ICE STYLE.....2016 Skate Canada International Figure Skating Costumes RECAP: LADIES and MEN!

Ladies Fab: Ladies Figure Skating Costumes from 2016 Skate Canada International

Le Men: Men's Figure Skating Costumes from 2016 Skate Canada International

This past weekend was the second of six events in the 2016-2017 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating competitions, 2016 Skate Canada International. In case you missed my "Ice Style" blog on 2016 Skate America, click HERE and HERE. This year's Skate Canada International occurred at the Hershey Centre in Mississauga Ontario Canada.

I didn't go but...I was excited to see that it was in Mississauga because I had been there before since that is where Canada's "The Shopping Channel" is headquartered and I had the privilege of being there for my "NV Nick Verreos" clothing line. So...Yeayyy for Mississauga! Now, time to discuss the Figure Skating Costumes Highlights. Let's start with the Ladies:



LADIES---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Evgenia Medvedeva of Russia Short Program River Flows in You by Lorenzo de Luca, The Winter by Balmorhea: Evgenia wore this blue ombre-shaded costume featuring crystal and blue beading in the top section. The design made her look like she was a beautiful sea creature from the Mediterranean but the costume itself looked cheap and almost Junior-like.

Evgenia Medvedeva of Russia Free Skate to Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, and Piano Lesson with Grandma by Alexandre Desplat: It's not every day one sees a top ladies' singles figure skater wearing a dress this long as her costume. This design had purple-to-lilac ombre shading and an Empire-waist look that featured sequin embroidery. There was almost a Medieval/Game of Thrones look to it and I liked it.

Satoko Miyahara of Japan Short Program Musetta's Waltz Song by Giacomo Puccini: This was a very pretty costume for Miyahara. I liked the powder blue and green colors and beaded applique. This looked like an expensive high-end figure skating costume that was impacting from afar and close up.

Satoko Miyahara of Japan Free Skate to The Planets by Gustav Holst: I LOVED this costume! So far, it is one of my favorites of the season! I absolutely adore the Grecian Goddess draping, the stark ivory color and beautiful sequin detail. I also like her crystal double headband. She looks chic, and Figure Skating Red Carpet Ready!

Kaytlyn Osmond of Canada Short Program Sous le ciel de Paris and Milord performed by Edith Piaf: I thought this design was a nice choice considering her music. The neck-tie purple costume with sequin applique midriff was "Parisian" in its flair (reminded me of the iconic Yves Saint Laurent pussy-bow sheer chiffon blouse) and while, I am normally not a fan of the gloves, I think they were correct in this look.

Mirai Nagasu USA Short Program to Nocturne No. 20 in C Sharp Minor by Frederic Chopin: Mirai wore this purple costume for her SP. I liked it! Mirai always wears costumes that I appreciate and admire. The color and beading reminded me of this Gionni Straccia-designed gown worn by...

"Miss Venezuela 2009" Marelisa Gibson

Mirai Nagasu of USA Free Skate to The Winner Takes It All performed by Sarah Dawn Finer: This was another very pretty costume from Mirai. It was very "Ice Queen" with the white color and delicate crystal beading. I especially loved the neckline and asymmetrically-placed sequins.

Rika Hongo of Japan Short Program to O Fortuna (from "Carmina Burana") by Carl Orff: This was a fun and bold costume. Rika is kind of known for her costumes and this was not a disappointment for the 2016-2017 season. I loved the multi-colored jewels at the bust and fire-like detail in the costume. 

Rika Hongo of Japan Free Skate to Lawrence of Arabia (soundtrack) by Maurice Jarre: Rika really made me happy with this "Near East Diva" costume referencing her "Lawrence of Arabia" music. I. Loved. It. She looked like a sexy Sheikha of Arabia! I also appreciated her crystal crown and arm and hand sequined details of the costume.

Elizaveta Tuktamysheva of Russia Free Skate to Cleopatra (soundtrack) by Alex North: The Middle East was in the "Costume Air" as Russia Elizaveta Tuktamysheva wore this for her "Cleopatra" free skate. I felt all the accessories made the costume a bit too "Halloween-y", but I did LOVE that snake armband! The gold beaded neckline was beautiful and unique and overall the costume was quite sexy with it's sheer and short skirt. 



MEN-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Patrick Chan of Canada Short Program to Dear Prudence and Blackbird by The Beatles: Patrick Chan is not known for his costumes, and more for his fabulous skating. For his SP, he wore this all-black look skating to The Beatles. Normally, I don't like when male figure skaters just wear the black pant-and-shirt look, and I've referenced it as being a bit too "Ross Dress For Less". I think that here, this ensemble worked. I liked the short sleeved shirt, the suspenders and natural-waist trousers style. Part of me wished the suspenders were sequined--at least in matte black crystals!--but yeah, I know--it's Patrick Chan, sequins are not always his thang.

Patrick Chan of Canada Free Skate to A Journey by Eric Radford: For his FS, Chan skated to music by Pairs figure skater Eric Radford. I loved this costume on Patrick. It was clean, elegant and slightly sexy. My favorite parts were the details: the pants outseam "Tuxedo" stripe and back pants yoke--in faux leather. Those detail really made the costume for me! 

Kevin Reynolds of Canada Short Program to Puutarhautuminen and Muuttosarja by Hohka, 

Kesäillan Tvist by Troka: Canadian Kevin Reynolds skated his SP to Finnish folk-like music and he wore a costume inspired by a traditional Finnish men's outfit--the "Hameen Men's Suit". I liked the bold stripes and red-and-black colors but I was a little annoyed at how wide the shoulders were; the vest seemed to be cut too wide. I wonder if the costume designers did that to make the super-skinny Kevin look a bit more broad shouldered? I have no idea. But, as a fashion designer and someone who worked as a pattern-maker for many years, all I wanted to do was take about  1 1/2" off the shoulder of that vest; it was that annoying to me!

Kevin Reynolds of Canada Free Skate to Grand Piano (soundtrack) by Victor Reyes: Kevin loves a double-breasted vest. He wore one for his SP and now for his Free Skate. This look was a bit "Happy Hands at Home Sewer"-looking and once again, the vest pattern's shoulder measurement was too wide. I understand the costume designers wanting to make him look a bit more muscular through costuming tricks but, my advice would just be to emphasize how lean and super skinny he is.  There is really no avoiding it. 

Alexander Petrov Russia Short Program Ritual Dance of Fire (from "El Amor Brujo") by Manuel de Falla: Fiery, bold and nicely done. I liked this costume worn by Russian Alexander Petrov. He looked very "Gypsy" and Andalusian in this design, especially with the gold embroidered top, red waist sash and black faux leather pants. 

Alexander Petrov of Russia Free Skate to Chicago and I'm Gonna Live Till I Die by Frank Sinatra: If there was a Frank Sinatra-themed show on a cruise ship--or Las Vegas--this would be a costume in the show! I liked the kind of cheesy aspect of the look--with the gold lame jacket, piano-inspired tie and crystal belt. 

Ross Miner of USA Short Program to New York State of Mind by Billy Joel: OK, I know that Ross is skating to Billy Joel and "New York State of Mind" and therefore, there's not much of a costume that can accompany that. But...this was THE DEFINITION of my dreaded "Ross Dress For Less" costume; the bland dress shirt, black pants, off-the-rack department store belt...I am so bored with his costume that I don't even want to visit New York, if this is what that city represents, fashion-wise.

Ross Miner of USA Free Skate to Somebody to Love, Love of my Life, and Crazy Little Thing Called Love by Queen: For his FS, he slightly redeemed himself--costume-wise. I liked the ombre-shaded red-and-black printed top with the gold sequined neckline. This was Ross Miner really stepping out of his costume zone. And I applaud him for it. But, I still think this could have been better; it is QUEEN after all!

Takahito Mura of Japan Short Program to Zapateado (Flamenco): Takahito skated to a flamenco-inspired program and I was thankful that the costume wasn't black and red. I liked the ruffled cuffs but overall, it was a bit of a Spain mish-mash. I really think what annoyed me the most was the white lace shirt; it was just a tad too cheap-looking. And that fringed front trim looked like an afterthought. 

Misha Ge Uzbekistan Free Skate to The Nutcracker by Petr I. Tchaikovski: Misha gave you "Nutcracker Prince" with this white with gold beaded trimmed top and black pants costume. I think he could have gone a little more Couture with this look; it just seemed a bit "Hollywood Blvd" Costume version. I know that Misha can give me more! 

Daniel Samohin of Israel Free Skate to The Illusionist by Maxime Rodriguez: Daniel skated his FS to this very impacting costume. The black pants-and multi-colored sequined top was two minutes away from looking slightly "Cirque du Soleil" but...I kinda liked it! That top, especially, looked well-made, expensive and made me want MORE!

Yuzuru Hanyu of Japan Short Program to Let's Go Crazy by Prince: At first, when Yuzuru came out, I was like "What the Heck!!??" and then, the Prince music came on and I was like "Done and done!". Hanyu wore a jumpsuit that resembled a white shirt and pants outfit with a multi-colored embroidered vest with black, white and purple being the dominant colors. There was also a nice "Prince"-inspired detail on his pants. The whole look was right for the program and 80's cool enough to make fashion fans happy.

Yuzuru Hanyu of Japan Free Skate to Hope and Legacy by Jo Hisaishi: For his FS, Yuzuru wore this ensemble of black stretch velvet pants with a multicolored green, creme, royal blue and black chiffon top. It was VERY Yuzuru for sure; he does love multicolored ombre-ing and cascading ruffle detail. I'm going to be honest here: If it wasn't Yuzuru Hanyu, I might be critiquing it and saying it's tacky and soooo 80's. But, because it is him, I actually think it works. Somehow with his height and beautiful skating, he is able to pull this off.  What do you guys think? Do you like???

**NEXT: 2016 Skate Canada International ICE DANCE and PAIRS Costumes!!!

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!