haute Couture gown with its delicate details.

Kiira Korpi of Finland: Kiira skated her Short Program to "The Girl with the Flaxen Hair" by Claude Debussy. I thought this was a very pretty costume. I loved the caviar beaded arm and top yoke section, which to me, was very "Old School Vera Wang" and the tone-on-tone coloring on the rest of the costume gave it dimension and interest. I'm just a little concerned with a possible "wardrobe malfunction" moment with the side above-the-chest "cut-out's" being so near and dear to her "sisters". I'm sure that's a faux cut-out and covered with illusion but still, I think design-wise, it's a bit too "cut-out".

For her Free Skate Kirra skated to Music from the Once Upon a Time in America soundtrack by by Ennio Morricone--in which she earned the Third Place Bronze Medal at the Cup of China 2012. The model gorgeous Kiira Korpi wore a mauve-colored costume with a shirred and draped torso, asymmetrical shoulder details and mini sequins strewn throughout it. I liked this costume, especially the draping and heavy-to-light crystal effect. Kiira is so pretty that I have a feeling she could put a (pink) Hefty Bag on and still look Barbie Pretty!

Julia Lipnitskaia of Russia: Julia was very, very good this weekend at Cup of China 2012, so good, she got the Silver Medal. PS: The American girls really need to STEP IT UP! If Julia is this good now, I can't imagine how FABULOUS she will be at the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics. I would not be surprised if she does great there and ends up on the Medal Podium. Oh, and did I mention she's ONLY FOURTEEN!

Now, in terms of her costumes, let's begin with this one above which she wore for her Short Program to "Sabre Dance" (modern arrangement) by Khachaturian. The music evokes a whirling war dance in an Armenian dance where the dancers display their skills with sabres. I always stand at attention (in my couch, of course), whenever I see a ladies figure skater wearing a body suit. Let's just say, it's not the norm by any means and at the same time, I have to be honest in that I am not such a fan. Take a look at Carolina Kostner's sequined-encrusted bodysuit with that Camel-toe! With that said, I think that her costume/bodysuit worked with the music and her super skating, even though, to me it had nothing to do with Sabres, Armenia or War Dancing.

Her costume looked more like a semi-Halloween costume for someone trying to be Josephine Baker (above). But, like I said, somehow it still worked. Is it the most attractive skating costume? No, but it was impacting. It did what it needed to do.

For her Free Skate, little Julia skated to the "Pas de Deux" from The Nutcracker by Tchaikovsky . I hesitate in being too critical in my opininon because she's only FOURTEEN! But... it looks like a cheap lace lingerie. It was white with Lycra and stretch lace and has beading throughout. I am alarmed by the sheerness of the lace on a FOURTEEN year old and I think that this costume--especially on a Russian skating to a Russian composer's famed "Pas de Deux" should have been more Dame Margot Fonteyn and less Victoria's Secret.

Mirai Nagasu of USA: Mirai was the only US female skatinr competing in the Ladies discipline at Cup of China 2012. For her Short Program to "Downhill Special" by Benny Goodman, she wore this fuchsia-colored costume with diamante trim and a fringe "skirt" section. The trim led up to a halter/choker neckline. This whole "fringe" or "car wash" effect on the skirts of ladies' costumes seems to be a trend of sorts in figure skating. I guess, the costume designers are trying to find new ways of doing the skirts and showing movement. I like the bright color but overall, she is verging on a Miss Teen Pageant Girl gown.

For her Free Skate to "Symphony No. 3 in C minor, Op. 78" by Camille Saint-Saens, this royal blue costume was more elegant and seemed at least to upgrade her from a "Miss Teen" to an actual "Miss USA". I liked the asymmetrical design on the front of her torso as well as how it continued onto the halter neckline straps. Nice (costume) job Mirai!

Mao Asada of Japan: In the past, Mao Sada has been a bit hit-or-miss in terms of  her costume choices. This season, she got it RIGHT, RIGHT, RIGHT! For both her Short Program and Free Skate, she was a "Hit" on my Costume list! For her Short Program to "I Got Rhythm" variations by George Gershwin, Asada wore this coral and silver criss-cross draped and shirred costume that looked chic, sexy and like a...

Rodarte-meets-Marchesa dress. Above is a Rodarte dress from their Fall 2008 collection.

I LOVED the open back (seen above). Notice that only her upper back is covered by skin-colored illusion and the rest, completely bare. I think this is so modern and right-on! I know that there are rules in terms of how much skin can even be showing. Now, I put this question up to my readers here: do you think these rules are too "old-school" and "Figure Skating Prehistoric"? My take on this subject is a resounding YES!

For her Long Program to Music from Swan Lake by Tchaikovsky, Mao wore this gorgeous ivory, gray and silver costume which I also loved. The details on it were very Haute and I even liked the "shredded" skirt. My favorite part, however, were the wrist details. The entire look was so...

 Natalie Portman in Black Swan

Congratulations to the Top Three Ladies at Cup of China 2012: (left to right) Kiira Korpi (Bronze), Mao Asada (Gold) and Julia Lipnitskaia (Silver)--and yes kids: WATCH out for that little Julia! She may have semi-tacky costumes, but...her skating is SUPERB and could be the one to watch!



*** Next: The Ice Dance Costumes at Cup of China 2012 

Figure Skating Costume Minute: Cup of China 2012--PAIRS Costume Recap!

Figure Skating Costume Minute: Cup of China 2012--PAIRS Costume Recap!

Vampire Fab, Asymmetrical Bodysuits,  Chippendale's Hair, Retro Costumes and a Toreador:

Don't Try This at Home: Stolbova and Klimov of Russia, 2012/2013 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Cup of China, Shanghai China

Continuing with my Cup of China 2012 Costume blog recaps here--now--as promised--the PAIRS--we begin with one of my favorite Pairs Costume Looks of this season so far...

Ksenia Stolbova and Fedor Klimov of Russia: To their Short Program to "Interview with the Vampire",
these two went ALL OUT with their costumes! Ksenia donned an
asymmetrical body suit with side lace and brocade section mimicking a
corset:

I especially LOVE the tiny sliver of red sequined applique attached to her neckband, representing the blood spilling from the "Vampire Kiss". And take a look at Fedor's too-pale makeup: soooo perfect! 

Speaking
of perfect, his costume as well: fabulously detailed waistcoat/vest,
ruffled blouse, the contrast back with slit-open back. Both of their
costumes were Vampire-PERFECTION!

Yuko Kavaguti and Alexander Smirnov of Russia: Continuing with the Russians, Pairs skaters Kavaguti and Smirnov skated their Short Program to Johann Strauss II's "The Blue Danube".
The positives: they were semi-elegant and contemporary and I liked the
contrast of him being in black and her in ivory. Negatives: I just wished her
costume would have had just a little more "drama". And yes, his messy hair looked "Chippendales" douchey. I wonder if there's a word in Russian for that.

For their Free Skate to "February", Kavaguti and Smirnov went a bit "old school" with their Pairs Costumes--his stretch body suit and her bedazzled look both seem to vibe costumes I
would have seen many Winter Olympics ago. Yet somehow they still made them look modern.

I especially liked her costume. The high neck combined with the open back and long sleeves was elegant and chic. I think what helped modernize the costumes was the unique color of blue. Also, who doesn't like seeing Smirnov in a body suit! Speaking of Traditional Pairs
Costumes...

Kirsten Moore-Towers and Dylan Moscovitch of Canada: For their Free Skate to "Queen Medley",
these costumes were very "retro" in terms of the styling and details;
including his blouson ombre-dyed top and her "flashy" diamante-studded
design. These costumes make sense with the music, but, I wish they were
more updated for the 21st Century; they just looked so
I-just-got-in-a-local-ice skating shop..in 1984.

Qing Pang and Jian Tong of China: Pang and Tong of China skated on home turf at the 2012 Cup of China. They performed their Short Program to "Scott and Fran's Paso Doble".
The costumes were as intense and fiery as the music. His Toreador
costume is intricate, expensive-looking and perfectly theatrical (with
all that embellishment) for a Grand Prix competition. It was also very
traditional in its styling which contrasted her costume: 

I already reviewed these costumes when Pang and Tong competed at Skate America, but upon further inspection I am questioning my opinion of her outfit. Pang wore red and black lace--very typical Spanish costume colors but there was not one Sevillana ruffle in sight. Hers was (supposed to be) a modern and very sexy Señorita. But,
it was a little "all over the place" with the details: There is a one-shoulder strap, lace in the midriff, at
the hem and on her arms, and then, there's something that looks like a
horseshoe detail/design on her torso. Upon closer inspection, it's two
steps away from looking like a whickety-wack mess. What do you
guys think?



***Up Next: The LADIES Costume Recap from 2012 Cup of China!!