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Kim Yuna of South Korea, Short Program to "Send In The Clowns": Her costume was FLAWLESS. Exquisite, beautifully made, gorgeous. Yuna Kim wore a chartreuse-colored costume with fitted-yet-fluttery sleeves , a sequined torso and chiffon skirt. 








Ashley Wagner of the U.S, , Short Program to "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" by Pink Floyd:
The costume featured black stretch chiffon, double-layer "skirt" and
panels with silver crystal trimmed details. I really liked this costume
because it really reflected the theme of her music. She also could have
easily worn this if she was skating to say, Tchaikovsky "Swan Lake"
as well! I especially loved the various sizes of the jeweled crystals
and how the neck detail looked like a built-in diamond necklace (that
was probably the point!).




Gracie Gold of the U.S., Short Program to "Piano Concerto" by Edvard Grieg: The costume was designed by Gale Johnson and Denise Gold and
I LOVE it! It's elegant, classic but with a sexy "red carpet" edge and
also works really well with her music and program; it's like a "mini-me"
gown one could see at a late 19th Century/early 20th Century Ball in
Europe. The off-the-shoulder look seems very "Moulin Rouge"-like as well.





Julia Lipnitskaia of Russia Short Program to "You Don't Give Up on Love" by Mark Minkov: I thought this was a very nice costume for Julia and this program. I loved the deep violet blue and baby blue combination and the torso/bodice sequin work looked beautiful. My favorite detail of this costume were the back straps. Also, I am usually not a fan of the pull-the-nude-tights-over-the-skates look but here it worked. Such a shame that little Julia fell, however. You could just hear the shock-and-awe from the mostly Russian audience.






Mao Asada of Japan, Short Program to "Nocturne in E flat major, Op. 9, No. 2" by Frederic Chopin: This beautiful costume is a change from what Asada wore for the Team Competition several weEks ago at the beginning of the Sochi Olympics:




I like both costumes but if I had to pick, I like what she wore tonight at the Sochi 2014 Olympics Ladies Short Program better; it's little more delicate, the gathering/draping in the front/torso seems more refined and overall, it looks softer. Poor Mao...








Carolina Kostner of Italy, Short Program to Ave Maria by Franz Schubert: The sky blue
colored costume featured a "plunging" neckline (in illusion) with gorgeously strewn
sequins throughout. It was beautiful, classic and "Ice Princess" perfect. Her skate was almost like a religious experience; the music, the skate, the costume...she seemed Angelic.




Adelina Sotnikova of Russia, Short Program to "Habanera" from the "Carmen" Suite by Georges Bizet: I thought this costume was simple yet nice for her; it was clean and bold to grab the audience and judges' attention.  She wore this costume at the 2014 Russian Nationals but before, she had worn this:











Polina Edmuds of the U.S., Short Program to "Pink Cherries Cha-Cha-Cha," "Besame Mucho" and "Another Cha-Cha" by Ballroom Orchestra: The costume is designed by Lilya Dukler and
I think it's pretty fabulous! I love the light lemon yellow color, the
"shredded" skirt and emphasis on the neckline and all those panels in
the torso. I especially like how no "costume stone was left unturned" in
that it is a complete look; the hairstyle, details in the hair...it is
all in synch with the rest of the costume. Very nice!



Finally, I want to talk abut Akiko Suzuki of Japan:


Akiko Suzuki of Japan, Short Program to "Hymne à l'amour": This above was one of the most intricately beaded/sequined costumes of all the Ladies. You cannot really tell in the picture above but it truly was exquisite! The silver sequins at the neckline (and back) were Top Notch!. This red costume, by the way, was a costume change from what she had worn in the most recent 2013 Grand Prix series Short Dance:







**Next Up: The Ladies Free Skate Costumes Recap of the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics!

This past weekend was 2013 NHK Trophy. NHK Trophy is the fourth--out of six--event of the 2013-2014 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating. It was held at the Yoyogi National Gymnasium in Tokyo, Japan. I've already covered some of the costumes seen at Skate America, Skate Canada and Cup of China under the "Ice Style" Category here on my NICKVERREOS.COM Blog (you can find the "Categories" on the right side of the blog). Therefore, now it's time to discuss the Figure Skating Costumes at the 2013 NHK Trophy.







I watched the competitions on Universal Sports and NBC and it was great seeing a PACKED house of very excited figure skating fans. During the Ladies and Men's competitions, one could see people up in the nose-bleed sections--Japan LOVES Figure Skating that is for sure! It was a big contrast to some of the already-occurred Grand Prix events which were half-empty in terms of attendance. So, Good Job Japan!!! Now, let's talk about the Costumes: some of the costumes I have already discussed in my Skate America, Skate Canada or Cup of China posts and some I haven't so, with that being said, Time for the Ladies and Pairs of 2013 NHK Trophy...

Ladies:


Mao Asada Japan, Short Program--I've talked about this SP costume she wears to "Nocturne in E flat major, Op. 9, No. 2" by Frederic Chopin HERE in my Skate America post. I loved it. Exquisite, loved the draping and Eiffel Tower-like back detail.











Costume Change: For her Free Skate to "Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor" by Sergei Rachmaninoff, Mao wore this black and royal blue costume with long sleeves, hem ruffles, a "neck-piece", "knotted/twisted" torso detail section and nude illusion sections. This was a costume change from what she wore the last time she competed at Skate America, which I also loved. At first, I thought "why would she change her costume?" especially since I LOVED the original one so much and it was GREAT! The new "2013 NHK Trophy" costume was fine but I think I liked the "Skate America" look better. I felt it was more modern and I loved the three-dimensional pieces of the top and skirt. Which costume do you guys like best?

 



Akiko Suzuki Japan, Short Program--Click HERE to read my thoughts on this Short program costume to "Hymne à l'amour", when I discussed it back in my Skate Canada Costume Recap.













Same Old/Same Old: Alena Leonova Russia, Short Program--Alena skated to Music from the Pirates of the Caribbean soundtrack by Hans Zimmer and Klaus Badelt. She is not only reprising the same music she skated to in the 2011-2012 season but the same costume. I thought it was two seconds from looking like a store-bought Halloween costume then, and I still kind of think the same now.











Elena Radionova Russia, Free Skate to Music from the Frida soundtrack--2013 NHK Trophy--I talked about these costumes in my Skate America post HERE. To sum it up, I thought both were a bit too CRAY-CRAY for her and a little "Toddlers & Tiaras" tacky-licious looking.





Mirai Nagasu USA, Short Program--Mirai skated her SP to "The Man I Love" by George Gershwin. This blue ombre-dyed costume seemed almost unfinished and cheap. I wish I could say more but I cannot. This could have been much better.




Free Skate: Mirai wore a black costume with silver crystal neckline detail for her FS to Music from James Bond by various artists. This costume was better than her Short Program but it still suffered from needing "something more" in terms of design and creativity.
















Tatiana Volosozhar and Maxim Trankov Russia, Short Program and Free Skate: I have discussed these costumes HERE and I LOVED them! And I have to add, they almost made me shake and CRY as I watched their performance; it was flawless. A "Master Class" in how to skate a fabulous Pairs skate. I cannot wait to see this at the Sochi Olympics.




Sui Wenjing and Han Cong China, Short Program: They skated their SP to Music from La Strada by Nino Rota and I liked both of their costumes. I liked her blue and nude illusion design with a red HEART chest detail and I especially liked the fact that his was embellished and incorporated some of her blue sequins into his vest. Although to my eye, his entire ensemble in black did not relate to her look at all. I always prefer a stronger connection between the two costumes.




Marissa Castelli and Simon Shnapir USA, Free Skate: For their FS to Music from the Skyfall soundtrack by various artists, I liked these costumes. Marissa wore a black sequined dress that looked expensive and elegant--like a "Bond Girl". And Simon---LOVED his super fitted pants and shirt with gun holster look. It was as if he had taken off his Tom Ford tuxedo and revealed what was underneath...The costumes are designed by Yumi Nakamura and Paul Ginandes.





Peng Cheng and Zhang Hao China, Free Skate: They skated their FS to "Yellow River Concerto".  These costumes were great. I especially loved Zhang Hao and that AMAZING blue with green and silver applique sequin of his top. Her costume was beautifully made, elegant and looked expensive! A perfect combination and connection between the two looks!



**Stay Tuned for my Next "2013 Grand Prix Costumes Recap" here on NICKVERREOS.COM !

This weekend was the second of the I.S.U. Grand Prix of Figure Skating senior-level invitational competition: the 2013 Skate Canada International. Skate Canada 2013 took place at the Harbour Station in Saint John, New Brunswick Canada.




Canadians are big fans of figure skating and Canada has lots of top skaters in all the disciplines poised for the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics. Now, let's get to the Costumes! Last week, I wrote about the Skate America 2013 Costumes so now it's time for my Skate Canada 2013 Costumes Recap. First up the Ladies and Pairs.




The Ladies:




Akiko Suzuki Japan, Short Program: I loved Akiko's last season costumes, especially the feathered costume she wore to her 2012-2013 Short program to Music from "O" by Cirque du Soleil. With that in mind, I was hoping she would still "bring it" when it came to this season's costumes. For her Short Program to "Hymne à l'amour" she wore this blue-purple costume featuring heavily jeweled neck detail, side crystal "straps" and a busy flower applique side-waist accent. it was quite a lot. I didn't like the entire costume "package" but did like some of its details, especially the neck/shoulder jeweled accents.




Free Skate: I liked this costume that Akiko wore for her Free Skate to Music from the soundtrack of The Phantom of the Opera by Andrew Lloyd Webber. It had an ombre shaded skirt section and beautiful sequined bodice. I also loved the crystal web-like neckline.




Christina Gao USA, Short Program: I thought this costume Christina wore for her Short Program to "Close Without Touching" by David Arkenstone was quite nice. The deep wine colored side beaded costume had elongated sleeves and side-slit skirt section. It worked well with the music and program and made her look more mature--and in a good way. The costume was designed by Yumi Barnett-Nakamura.




Gracie Gold USA, Short Program: When I first saw Gracie step onto the ice, I would have bet money that she was skating to "Chicago" but nope, I was wrong; she skated her Short Program to "Three Preludes" by George Gershwin. While I actually wished she would have skated to "Chicago" since I really wasn't a fan of this choppy jittery music, I still liked her costume. It had lots of razzle-dazzle, stage impact and I especially like the asymmetrical lines that curved and hugged toward her back in all the right ways. Also note that she had nude GLOVES created for the costume. Lots of this season's ladies wore gloves as part of their costume and this was an ingenious way to wear them but look as if she wasn't.





Free Skate: Gracie skated her Free Skate to Music from Sleeping Beauty by Tchaikovsky. I loved this ombre lilac costume featuring intricate crystal "necklaces" in a web-like effect throughout the top section. I also liked the drop-shoulder sleeves. Both her Short and Free Skate costumes were designed by Gale Johnson and Denise Gold.





Julia Lipnitskaia Russia, Short Program: Fifteen year-old skating dynamo, Julia Lipnitskaia of Russia, skated her Short Program to "You Don't Give Up on Love" by Mark Minkov. The costume was sweet, girly and right for her age. I liked the heavily beaded detail of the top section, but I thought the costume itself could have had more flare and sweep at the bottom. And notice the gloves, THE Season 2013-2014 trend for Ladies Costumes. I also want to note that this sweet blue costume above was such a departure from what she wore last season and this infamous "cray-cray" bodysuit:










Free Skate: For her Gold Medal-winning Free Skate to Schindler's List by John Williams, Julia donned a red "jacket" costume mimicking the red coat the little girl in the film wore; a red coat is used to distinguish a little girl in the scene depicting
the liquidation of the Kraków ghetto. Later in the film, Schindler sees
her dead body, recognizable only by the red coat she is still wearing. I thought this was a proper "homage" of sorts. Julia's red "jacket" also featured black sequined trim--also mirroring the black trim in the movie's red coat. Notice Julia wore gloves, of course.




Kaetlyn Osmond Canada, Short Program: Speaking of gloves, Kaetlyn Osmond of Canada wore long white ones for her Short Program to "Big Spender" and "Rich Man's Frug". The black costume with side slits was well, "just there" for me; nothing spectacular, but not bad either.




Natalia Popova Ukraine, Short Program: Natalia skated her Short Program to "Concierto de Aranjuez" by Joaquin Rodrigo performed by Edvin Marton--yes the same music Michelle Kwan skated to years ago (lots of skaters skate to this but, it will always be--for me--Michelle Kwan's music!). I thought this was an original way to give España and not in such an overt way. The almost zebra-print like stretch devore velvet fabric, sprinkled with crystals, looked chic, very high fashion and still retained a slight nod to the lace mantillas of Spain.





Amelie Lacoste Canada, Short Program: Amelie skated her Short Program to "The Feeling Begins" by Peter Gabriel from Music for "The Last Temptation of Christ" and in case you're thinking it was "Groundhog's Day" all over again, you are right: she wore the same costume and skated to the same music last season for her Short Program as well...








Free Program: This pink costume above is what she wore to her Free Skate to Music from the Amelie Poulain soundtrack by Yann Tiersen. It had a beaded bodice and sequined applique neckline and strap. I thought this was "Figure Skating Betty 101"--in other words, the Figure Skating version of a typical Beauty Pageant gown bought from a Prom-and-Pageant store; it was sweet but oh-so-typical.



Pairs:



Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford Canada, Free Skate: For their Bronze Medal-winning Free Skate to Music from the Alice in Wonderland soundtrack by Danny Elfman and "Everlasting" by Two Steps from Hell, Duhamel and Radford wore these purple costumes influenced by Alice and the Mad Hatter, I assume. To be honest, I thought these costumes looked cheap. Her bodice "boned" detail seemed as if it was glued on (I'm sure it was) and didn't evoke an expensive corset quality. But I had more issues with Eric's ill-fitting jacket; it was too tight and not tailored correctly.




Sui Wenjing and Han Cong China, Free Skate: For their Free Skate to "Kalinka" (Russian Folk Music), this Chinese Pair wore these great costumes. These were my favorites! First off, let's just make a note that it might not be coincidental that they chose a RUSSIAN FOLK SONG for their Free Skate, leading up to the SOCHI RUSSIA Winter Olympics. Besides this, these were very colorful, festive costumes that only enhanced their great skate. Everything about it wanted you to join them in, on all the Russian Folk Dance fun. Outstanding.




Paige Lawrence and Rudi Swiegers Canada, Free Skate: For their Free Skate to Music from the soundtrack of Oz - The Great and Powerful, they wore these costumes. I liked the bright color of her costume as well as the neckline beading. However, I thought they could have done so much more, knowing the film and the costumes.




Haven Denney and Brandon Frazier USA, Free Skate: These costumes, which the US Pairs team of Denney and Frazier wore to their Free Skate to Music from Notre-Dame de Paris by Riccardo Cocciante were perfect! I loved that they were completely complimentary to each other.  The sequin work looked exquisite and expensive. Very good Costume work!




Stefania Berton and Ondrej Hotarek Italy, Free Skate: Red and Black for a Free Skate to Music from the Dracula soundtrack by Philip Glass, naturally. There could have been a little more creativity in regards to the designs of these costumes but I forgive them, especially, since they got the Gold. Vampire. Blood. Figure Skating...Done and Done.



**Up Next: Skate Canada 2013 Costume Recap Part Two: The Men and Ice Dance!