Best and Worst (Exhibition Apparel) of 2014/2015 - How to Dress Up in Layers
Coco Chanel once famously said that when a woman dresses shabbily, all everyone will remember is the dress; but if you dress impeccably, they will remember the woman. Her words can also be applied to figure skating because the routines that stand out, that are remembered for their quality, are the ones that benefit from fabulous costumes, especially in the exhibition.
Exhibition programmes can blend into one another if not handled with care. Most of them are set to popular songs, the type that you hear on the radio, love for a few weeks, then quickly forget about when a trendier song hits the radio stations. That is not to say that the routines set to them are not beautiful, but just as the songs themselves, they can be forgettable. To avoid this, some skaters go to great lengths to create programmes so unique, they can never be confused with someone else's. And with one-of-a-kind routines must come one-of-a-kind costumes.
Nelli Zhiganshina & Alexander Gazsi's zombie routine has already been around for a few seasons, which is why it is the perfect example of how some routines are so fantastic, you can never tire of them. It is without a doubt their best exhibition routine, as it was also their best free dance. The costumes are not only so appropriate they can almost tell the story on their own, but also incredibly stylish: the colours match, the tailoring is perfect, and they come with loads of make-up and a giant spider hair-pin. I dare you to think of better costumes than these two.
In the spirit of 'go big or go home,' here's another skater who put a lot of effort into wearing a stitch-perfect costume:
Elena Radionova doesn't do things half-way, as proven by her incredibly accurate costume for her The Bodyguard routine. She channeled her inner Whitney Houston by wearing a replica of the costume the late actress made famous in the film. She wore a leathery dress with metal beads and even a lighter version of the well-known silver helmet. And then, just when you thought it couldn't get any better - spoiler alert - the costume turned out to be adaptable. Elena took the leathery part of it off, uncovering a delicate white dress just in time for I Will Always Love You. Beautiful, simply beautiful.
Speaking of convertible outfits, this next skater might have disappointed me with his short programme costume, but has definitely redeemed himself in the exhibition:
Skating to songs as modern as music can get, Misha Ge showcased some serious break-dance skills in this exhibition programme. He dressed accordingly, looking like nothing less than a professional dancer out to impress some girls on a Friday night. And impressed he did, judging by the screams coming from the audience every time he skated. The outfit was complete with a red football jacket, which I'm pretty sure he accidentally threw in someone's face at some point.
Fourth, but not least, this next pair is the exception to the rule, choosing to stick with their classical side in the exhibition and not go out of their way to try to be original:
Yuko Kavaguti & Alexander Smirnov are the pair you can always count on to make some order in the chaos. They are always elegant and gracious, and their costumes for their George Bizet routine were no different. Fitting in with the paso doble theme of the season, he wore a gorgeous toreador outfit that put some of the ice dancers' costumes to shame. It fulfilled all the requirements of the traditional costume and showed a fabulous contrast between black, golden and pink. Her pink dress matched his apparel, although it wasn't of the flamenco variety. It was both delicate and striking, fitting her petite silhouette.
Thus ends my 'Best and Worst Apparel' series. I have looked at each discipline, trying to find the most beautiful costumes of the season, as well as, not the ugliest, but those that weren't quite right. I hope I got you thinking a bit more about the significance of figure skating costumes or at least entertained you for a few weeks with my posts. Thank you for your feedback and comments, and I hope you will come back next week to see what's next on CrystalSkate. Until then, here's a piece of advice from Henry James: 'feel in italics and think in CAPITALS.'
 |
| This routine was initially their free skate in 2012/2013 Photographs: Dave Sandford / Getty Images N America |
Nelli Zhiganshina & Alexander Gazsi's zombie routine has already been around for a few seasons, which is why it is the perfect example of how some routines are so fantastic, you can never tire of them. It is without a doubt their best exhibition routine, as it was also their best free dance. The costumes are not only so appropriate they can almost tell the story on their own, but also incredibly stylish: the colours match, the tailoring is perfect, and they come with loads of make-up and a giant spider hair-pin. I dare you to think of better costumes than these two.
In the spirit of 'go big or go home,' here's another skater who put a lot of effort into wearing a stitch-perfect costume:
 |
| Elena skated to Queen of the Night and I Will Always Love You by Whitney Houston Photograph: David Ramos / Getty Images Europe |
Speaking of convertible outfits, this next skater might have disappointed me with his short programme costume, but has definitely redeemed himself in the exhibition:
 |
| Misha's songs were Goodboy by G-Dragon and Let's Get F Out by Lil Jon Photograph: Kevin Lee / Getty Images Asia |
 |
| The Russian pair skated to Habanera by George Bizet Photograph: Atsushi Tomura / Getty Images Asia |
Yuko Kavaguti & Alexander Smirnov are the pair you can always count on to make some order in the chaos. They are always elegant and gracious, and their costumes for their George Bizet routine were no different. Fitting in with the paso doble theme of the season, he wore a gorgeous toreador outfit that put some of the ice dancers' costumes to shame. It fulfilled all the requirements of the traditional costume and showed a fabulous contrast between black, golden and pink. Her pink dress matched his apparel, although it wasn't of the flamenco variety. It was both delicate and striking, fitting her petite silhouette.
Thus ends my 'Best and Worst Apparel' series. I have looked at each discipline, trying to find the most beautiful costumes of the season, as well as, not the ugliest, but those that weren't quite right. I hope I got you thinking a bit more about the significance of figure skating costumes or at least entertained you for a few weeks with my posts. Thank you for your feedback and comments, and I hope you will come back next week to see what's next on CrystalSkate. Until then, here's a piece of advice from Henry James: 'feel in italics and think in CAPITALS.'
Comments
Post a Comment