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Continuing with my Costume Recap of the 2013 ISU World Figure Skating Championships which occurred a couple of weeks back...it's now time to discuss the Costume Highlights of the LADIES---





Mae Berenice Meite of France--For her Free Skate to Selections from "Zarafa" and "Dead Can Dance" and Soundtrack to "Belphegor", Mae Berenice wore one of my favorite Ladies Costumes from the season. It was kitschy, reminded me of Whitney Houston's "Queen of the Night" from "The Bodyguard", it was Cleopatra Fab...all of it. Oh, and it reminded me of the iconic 60's Paco Rabanne couture, as well. Très bien Mae Berenice!







Alena Leonova of Russia--Alena skated her Season 2013-2013 Short Program to "Slumdog Millionaire" and "Indian Hip Hop" and I
absolutely LOVED her apple green costume. It had great
jigsaw-puzzle-like detail in the torso with strewn sequins and gold
metal trim. The design had draping, a flirty chiffon "skirt", arm and body straps...that great back! She looked very chic Bollywood dancer.




Elizaveta Tuktamysheva of Russia--Elizaveta loves a jumpsuit/unitard/skirt costume combo. She wore two versions of this silhouette for both. For her Short Program to Music from the Love Story soundtrack by Francis Lai, Elizaveta wore this black skating dress and semi sheer sparkly leggings. I like the black with silver sequins and plunging neckline detail of the skating dress but...I'm just not sure how necessary it was for her to then also wear the sparkly tights.




Then for her Free Skate to "Dark Eyes", she once again chose to not stop with the skating dress but also added the tights. Now, she's either A) Cold, and/or B) she wants this skating dress-and-tights costume look to be her "thing". I, for one, would advice her NOT to have it be her "thing". The black with red accents and crystals skating dress is fine on its own--I would only say she should have "punched  it up" a bit more in terms of more sequins or more upper torso/sleeve detail but to add black tights/leggings to it? Not so mucheey.





Viktoria Helgesson of Sweden--I loved BOTH costumes worn by Viktoria Helgesson. For her Short Program to "Poinciana"--an album from jazz pianist Ahmad Jamal--she wore a teal costume (top photo) featuring a beaded torso top section with a fringed (very popular this past season)"skirt". The double straps were great and I liked the distribution of the diamante crystals. For her Free Skate to "Spellbound Concerto" by Miklos Rozsa, she wore a baby blue costume that looked like something from Versace. The asymmetrical neckline was great but I especially loved the sequins and how expensive and well-placed they were. She "debuted" this costume when she skated at the NRW Trophy at Eissportzentrum on December 9, 2012 in Dortmund, Germany.




This costume above is what she had been wearing the rest of the 2012-2013 Season for that Free Skate. I like them both.




Gracie Gold of USA-- For her Free Skate to Life is Beautiful soundtrack by Nicola Piovan,
Gracie wore this bright blue and sequin costume designed to look
strapless--with nude illusion at the upper chest and neck. It was very
pretty. Nothing costume "earth shattering", but yes, very pretty. Now, for her Short Program to "Hernando's Hideaway" by Various Artists...




Gracie wore this red with sequins costume which I liked very much. Both her costumes were designed by Brad Griffies and he did a fabulous job. Interesting to note that she just began wearing this costume earlier this year--first, at the 2013 Prudential U.S. Figure Skating Championships at CenturyLink Center on January 24, 2013 in Omaha, Nebraska and in February at the ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships at Osaka Municipal Central Gymnasium on February 9, 2013 in Osaka, Japan. This costume...




...above (which I also LOVED!) was what she had wearing the entire 2012-2013 Season prior to those two competitions. I said it was ONE OF THE BEST of the 2012 Year.

 



Ashley Wagner of USA--Speaking of great costumes, this canary yellow one on Ashley Wagner was, hands down, one of my favorite Figure Skating Costumes of this
past year/season. She wore this for
her Free Skate to "Samson and Delilah". From the moment she stepped on the ice, I thought this was Figure Skating Costume Perfection. The bright sunburst yellow with ombré
dyeing; the expertly applied sequins, the torso and neckline
detail...It was very "Samson and Delilah" for sure and at the same time
suggested the works of some of the better-known Lebanese Couturiers like
Elie Saab and Zuhair Murad. Therefore, she was Red Carpet Fab and Figure Skating Perfection!





Carolina Kostner of Italy--Carolina skated her Free Skate to "Bolero" by Maurice Ravel, performed by Andre Previn and the London Symphony Orchestra wearing this open back black costume. I thought it was elegant, modern and refreshingly void of too many "bells and whistles". It was a great departure from that Swarovski-crystal jumpsuit she wore last season.




Mao Asada of Japan--Mao wore this costume to her Free Skate to Music from Swan Lake by Tchaikovsky. She debuted this costume at the ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships at Osaka Municipal Central Gymnasium on February 10, 2013 in Osaka, Japan. I thought this was a nice interpretation of the "Swan Lake" ballerina theme. The only complaint is that there were one too many feathers. It almost looked like she had been rolling in a feather pillow that semi-exploded.





This above (which was one of my TOP FAVORITES of last year in terms of Ladies Figure Skating Costumes) is what she wore for most of the 2012-2013 Season. I wish she would have just kept wearing this "old" costume above.




Yu-Na Kim of Korea--For her Short Program, she skated to "The Kiss of the Vampire"
and her costume was SPECTACULAR! It was an icy blue color with very
expensive-looking crystals in silver, blue and "Vampire Blood" red. It
also had a perfectly matching nude illusion shoulder/sleeve section. If you cannot tell yet...I absolutely LOVED it!





For her Free Skate to "Les
Misérables", Yu-Na did not disappoint--costume-wise. She wore a gunmetal
gray chiffon costume with "Period" sleeves, sweetheart neckline and
delicately sequined bodice. This is how I like to see my Les Misérables costumes interpreted, not sad and dreary. She won the GOLD at the Worlds and for me, she took home the gold in the Costume Category too. GO QUEEN YU-NA!

The 2013 World Figure Skating Championships ("Worlds")
occurred a couple of weeks back in London, Ontario, Canada at Budweiser
Gardens. As you know, I LOVE ME some figure skating and especially
talking about the costumes. When the Worlds were happening,
unfortunately, I was traveling doing events for Macy's as well as
hosting the FIDM Debut 2013 Fashion Shows so...I didn't have time to do
my traditional "Nick Figure Skating Costume Recap" but now I do.









I was
almost not going to talk about it (since it occurred a couple of weeks
ago--which is like A YEAR in "blog time"!) but so many people--either on
Facebook or Twitter kept asking "Nick, where's your "World's Costume
Recap?" that well, I decided to do it. So without further a do--Let's
begin with the MEN:





Alexei Bychenko Israel--Alexei failed to advance to the Free Skate but, nevertheless, I wanted to comment on his Short Program costume to "Party Sailor" by Wilson Picket and "John Rango" by James Brown. I can see the sailor theme with his top for sure. But (here we go again!), I am SO NOT A FAN of the BELT!!! And why a BROWN one?? Couldn't he have found one that matches the pants? Or hey, have the costume designer actually create Sailor Pants (with the front flap)? Heck, I can go to the Army Surplus store and find some for him!




Viktor Romanenkov of Estonia--For his Free Skate to "Prince of Egypt" by Hans Zimmer, Viktor made me (Costume) proud! He may have [placed 22nd out of 24 skaters in the Free Skate but he was up there in my Top Three for Best Men's Costumes. This was Tutankhamen HOT!




Justus Strid of Denmark--Justus (who ended up last overall) did his Free Skate to "Where Do I Fit In" by Nicola Piovani in this get-up. It was so bright, so jarring...that I had to discuss. Piovani was the composer to "Life Is Beautiful" as well as many other soundtracks. Here, in this costume, he looks like a cross between a clown and a referee. Maybe that was the point? He doesn't "fit in" anywhere!




Brian Joubert of France--Sexy Hottie-McHottie Brian Joubert knows that A) he's very athletic, B) he's a Sex Symbol in his country and C) He's got to keep the ladies in the audience smilin' (and some of the boys too!) by always showing some muscles, in one shape or form. For both his Short Program and Free Skate costumes, he delivered. The first photo is from his Short Program to "Genesis" by Justice and "Aerodynamic" by Daft Punk. Love the faux leather details juxtaposed with the black illusion. The top is amazing... masculine, futuristic and sexy at the same time. In the costume above--for his Free Skate to Gladiator by Hans Zimmer, he's looking like a cross between a Spartan Warrior and a Samurai. I like the asymmetry of the top (notice the "nude sleeve"), silver applique and leg warmers (yes, those are LEG WARMERS!). Now, the belt he's wearing, I actually approve. Why? Because it goes with the rest of the costume and doesn't look like it is from "Ross Dress For Less".




Max Aaron of USA--Take a guess where this is from? If you guessed "Tron", you were right! Yes, Max skated his Short Program in one of the most "unusual" costumes worn by the men this 2012-2013 season. He skated to "Tron: Legacy" by Daft Punk in this black jumpsuit/unitard designed by Kay Evans. I think it's perfect for the music and theme and graphic enough to stand out. Now, speaking of "standing out"...oh never mind, I have to keep it PG-13 here!




Daiksuke Takahashi of Japan--I always like what Daisuke wears in competitions because he's not afraid to go soft with his costumes and use flowy, drape-y fabrications...so very feminine but still, he looks completely masculine. For his Short Program to Moonlight Sonata by Beethoven he wore this cowl draped top costume with fluttery volants and encrusted sequins.  This was different from what he has worn previously for the Short Program this season:




The music of Daisuke's Short program was different from what he had been skating to previously this season--a "Rock 'n Roll Medley", therefore his costume changed as well. The "old one" (which I also LOVED!) reflected his old "Rock 'n Roll Short Program.




For his Free Skate to Music from Pagliacci by Ruggero Leoncavallo, Daisuke stayed romantic, soft and "frilly" with details on his costume--especially the top portion. He knows how details and trims can add movement while he's skating and uses them well. Pagliacci is a tragic opera about a clown and there's nothing tragic or clownish about this ensemble. He first "unveiled" this costume in December of last year at the 81st Japan Figure Skating Championships. But...




Before then, this above is the costume he had been wearing for his Season 2012-2013 "Pagliacci" Free Skate.





Takahito Mura of Japan--Takahito skated his Free Skate to Music from the TV series Shogun and I think his costume was exceptional in terms of the theme. I love the cross-over trim detail of his kimono top, the silky velvet fabrication--showing elegance and wealth and I especially like how the costume theme was taken down to his boots as well.




Yuzuru Hanyu of Japan--Yuzuru's costume for his Free Skate to Music from the Notre-Dame de Paris soundtrack by Riccardo Cocciante was one that I really liked all season long and commented on previously here on my blog. In fact, I deemed it one of THE BEST of the season. I said this: It was soooo Johnny Weir in its no-holds-barred design philosophy and embrace of feminine-like details. The
big cross, the ombre dyed ivory and red shirt, the one sleeve ruffle and
one black glove; lots of details and he was not afraid to "Go For It"!




Javier Fernandez of Spain--For his Free Skate to a Charlie Chaplin Medley, Javier wore this shirt, tie, vest and pants look, keeping within the "Charlie Chaplin" theme. I liked the combination of baggy pants and tight waistcoat. I think he
looks good. Slim and modern.




It would have been nice to see a very shrunken
jacket (like the "real" Charlie Chaplin) to finish the entire outfit off but I get that it might have been
restricting when it came time to accomplish his fab jumps!



Patrick Chan of Canada--Gold Medal winner Patrick Chan skated in this ensemble above to his Free Skate to "Selections by Rachmaninoff". I admit that I wasn't a fan of this costume throughout the season. It was drab and reminded one of the Miserables...in Les Misérables. But I did really like...




What he wore for his Short Program to Music from La Boheme by Giacomo Puccini. It was a deep
blue-colored, lightly beaded blouson long sleeve top with a plunging
neckline (Oh Patrick!). And also had attached convertible collar and cascade
ruffles. Since his music was Classical, I think he was trying to vibe a
classic and romantic look and he even had a lace back detail which is
A LOT of look for Patrick. I did LOVE the pants. They fit him PERFECTLY
and I liked how they had the beaded tuxedo stripe down the side,
bringing in the lightly beaded detail from the top. I appreciate the risk Patrick took with this costume and definitely thought it was one of the best of the season.



**Up Next: The LADIES Costume Highlights of the 2013 World Figure Skating Championships

San Pedro, Laguna
Nagulat lang talaga ako sa nakita ko di ko akalaing kakain sila Bianca at Cristina ng Isaw sa kinainan naming kainan last Monday, eto may mga kuha po ako sa kanila, bagama't antok na antok na naman ako pinilit ko ulet magblog kahit pahapyaw man lamang.
Antok na antok na talaga ako, hindi po edited ang mga kuha ko dito totoo pong kumakain talaga sila ng ISAW! It's more fun eating isaw!