Nick Verreos's Blog, page 13

FIDM.....BEHIND THE SCENES: Exclusive SOLSTISS Lace "Master Class" at FIDM--RECAP!

Lace Master Class--Co-Chairs of  FIDM Fashion Design David Paul (L) and Nick Verreos (R) with Solstiss USA President Francois Damide (Center)--FIDM Master Class in Lace, FIDM Los Angeles

Photo courtesy of Mark Jaress, FIDM


Last week, we had the honor and pleasure of having Francois Damide, President of Solstiss USA, visit our Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising/FIDM Los Angeles Campus and give an exclusive "Master Class" in Lace. As









The Solstiss Factor--Images from the Solstiss "Master Class" in Lace, FIDM Los Angeles

Lower Photos courtesy of Mark Jaress, FIDM


Mr. Damide of Solstiss approached us about having a special "Master Class" at FIDM to talk about Lace. Based in Caudry France and established in 1974, Solstiss creates some of the most beautiful and luxurious lace in the world with clients ranging from Alexander McQueen, Givenchy, Oscar de la Renta, Jason Wu and many more. Their gorgeous lace was used in Kate Middleton's Alexander McQueen wedding gown. Originally the same design of lace was worn by Grace Kelly in her wedding dress to marry Prince Rainier of Monaco in 1956.






Grace Kelly in Helen Rose-designed wedding gown, which was made of the same type of French lace created by Solstiss


The Master Class at FIDM:




FIDM Fashion Design Co-Chair Nick Verreos introducing Francois Damide, President of Solstiss USA to FIDM students at the Solstiss X FIDM Lace Master Class--FIDM Los Angeles
                                               Photo courtesy of Mark Jaress, FIDM



We invited FIDM students from the Advanced Fashion Design, Theatre Costume Design, B.A. in Design and Textile Design as well as several other departments to partake in the exclusive "Master Class"...










 Class Is In Session--Francois Damide, President of Solstiss USA, speaking to FIDM students and educators during the Solstiss X FIDM Lace Master Class--FIDM Los Angeles

Photos courtesy of Mark Jaress, FIDM











History of Lace--Francois Damide, President of Solstiss USA, during the Solstiss X FIDM Lace Master Class--FIDM Los Angeles

Photos courtesy of Mark Jaress, FIDM







Photo courtesy of Mark Jaress, FIDM


The Laces--Francois Damide brought many headers of Solstiss Lace to show the FIDM students...to let them touch, feel and admire...here are samples:










 Haute Lace--Lace samples from Solstiss--Master Class in Lace, FIDM Los Angeles 

 Photos courtesy of Mark Jaress, FIDM





FIDM students admiring the Solstiss Lace--Solstiss X FIDM Lace Master Class, FIDM Los Angeles

 Photo courtesy of Mark Jaress, FIDM





 Lace Discussion--Nick Verreos with students of the FIDM Advanced Study in Theatre Costume Design--Solstiss X FIDM Master Class in Lace--FIDM Los Angeles 

Photos courtesy of Mark Jaress, FIDM









Students and FIDM Instructor Dawn Marie Forsyth (lower photo) looking over the Solstiss Lace Look Books--Solstiss X FIDM Master Class in Lace--FIDM Los Angeles

Photos courtesy of Mark Jaress, FIDM





Many THANK YOU'S to Francois Damide and Solstiss for the wonderful and very informative "Master Class in Lace" at FIDM...looking forward to future partnerships and collaborations!

ICE STYLE.....Rostelecom Cup 2019 Grand Prix Russia COSTUMES RECAP: ICE DANCE & PAIRS!

Ice Dance and Pairs Costumes--Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier of Canada and Audrey Lu and Misha Mitrofanov of USA--2019 Rostelecom Cup, Moscow Russia


In my last post HERE on the COSTUMES of the 2019 Rostelecom Cup Grand Prix of Figure Skating, I blogged about the LADIES and MEN'S COSTUMES, so now it is time for the ICE DANCE and PAIRS...just like I said in my last post, I have already discussed many of these costumes in previous blogs about Skate America , Skate Canada International , Internationaux de France and Cup of China but I will still recap my thoughts here--along with several new costumes I haven't discussed yet. Let's start with ICE DANCE:







Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier Canada Rhythm Dance to Movies Were Movies, Look What Happened to Mabel, Entr'acte, Tap Your Troubles Away (from "Mack and Mabel") by Jerry Herman--For their Rhythm Dance, Gilles and Poirier of Canada paid tribute to the early years of Hollywood wearing these fun and impacting costumes. The bold tuxedo looks were very Radio City Rockettes and quite effective. I especially loved the silver sequined sleeves and fringed trim on Piper--and THAT FAB eyeliner! The bubblegum pink tuxedo stripe/panel on Paul was great in that it was vibrant and stage-effective but also elongated the line of his leg and Ice Dance movements.







Free Dance to Both Sides Now by Joni Mitchell--The music was somber, delicate, thoughtful...so glad the costumes were anything but. These were gorgeous golden-toned designs that stood out, showed exquisite mirror-sequin work, looked expensive and somehow, they complemented the un-sparkling music. These are high on my list of favorites for the season. 











Sara Hurtado and Kirill Khaliavin Spain Free Dance to Orobroy by David Pena Dorantes and Puerta del Sol by Manolo Carrasco, Ara Malikian--Sara's black dress was MUY BIEN featuring hints of the flamenco Sevillana volants (ruffles) and asymmetrical details that could have looked super-fab on a Madrid Fashion Week runway. I also loved Kirill's chiffon top, with the gathered ruffles, dolman sleeves and those great shirred suspenders. This was Spanish Flamenco Style thinking outside of the typical costume box, and I say: GRACIAS!







Allison Reed and Saulius Ambrulevicious Lithuania Free Dance to Churchyard, It Happened Quiet, and Soft Universe by Aurora--This was the first time seeing these costumes for me and I became an instant fan. I loved the blue-gray modern styles: The multi-dimensional panels on her dress creating great effect during the skate and it was nice to see glimpses of the grape colored sequin trim on her costume. I also thought his flowy top was super sexy and very much complimented hers. These costumes were chic and fashion-forward.







Now on to Pairs.....





Aleksandra Boikova and Dmitrii Kozlovskii Russia Short Program to My Way by Claude François, Jacques Revaux and Paul Anka performed by André Rieu--Boikova and Kozlovskii wore these costumes that featured a pink dress and top with multicolored sequin detail--with black pants for him. They were nice and very "Disney" Skating Costume-like. 







Free Skate to The Writing On The Wall (James Bond) performed by Sofia Karlberg--Vibing a sleek James Bond look, Boikova and Koslovskii wore these looks above. She wore a gray-blue sequined dress with nude illusion back. It was pretty and looked expensive. His, to me, was far more interesting: I liked the costume interpretation of a bedazzled tuxedo--sans the jacket--exposing a studded gun holster: He was giving you "Sequined James Bond" for sure!







Evgenia Tarasova and Vladimir Morozov Russia Free Skate to Te Amo (cover) by Umberto Tozzi--For their Free Skate, Tarasova and Morozov wore these costumes above. Hers was a stretch lace halter neckline look with light pink lining and criss-cross ties. Vladimir wore an ombre dyed shirt that matched her pink-ish hues. These were subtle and not costume-impacting but maybe that was the point. And just a note...these costumes were a Costume Change from...






Costumes worn at Skate Canada International 2019--above were the costumes that they wore at Skate Canada International, the last time they skated. Which ones do you like better?










Audrey Lu and Misha Mitrofanov USA Short Program to Skyfall (James Bond soundtrack) performed by Adele--I wanted to discuss these costumes worn by the US Pairs team of Lu and Mitrofanov since I have not discussed these and I really liked them! The black costumes featured silver crystal sequined accents and great graphic design detail. I loved her chic look which could easily be transformed into a fabulous evening gown for a Miss Universe contestant, and I also appreciated his outfit as well, particularly his top. These were excellent examples of male and female skating costumes that go together, compliment each other and look fashionable, all at the same time. 







Rebecca Ghilardi and Filippo Ambrosini Italy Short Program to Let’s Shut Up and Dance, Kiss the Sky by Jason Derulo and Women by Florida Georgia Line feat. Jason Derulo--This was another Pairs team that I haven't discussed in regards to the costumes so naturally, when I saw them and these looks, I had to say something. I thought these were "kooky", a bit 80's Retro and dare I say it, fun. They were so Eurovision tackylicious that I actually appreciated it!

ICE STYLE.....Rostelecom Cup 2019 Grand Prix Russia COSTUMES RECAP: LADIES & MEN!

Ladies and Men...of Russia--(L to R) Mariah Bell of the USA, Evgenia Medvedeva of Russia, Alexandra Trusova of Russia, Alexander Samarin of Russia and Shoma Uno of Japan--2019 Rpstelecom Cup, Moscow Russia




This past weekend was the 2019 Rostelecom Cup (Grand Prix Russia), the fifth event in the 2019-2020 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating...







The competition took place in the Megasport Sport Palace in Moscow Russia. I have discussed the COSTUMES in this season so far in all the other Grand Prix, including Skate America , Skate Canada International , Internationaux de France, Shiseido Cup of China . Most of the costumes I am highlighting below in this BLOG I have already talked about so I will just give a few words on each, but there is one new edition at the end in the Men's...so let's start with the LADIES:







Evgenia Medvedeva Russia Short Program to Exogenesis Symphony Part 3 by Muse--Evgenia wore this black and blue sequined jumpsuit for her Short Program. I thought it was very fashionable, directional and a lovely "new" look for her. I especially liked the different shades of blue and the flourish of chiffon volants around the sleeves and legs of the bodysuit.











Free Skate to The Chairman’s Waltz, Going to School, Sayuri’s Theme and Becoming A Geisha (from "Memoirs of a Geisha" soundtrack) by John Williams--For her Free Skate, Evgenia wore this. It was STUNNING! I loved everything about this costume. This was Skating Couture on another level! I loved the kimono-like silhouette, the white neckband, the gorgeous sequin applique, the extra-long sleeves and last but not least, the red Obi with gold waist-tie. I also especially liked the extra-long sleeves...And that deep-red lipstick: Wow. Just gorgeous. I bow down to whoever designed it and made it.









Satoko Miyahara Japan Free Skate to Hatikva: Theme from “Schindler’s List”/Prelude in C-Sharp Minor/Hatikva--For this Free Skate to "Schindler's List", I really liked this ombre gray costume with delicate beading. I especially liked the ruffles on her sleeve and wrist volant details. She looked like a sublimely beautiful water creature. The sequin crystals displayed on the shoulder, part of the top and sleeve, were quite beautiful in their placement. 







Mariah Bell USA Free Skate to Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen performed by K.D. Lang--For her Free Skate, I loved this beautiful costume which Mariah wore skating to KD Lang's "Hallelujah". The light lilac-based design featured GORGEOUS sequin work, solid vs. illusion paneling and pretty ombre dyeing effect at the hip area. It looked expensive and "Heaven"-like.





Alexandra Trusova Russia Short Program to Solveig's Song (from "Peer Gynt") by Edvard Grieg performed by Meav, In the Hall of the Mountain King (from "Peer Gynt") by Edvard Grieg--You can't tell in the photos above but the costume started out the light gray that is peaking from underneath...halfway through her program, she flipped the top of the costume down and did one of those on-the-spot "Costume Changes" that we have seen as of late in these Figure Skating Competitions to expose something different. The "new" costume became darker, more "mysterious". To be honest, I am not sure if I am a fan of either the first or the "costume change" evolution. It looks a little too "Witchy"/Bedazzled Betty Rubble.









Free Skate to Pray (High Valyrian) (from “Game of Thrones” soundtrack) by Matthew Bellamy, The Night King (from “Game of Thrones” soundtrack) by Ramin Djawadi--For her amazing QUAD-licious for "Game of Thrones" music, she wore this costume. I think she was trying to vibe Daenarys "Khaleesi" Mother of Dragon's Season 3 costume, with the blue color and gray-ish tights. I get it, it was a nice attempt but it still looked a bit "Junior"-like. She is only FIFTEEN!!! I am not a fan of the sheer "leggings" (the inseam and extra-long extension look awkward) but I give the costume designer points for trying to mimic the "striped" look in her costume to match the famous fur coat worn by the show's "Daenarys" character: 








Congrats to the Russia Ladies! (L to R) Evgenia Medvedeva and Alexandra Trusova--2019 Ropstelecom Cup Moscow Russia






And now, time to discuss the MEN:





Dmitri Aliev Russia Free Skate to The Sound of Silence performed by Disturbed--For his Free Skate, Dmitri went chic and sleek with this black outfit of a cowl draped shiny top and skin-tight black pants. I liked the neck drape and how well it all fit on his very skinny and fit body. It was a modern look that I appreciated.









Alexander Samarin Russia Free Skate to Good News by Apashe--Russian skater Alexander Samarin wore this look for his Free Skate to "Good News" by Apashe. The music is quite "Hipster-Cool" and his look involved a black top and pants with "slashed" front, flared sleeve hems and for some reason, a creepy imprint in the back. That print looked like...






Valak, the (very scary) Nun from "The Conjuring 2"...not sure why but there's that!








Shoma Uno Japan Short Program to Great Spirit by Armin van Buuren and Vini Vici feat. Hilight Tribe--Shoma wore this Hippy-esque tie-dye multicolored top with black pants. The top featured blue, violet and red colors and delicate sequin details. It reminded me of a psychedelic-looking sky during a "Burning Man" weekend...or Led Zepplin-like poster. 







Free Skate to Our Life (Finale) performed by Brock Hewitt, Dancing On My Own performed by Callum Scott and Your Last Kiss by Karl Hugo-- I liked this beautiful, and expensive-looking black-and-silver sequined top, to go with black pants. The crystals shimmered on the ice "stage" and framed him very well. 







Kazuki Tomono Japan Free Skate to Ascension/Nature Boy (from "Moulin Rouge") and El Tango de Roxanne (from "Moulin Rouge") performed by Ewan McGregor--Bringing in the black and red colors of "Moulin Rouge" into this costume was wise; I also liked the onesie/jumpsuit design and that it wasn't just a shirt and black pants (Thank You!). The fire-like ombre dye motif--along with the silver sequins--looked quite impressive and made for a nice costume.



**UP NEXT: The ICE DANCE and PAIRS COSTUMES RECAP of 2019 Rostelecom Cup!

SASHES AND TIARAS....Miss International 2019 Finals: Winner + My TOP 9 EVENING GOWNS

Thailand Winner--Miss Thailand International Sireethorn Leearamwat is the new Miss International (Center) with 1st Runner-up Miss Mexico International Andrea Toscano (L) and 2nd Runner-up Miss Uganda International Evelyn Namatovu Kironde--Miss International 2019 Finals, Tokyo Japan


Wednesday night was the Finals of the 59th Miss International beauty pageant, held in Tokyo Japan. Contestants from 83 countries and territories participated, making it a record for the international pageant...






Top Five--(L to R) 3rd Runner-up Miss Colombia International Alejandra Vengoachea, 1st Runner-up Miss Mexico International Andrea Toscano, Winner Miss Thailand International Sireethron Leearamwat, 2nd Runner-up Miss Uganda International Evelyn Namatovu Kironde, and 4th Runner-up Miss United Kingdom International Harriotte Lane--Miss International 2019 Finals, Tokyo Japan


The eventual winner was Thailand's representative, Sireethorn Leearamwat . Sireethron is 25 years old, stands 5' 9.5" (177 m) tall, holds a degree in Pharmacy and is a model. This is the first time Thailand has won the pageant in its 59 year history. 








Crowned--Miss International 2019 Sireethorn Leearamwat







Thai Beauty--Miss Thailand International Sireethron Leeramwat





Swim Pretty--Miss Thailand International 2019 Sireethorn Leearamwat during the Miss International 2019 Finals, Tokyo Japan





Golden Girl--Miss Thailand International 2019 Sireethron Leearamwat in her National Costume






Speaking of National Costumes...

I wrote about my TOP 20 Favorite National Costumes of Miss International 2019 HERE on my BLOG, but here is the eventual WINNER of the BEST National Costume (PS: It was one of my favorites!):






Miss Vietnam International Nguyen Tuong Sang--Simply gorgeous! The sequined applique work is extraordinary and I especially LOVED the gold dragon sleeves. Seriously: Gold Dragons! 


Now, time to discuss the EVENING GOWNS!!!




Top Eight Gown Show--The Top 8 Semi-finalists during the 2019 Miss International Finals, Tokyo Japan





Best in Gowns--(L to R) Miss Philippines International Bea Patricia Magtanong, Miss Thailand International Sireethorn Leeramwat, Miss Venezuela International Melissa Jimenez, Miss Mexico International Andrea Toscano and Mis Philippines International Bea Patricia Magtanong--Miss International 2019 Finals


Here is my List of Best Evening Gowns--from the Top Eight + Venezuela--at the 2019 Miss International. I'll begin with my NUMBER ONE PICK which also happened to take the prize in Best Gown, deservedly so:





1. Miss Venezuela International Melissa Jimenez--Melissa didn't make the Top 8 but was in the Top 15. Wearing this gorgeous red sequined gown from Venezuelan designer Douglas Tapia, she looked like Pageant Perfection. The minute I saw this gown, it was like a "Drop-the-Mic" moment. The gown featured red sequined applique on nude stiff netting, beautifully applied in an off-the-shoulder very fitted column dress design with a dramatic attached cape.  The dress was "nude" in that it was see-through but she did wear a nude leotard (like an Haute Spanx) that covered her torso. The design was impacting, looked very Haute Couture and fit her perfectly. 

My Score: 9.95











2. Miss Mexico International Andrea Toscano--Andrea wore this shimmering silver gown that made a very strong gown impression. The design featured stunning silver beaded and pearl sequin applique over a netting background; was fully covered in beads at the sweetheart necklined torso...and had these dramatic bell-shaped sleeves. It fit her beautifully and I liked that it was lined as opposed to fully see-through for a change.



My Score: 9.50



In my #3 spot is Miss Philippines International--She actually wore TWO gowns during the Finals, both very nice...





3. Miss Philippines International Bea Patricia Magtanong--The gown above was the first of the two gowns Bea Patricia "Patch" wore. She wore this one for the Evening Gown Presentation of all the contestants. It was a chartreuse colored gown from designer Ito Curata. The gown featured a strapless silk/wool fit-to-flare shape with hand-applied flower appliques and multi-layered tulle overskirt. I loved the color and the very expensive look of the silk/wool fabrication. I am usually not a fan of so much "extra" (as in the layered tulle overskirt and those flower appliques) but there was something regal about the whole look.

My Score: 9.25



In case you were wondering... 




She wore the same style gown but in a different color at the "Front Row Cares and the Universe Gives Back Charity Fashion Gala" earlier in the year in the Philippines.






Second Gown--Bea Patricia's second gown--worn later during the Finals--was this strapless ivory-colored mermaid-shaped gown featuring sequin leaf-like details, feathers, and cascading ruffles. It fit beautifully and was pretty Pageant Perfect especially when it comes to the Miss International organization. The styling of the dramatic bun and drop earrings just pretty much nailed the "Good Gown Job" performance.

My Score: 9.25











4. Miss Thailand International Sireethorn Leearamwat--At No. 4 was the gown worn by the eventual Miss International 2019 winner from Thailand. She wore this blush pink colored dress that featured a completely beaded dress over tulle/netting with feathers. The look was accessorized with armbands in blush-pink colored feathers. It was pretty and the sequin applique was exceptional. I just wasn't a fan of the arm feathers; they weren't necessary.

My Score: 9.00







5. Miss Vietnam International Nguyen Tuong San--This white sequined dress was pretty, simple and still got the job done. I loved the fit and wonderful peek-a-boo-shoulder halter-neckline over-piece.

My Score: 8.99





6. Miss United Kingdom International Harriotte Lane--The very tall (6 feet tall) Harriotte Lane looked even taller in this column-shaped baby blue gown. It featured a sequin overlay with baby blue satin lining, nude illusion top section and cascading silk satin back overskirt. It was pretty but a minute away from looking a bit too "figure skating costume".

My Score: 8.50







7. Miss Uganda International Evelyn Namatovu Kironde--Evelyn wore this pink sequined ballgown when she was named as part of the Top 8. With her 5' 11" tall model stature and perfect figure (she won the Best in Swimsuit at the 2019 Miss International Beauty Pageant), I would have not chosen this style of a gown for her but rather something more form-fitted and dramatic. This shape made her look a bit "Prom Girl"-like unfortunately.

My Score: 8.45



With that said, it wasn't bad, it just wasn't right for her. She should have just given high fashion Diva Fab like:




Elie Saab Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2019










8. Miss Colombia International Alejandra Vengoechea--Alejandra wore this silver beaded gown, designed by NY-based Colombian designer Julio Gonzalez , for the Final of the 2019 Miss International. It featured a heavily-beaded torso with crystal straps and asymmetrical front skirt detail. It was nice--and that beadwork was gorgeous!--but nothing really special or particularly high-fashion about it.

My Score: 8.40









9. Miss Indonesia International Jolene Marie Rotinsulu--Jolene Marie wore this white evening gown designed by Anaz Khairunnas of ANAZ , that has been adorned with a sprinkling of pearls and diamonds combined on the embroidered motifs in the shape of tree branches. It symbolizes the beauty of a weather phenomenon in Japan where snow still falls in spring and covers the beautiful petals of Sakura flowers, commonly known as YUKIZAKURA. I love the inspiration and it is obviously beautifully made but it just looked a bit too overwhelming on her. 

My Score: 8.35










CONGRATULATIONS to Miss Thailand International Sireethorn Leearamwat for winning the 2019 Miss International title!!!





...And Don't Forget about my "The Pageant Coloring Book" where you can create your VERY OWN Evening Gown Competition using my Fashion Illustrations! Click HERE to Purchase:

ICE STYLE.....2019 Cup of China FIGURE SKATING COSTUMES RECAP: ICE DANCE and PAIRS!

Ice Dance Skaters Wang Shiyue and Liu Xinyu of China; Victoria Sinitsinina and Nikita Katsalapov  of Russia during their Free Dance at Grand Prix of Figure Skating Cup of China 2019, Chongqing China





Pairs Figure Skaters Peng Cheng and Jin Yang; and Sui Wenjing and Han Cong of China--Grand Prix of Figure Skating Cup of China 2019, Chongqing China




In my last BLOG post HERE, I discussed the LADIES and MEN'S COSTUMES from 2019 Cup of China...now it is time to talk about some of the ICE DANCE and PAIRS...

Let's begin with ICE DANCE COSTUMES and the Americans, Madison Chock, and Evan Bates...






  Madison Chock and Evan Bates USA-Rhythm Dance







  Madison Chock and Evan Bates USA-Free Dance


I discussed these costumes from both their Rhythm Dance and Free Dance HERE, but I just loved these photos so I wanted to add them ;)...now that we got them out of the way, let's continue...









Valentina Sinitsina and Nikita Katsalopov Rhythm Dance--Skating their Rhythm Dance to Singin' In the Rain, this Russian Ice Dance pair wore these blue-themed costumes. I get the blue as a homage to the blue dress worn by Debbie Reynolds in the movie (above photo). I liked her lace and solid satin dress, as well as the variations on the color within their costumes and in addition, especially his vintage-style suit. While the fabric of his suit seemed a bit too stretch-Ponte cheap, I still got where they were going.







Free Dance to I Giorni by Ludovico Einaudi, Songs My Mother Taught Me by Antonin Dvorak--These were gorgeous costumes worn by Sinitsina and Katsalopov for their Free Dance. I loved the pink, deep purple color story. But I especially appreciated his unusual and directional top with interesting neck and shoulder detail; it was sexy and very high fashion. 






 Wang Shiyue and Liu Xinyu China--For their Free Dance to Nina's Dream (from "Black Swan" soundtrack) by Clint Mansell based on Swan Lake by P. I. Tchaikovski; Perfection (from "Black Swan" soundtrack) by Clint Mansell based on Swan Lake by P. I. Tchaikovski; and A Swan Is Born (from "Black Swan" soundtrack) by Clint Mansell based on Swan Lake by P. I. Tchaikovski, they wore these stunning costumes above. Hers featured a nude illusion top with silver/black sequin applique and a chiffon flowy dress. He was actually THE COSTUME STAR! I loved his black swan "wings" displayed proudly on his white knit jersey top. This was a perfect costumed ICE DANCE pairing.


Now, time to talk about the PAIRS:







Peng Cheng and Jing Yang China--For their Short Program to Alegria (from Cirque du Soleil), this Chinese pair wore these costumes. They did a nice job of meshing the "White" and "Black" "Alegria" costumes from the Cirque du Soleil show. I liked her blush-and-black lace sequin bustier and his very chic black crystal top. If this wasn't a "Cirque du Soleil" theme, they could have easily have worn this for a Madonna-based skate. For sure. 







Free Skate to Cloud Atlas (soundtrack)--I have discussed these costumes HERE for my Skate America 2019 BLOG. I liked them very much--hers especially reminded me of a skating costume version of an Elie Saab Haute Couture gown.











Sui Wenjing and Han Cong China Free Skate--For their Free Skate to Rain, In Your Black Eyes by Ezio Bossio, Sui and Han wore these costumes, which were very impressive. She wore a dark hunter green costume featuring a plunging neckline, nude illusion front panel and beautiful sequins across the torso reminiscent of a star-filled night sky. It was simple, elegant, and quite chic. I also liked his look which included a blue band-collar shirt, black pants, and wonderful across-the-chest sequined "straps" that looked like "holsters". It made his ensemble look modern, stylish and tied himself in with her sequined costume. 



**STAY TUNED HERE to my BLOG to more COSTUME RECAPS of this season's ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating

ICE STYLE.....2019 Cup of China FIGURE SKATING COSTUMES RECAP: LADIES & MEN!

Cup of China Costumes--(L to R) Anna Shcherbalova of Russia, Satoko Miyahara of Japan, Elizaveta Tuktamysheva of Russia and Boyang Jin of China--2019 ISU Grand Prix Cup of China Figure Skating




This past weekend was the fourth in a series of competition events for the 2019-2020 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating: The 2019 Grand Prix Cup of China. I have been covering the costumes of this 2019-2010 season here on my ICE STYLE blog so now it is time to discuss these. Let's start with the LADIES and MEN of Cup of China 2019...first it's THE LADIES:







Satoko Miyahara Japan Short Program--Skating her Short Program to Yalla, Tabla & Percussion Solo - Egyptian Disco (Buddha Bar edit) by Zwirek, Bashir Abdel Aal, David Visan Wearing this costume, Satoko looked chic, mature and dare I say, kind of sexy! She wore this all-black jumpsuit featuring gorgeous sequin beading, nude illusion, a stunning red, gold, and black statement-making necklace...Satoko was vibing an Egyptian Queen of sorts and I think she did it! I especially loved the sculpted eyeliner; very Cleopatra Chic.













Free Skate to Theme of Schindler's List by John Williams, Prelude in C sharp minor by Sergei Rachmaninov, Hativka (Interlude)--For this Free Skate to "Schindler's List", I really liked this ombre gray costume with delicate beading. I especially liked the ruffles on her sleeve and wrist volant details. She looked like a sublimely beautiful water creature. The sequin crystals displayed on the shoulder, part of the top and sleeve, were quite beautiful in their placement.  







You Young South Korea Free Skate--For her Free Skate to You Must Love Me (from "Evita") by Andrew Lloyd Webber, Tim Rice, performed by Madonna; Buenos Aires (from "Evita") by Andrew Lloyd Webber, Tim Rice, performed by Madonna and Don't Cry For Me, Argentina (from "Evita") by Andrew Lloyd Webber, Tim Rice, performed by Madonna You wore this beautiful blue sequined costume. This was a gorgeous design, especially in the crystal sequined detail going heavy-to-light from the neck down. I also loved the shoulder/arm sequins...





I am guessing (I am very much-reaching here) the inspiration was possibly Evita Peron's blue gown (top photo) with a little bit of Madonna's "Evita", but I still am a little unsure about how truly "Evita" this look was, to be honest. Let me sum up: I liked this costume...not sure how "Evita" it was.  

  





Elizaveta Tutktamysheva Russia Free Skate--For her Free Skate to You Don't Love Me by Caro Emerald; Petite Fleur by The Hot Sardines and Cat Groove by Parov Stelar, Elizaveta wore this black and gold sequined costume. I liked the design and sequined applique. The neckline detail was gorgeous and I also liked the dangling strips forming the "skirt". 













Anna Shcherbakova Russia Short Program--For her Short Program to The Girl with the Plums (from “The Perfume” soundtrack); Meeting Laura (from “The Perfume” soundtrack); Laura's Murder (from “The Perfume” soundtrack), Anna wore this costume. I liked the aquatic-like nature of the front detail, especially, with the mixture of sequins, sheer ruffles, and gray, blue colors. I also loved the back details, especially those red "petals". This was a pretty costume for sure.













Free Skate to Six Gnossiennes: Gnossienne No.1 by Eric Satie, performed by Roland Pontinen

The Firebird by Igor Stravinski--Love this costume--I discussed it HERE in my Skate America 2019 BLOG -- and especially the halfway-through-the-skate costume change: From pretty blue to vibrant fiery "Firebird" red. 










Congrats to the LADIES Cup of China 2019 Medalists!!


And now, time for the MEN:





Matteo Rizzo Italy Free Skate--Matteo skated his Free Skate to Galicia Flamenca by Gino D'Auri. He was very Flamenco Hot with this costume featuring a maroon red ruffled shirt, super fitted black vest, and super-tight black pants. I liked it all. I especially liked the ruffled shirt and sequined vest. Matteo looked like a sexy/hot dancer at a Madrid flamenco dinner show.





Yan Han China Short Program--For his Short Program to A Thousand Years by Christina Perri, Yan Han wore this white shirt and black pants. On a quick glance, it might have seemed like a "costume yawn" but it was slightly interesting. The shirt had interesting draping at the front top section, adding interest. And on a good note, the black pants did not have that tacky "Ross Dress For Less" belt all these men love to wear. So...for me, it was good. 











Free Skate to La La Land (soundtrack) by Justin Hurwitz--For his Free Skate to "La La Land", Yan Han wore a look inspired by Ryan Gosling's character in the movie. It was relaxed/retro and jazz-adjacent. He wore a navy blue shirt, untucked, with black pants. I get the look but I just wished there was some "figure skating stage" factor...like maybe one or two sequins??? Somewhere? Anywhere? 







Boyang Jin China Short Program--For his Short Program to First Light by Spencer Johnes, Rob Gardner, Boyang Jin wore this ombre dyed ivory/cream draped shirt and purple pants. I liked the combination and loved the draped detail of his top. 











Free Skate to The Path of Silence, Yellow Moon--Boyang Jin skated his Free Skate wearing a sequined feather-like navy colored top with midnight blue-colored pants. I thought this was a beautiful top especially in the applique details showing tie-dye-looking leaf-like and tree limb designs...and the sequins looked like a night sky for sure. This was a nice costume.





**UP NEXT: The ICE DANCE and PAIRS COSTUMES RECAP from the 2019 Cup of China!

ICE STYLE.....Internationaux de France 2019 SKATING COSTUMES RECAP: ICE DANCE & PAIRS!

Pharaohs, Flashdance, Russian Red--Costumes from Ice Dance and Pairs skaters at the 2019 Internationaux de France (L to R) Madison Chock and Even Bates of USA, Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron of France, and Anastasia Mishina and Aleksandr Galliamov of Russia


Wrapping up my Costumes Recap for the 2019 Internationaux de France/Grand Prix of France, I discussed the LADIES and MEN Costumes HERE, so now it is time for my ICE DANCE and PAIRS RECAP.



Let's begin with ICE DANCE:







Madison Chock and Evan Bates USA Rhythm Dance--For their Rhythm Dance to Too Darn Hot by Cole Porter (original cast recording), Chock and Bates wore these costumes bringing vivid memories of Hollywood icon Ann Miller in "Kiss Me Kate", especially in Madison's fuchsia pink fringed design. I thought it was fun, flashy and an obvious homage to Walter Plunkett's costumes for the 1953 film. I also liked how they tied in the pink in Madison's costume in the pocket hankie in Evan's tuxedo. 







Free Dance to Egyptian Snake Dance: Yearning by Raul Ferrando, Sahara Nights by DJ Quincy Ortiz and Layali Al Sharq performed by Al-Ahram Orchestra--I absolutely LOVED these outstanding costumes that Chock and Bates wore for their "Egyptian Snake Dance". She looked like a high fashion Cleopatra while Evan vibed a very sexy Pharoah/Mummy. These were fashionable looks that took what could have been cheesy Halloween costumes to a much more elevated and fab level. And speaking of fab... 






Snake Charmer Chic--Madison Chock's runway-worthy hairstyle






Charlene Guignard and Marco Fabbri Italy Rhythm Dance--For their Rhythm Dance to Blues: AJ's Blues (from "Paramour" - Cirque du Soleil) by Guy Dubuc, Marc Lessard; Quickstep: Reel Love AJ's Blues (from "Paramour" - Cirque du Soleil) by Guy Dubuc, Marc Lessard, the Italian Ice Dance team of Guignard and Fabbri wore these classic "Ballroom Dancing"-like designs. Marco wore a white-with-black piping-and-buttons shirt and black pants with sequined suspenders. The ensemble fit him like second-skin and worked well for the dance. Charlene looked ever-so-pretty in this blue dress with rhinestone details. I thought she looked elegant and Art Deco-chic.







Free Dance to Space Oddity by Amanda Palmer Jherez Bischoff, Life on Mars? by Lukas Nelson and Promise of the Real--I just LOVED these costumes worn by Italians Guignard and Fabbri for their Free Dance. The "Cosmic Chic" looks were sublime, fashion-forward and on-point with the music. Fabbri's black look included the requisite black pants (with that hateful black belt that I will disregard), and a great mock-neck stretch top with a sequined-and-sheer sleeve. He looked sleek. Charlene was like a Space Odyssey-Paco Rabanne-Courreges Fashion Diva in this ivory look featuring beautiful, sequined spider web-like detail and a slit-front mini skirt. The silver belt and exaggerated eye makeup made it a Costume Home Run for me!









Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizero France Rhythm Dance--Take a big guess what Papadakis and Cizeron skated to for their Rhythm Dance. If you guessed Olivia Newton-John's "Physical"? Nope. But if you guessed "Flashdance"? You get a prize! Yes, this incredible duo skated to Disco: I Can Do Anything Better Than You Can by S. Linzer & D. Wolfert (arrang. by Maxime Rodriguez) from "Fame" by Michael Gore, Dean Pitchsord; Blues: Fame by Michael Gore, Dean Pitchsford (arranged by Maxime Rodriguez and Ludivine Amado); Disco: Fame by Michael Gore, Dean Pitchsford, performed by Irene Cara and it was EVERYTHING!!! Only this fab French Ice Dance pair can pull off 80's leotards, headbands and legwarmers in such a flawless manner that no one, absolutely NO ONE, batted an eyelash! It was fab cheesy, disco-licious and Retro Chic, all at the same time. Oh, and their Rhythm Dance left me in a jazzercise sweat: J'adore!



And just for fun...




An 80's Lycra Jazzercize Ad










Free Dance to Danny and Suspects by Olafur Arnalds and Find Me by Forest Black--Skating to the gorgeous music from the British TV drama "Broadchurch" and a spoken word poem, Papadakis and Cizeron took Ice Dance to yet even more heightened level. Their simple, modern dance-like costumes mirrored the music and choreography beautifully and seamlessly; the sheer vs. solid all-black looks were directional and almost became invisible within their incredible skating.



PAIRS: One Pairs duo to talk about...









Anastasia Mishina and Aleksandr Galliamov Russia Free Skate--This Russian Pairs duo debuted their senior Grand Prix at the 2019 Internationaux de France and wore these great costumes for their Free Skate to The Master and Margarita (soundtrack) by Igor Kornelyuk. While this is a repeat of the music they skated to their Free Skate last season (2018-2019) during their final Junior season (the music is from a Russian TV miniseries ) they at least changed their costumes...








Here is what they wore at the World Junior Figure Skating Championships in March 2019 (above photo)   




Similar silhouettes and designs, different colorways...I like the change. The costumes were vibrant, effective and stepped-up (design-wise) now that they are on the Senior competition circuit. 




**That's it for Grand Prix of France 2019....stay tuned for more FAB Figure Skating Costumes here on my ICE STYLE BLOG!

ICE STYLE.....Internationaux de France 2019 SKATING COSTUMES RECAP: LADIES & MEN!

Ladies and Gentlemen--(L to R) Alena Kostornaia of Russia, Alena Kostornaia of Russia, Alina Zagitova of Russia and Shoma Uno of Japan--2019 Internationaux de France Grand Prix of Figure Skating


The third competition event in the 2019-2020 Grand Prix of Figure Skating series--the 2019 Internationaux de France--took place this past weekend in Grenoble, France. Also known as Grand Prix of France, it showcased the Men's and Ladies Singles, Ice Dance and Pairs disciplines at the foot of the French Alps. I have already blogged about the costumes at Skate America HERE and Skate Canada International HERE so now it is time for the Internationaux de France costumes I have not talked about...



Starting with the two triple axel Queen and Gold Medal Winner from Russia: 







Alena Kostornaia Short Program--Skating her Short Program to Departure (Lullaby) from "The Leftovers" (soundtrack) by Max Richter and November by Max Richter, Alena wore this white costume (in keeping with the white looks seeing in the HBO show) featuring subtle blue tie-dyeing, dark blue/gray accents on the sides and back and delicate beading (it's Figure Skating, after all). I thought the dye detail formed quite a nice design on the torso of the costume, almost giving a sea creature-like effect.











Free Skate to The Meadow (from "New Moon" soundtrack) by Alexandre Desplat, Eyes on Fire (from "Twilight" soundtrack) by Blue Foundation and Supermassive Black Hole by Muse--For her outstanding Free Skate, Alena wore a costume featuring a purple base, sweetheart neckline, black accents, silver rhinestones and red blood-like sequin accents. I liked the not-so-subtle homage to the "Twilight" movies' vampire theme and the subtle details such as those gloves; she looked pretty yet slightly deadly.









Mariah Bell USA Short Program--For Mariah's Short program this season, she skated to Radar by Britney Spears and Work Bitch by Britney Spears, and as a Britney fan, I was happy! Her skate was choreographed by Adam Rippon and her black costume was designed by Figure Skating Costume go-to-designer, Lisa McKinnon. I thought this black mock-halter-neck and open-back costume featuring black jeweled sequins was sexy, stage-worthy and yes, very Britney.





Free Skate to Hallelujah by KD Lang--For her Free Skate, I loved this beautiful costume which Mariah skated to KD Lang's "Hallelujah". The light lilac-based design featured GORGEOUS sequin work, solid vs. illusion paneling and pretty ombre dyeing effect at the hip area. It looked expensive and "Heaven"-like. 





Starr Andrews USA Short Program--Another Lisa McKinnon design was worn by American skater Starr Andrews for her Short Program to You Lost Me by Christina Aguilera. This design featured a silver-light gray color base with skin-color illusion and beautiful pearl-and-bead work. I loved the criss-cross draped banding across the body as well as a slightly asymmetrical slit-front skirt. It was sexy, impressive and worked well against Starr's skin.







Wakaba Higuchi Japan Free Skate--For Higuchi's flamenco-inspired Free Skate to Poeta by Vincente Amigo, I was happy to not see a very traditional--and overtly--Flamenco-looking design; this was a bit more elevated and thoughtful. The references were there (the flutter sleeves, the hints of Spanish red), but it was nice to see the unexpected deep violet coloring and see what looked like thorns as opposed to those traditional red roses.







Yuna Shiraiwa Japan Short Program--Skating to Concertino Bianco for Piano by Georg Pelecis, Shiraiwa wore this heavily-beaded gold-and-silver sequined costume with a white petal-shaped skirt. The costume was pretty impressive and all that bead-work is very expensive and made quite a costume impact. 





Free Skate to To Warm the World-Gerstein's Theme by Armand Amar, The Bishop's Complaint/The Train II by Armand Amar and The Train III by Armand Amar--For some background on this beautifully dark costume, the music is from a 2002 film that examines alleged links between the Vatican and Nazi Germany (yeah, you read right). I thought that the ombre shading was quite nice but I was a bit on the fence with the macabre details: The shredded raw edges of the shirt in combination with the dripping blood effect was a bit disconcerting. If I didn't know what she was skating about (and the background of the film), I would have been a bit more "Ummm, this looks really odd!), but since I did know, it somewhat worked. 





Alina Zagitova Short Program--Skating to Me Voy by Yasmin Levy, Russia's Olympian Alina Zagitova was vibing the Spanish flamenco theme with this black lace and sequined costume. I wasn't overly moved by this look; to be honest, it seemed a bit "old" for her. All that lace and darkness reminded me of the black lace Mantillas the widows wear to their husband's funerals. 











Free Skate to The Feeling Begins by Peter Gabriel, Lawrence Of Arabia by Maurice Jarre and Ramses by Khatir Hicham--With a Middle East-themed soundtrack ranging from "the Last Temptation of Christ" to "Lawrence of Arabia" to Egypt, we arrive at this fabulous costume worn by Zagitova. After a rather dull Short Program design, I was very happy to see this for sure! I loved the one-shoulder black-draped design with sequined nude illusion and in particular, the turquoise jeweled "Cleopatra"-like wings at the bust. Oh, and then those incredible details like the necklace, shoulder epaulets, snake wrist accents, and gold paillettes used as eye make up...








Alina vibed her best Elizabeth Taylor/Katy Perry Cleopatra Diva (photos above)


And now, time to discuss...THE MEN:



Shoma Uno Japan Short Program--Skating to Great Spirit by Armin van Buuren and Vini Vici feat. Hilight Tribe, Shoma wore this Hippy-esque Tie-dye (tie-dye is FOR SURE a Figure Skating Costume Trend for the 2019-2020 season!) multicolored top with black pants. The top featured blue, violet and red colors and exquisite sequin details. It was nice and delicately interesting, reminding me of a psychedelic-looking sky during a "Burning Man" weekend (I have never been so I am just assuming here!). 









Free Skate to Our Life (Finale) performed by Brock Hewitt, Dancing On My Own performed by Callum Scott, Your Last Kiss by Karl Hugo--I am guessing that Shoma might have just worn the same pants he wore for his Short Program and just changed his top. I liked this beautiful, and expensive-looking black-and-silver sequined top. It was just such a shame that his skating wasn't as elevated as this costume.







Tomoki Hiwatashi USA Short Program--Fun, vibrant and colorful, was the look of Tomoki's costume (or at least his shirt) for his Short Program to Love Runs Out by OneRepublic. It was hippy-dippy psychedelic and fresh. And yeah: How the heck can he do that split...on ice skates!!!!!









Free Skate to Petrushka by Igor Stravinsky--I loved this costume, inspired by the famous Stravinski ballet. Tomoki was definitely "Petruskha" in this creative, colorful design. I loved the asymmetry of the ruffle in the front neckline/torso, the ombre-dyed diamonds, uneven edges of the top and black strappy sequined accents. It takes a certain kind of figure skater to pull this look off and I think Tomoki did!  





Kevin Aymoz France Short Program--Yes kids, this French boy skated to The Question Of U by Prince, as seen from the purple sequined and Lycra top underneath. Oh, and he also wore black pants with a black belt. I have to say there are more creative ways of honoring Prince than this so I wasn't a fan. He looked like he went to a Cruise and found out he was doing a Prince sing-a-long and then bought this at the ship's souvenir shop.







Free Skate to Lighthouse by Patrick Watson--I was very happy for Kevin to have done so well, especially in his home country of France, but this "costume" (I put in quotes for a reason) was also a miss. He wore a black shirt with random rhinestones and what looked like the same belt and pants from his Short Program. Here is the short version: No. 







Alexander Samarin Russia Short Program--For his Short Program to Blues for Klook by Eddy Louiss, Samarin wore this indigo-blue colored solid/sheer shirt and matching dark blue pants. It matched the "Blues" inspiration of his music for sure and he did look like a band member of a cool blues band. While it wasn't making any real fab costume waves, it was OK.





Free Skate to Good News by Apashe--Lastly, Russian skater Alexander Samarin wore this look for his Free Skate. The music is quite "Hipster-Cool" and his look involved a black top and pants with "slashed" front, flared sleeve hems and creepy imprint in the back. His shirt looked as if it was inspired by a horror movie and it was both creepy yet impacting.



**NEXT UP: ICE DANCE and PAIRS COSTUMES RECAP of the 2019 Internatiuonaux de France !! 

SASHES AND TIARAS.....Miss International 2019 NATIONAL COSTUMES: MY TOP 20 BEST!

International Costumes--National Costumes from Miss International 2019 contestants (L to R) Miss Bolivia Valentina Perez Medina, Miss Honduras Ariana Bustillo, Miss Malaysia Charmaine Chew, Miss Australia Monique Shippen


The Finals of the 59th Miss International are taking place in Tokyo Japan with 83 contestants from all over the world competing for the coveted international beauty title. The Finals are coming up on November 12th and pre-pageant events have been occurring including the National Costume Presentation. After seeing the costumes, here are my TOP 20 favorites:







1. Miss Australia International Monique Shippen--Australia's Great Barrier Reef served as the inspiration for Monique's gorgeous National Costume. The design featured a fitted mermaid shaped gown in satin, tulle, and unique appliques, giving the look of a fantasy sea goddess rising triumphantly from the coral reefs. It was designed by Filipino fashion designer Jay-r Gamboa Flores and is my favorite of the Miss International 2019 National Costumes.







2. Miss Malaysia International Charmaine Chew--Inspired by the Malay Sarawak Tribe, this costume fuses the striking colors and unique embroidery of the Sarawak of Malaysia, utilizing multicolored scroll-like sequined trim, feathers, yellow beads, on a beautifully-fitted black fit-and-flare gown. The design was striking, fashionable, and honored a part of the country's culture.





3. Miss Bolivia International Valentina Perez Medina--Valentina's National Costume is inspired by the Bolivian flag as well as the "Diablada" or She-Devil, which represents the fight between Good vs. Evil. Designed by Monica Siles, it features hand-embroidered details, colorful applique and iridescent organza fabric featuring the Bolivian flag colors.





4. Miss Panama International Betzaida Rodriguez-- Betzaida's costume is titled "The Dirty Devil" (yes, another Devil!) and was designed/created by Aristides Carrasco. The design featured gorgeous rooster feathers, gold, silver, and black jeweled sequins, a super-fitted bodysuit and fabulous headdress, showcasing this "Devilish" Pre-Columbian Indigenous Queen.





5. Miss Ecuador International Alegria Tobar Cordovez--Alegria's costume--designed by Manolo Loo--was said to be inspired by the artisanal work of Ecuador mixed in with Pre-Columbian Inca. I especially loved how seamlessly the costume mixed that Inca Empress headdress with traditional local items, such as the dolls, straw hats, and golden straw trim.







6. Miss Honduras International Ariana Bustillo--This was a fabulous Pre-Columbian-themed costume, showcasing vibrant canary yellow feathers, golden sequin trim and Native American Warrior Queen inspirations. The round "wing" in the back was pretty impressive, to say the least.





7. Miss Vietnam International Nguyen Tuong San--Showing the traditional Ao Dai in a more High Fashion "Fantasy" manner, the Vietnamese entrant looked regal-like and above-it-all. The costume featured a gold jacquard base fabric in a column dress with an extra-long train. The costume had very intricate embroidery and sequin work, especially on the shoulders. The colors of the Vietnamese flag were featured on the Mandarin collar and sleeve hems. The spiked "halo" crown headdress and fan finished it all off.





8. Miss Sri Lanka International Pawani Vithanage--This costume, worn by Miss International Sri Lanka was a stand-out with its golden headdress, wings, and intricate top. In addition, it featured black-and-gold trimmed split-front "Harem" pants.







9. Miss Indonesia International Jolene Marie Rotinsulu--This costume is entitled "The Legend of Dewi Rengganis" and tells the story of King Brawijaya's daughter, who is one of the kings of the Majapahit Kingdom, Dewi Rengganis. According to their belief, the goddess Rengganis has a beautiful face. Her extraordinary beauty made the princes and kings of Java want to marry her. Dewi Rengganis is believed to be the ruler in the Argopuro region. It was designed by Diana Couture by Diana M. Putri. I loved the entire design--from the emerald green bustier-bodysuit, golden split-front skirt and that gold winged headdress. And yes, I also loved those calf-grazing nude sequined platform boots!







10. Miss Belize International Selena Marias Urias--Following the trend of the Pre-Columbian costumes, the Belize contestant wore this dark navy blue skirt and top with gold trim and super-impressive feathered headdress featuring silver and green sequin details. This was a very nice design and impressive costume effort worthy of a Top Ten!







11. Miss Italy International Francesca Giordano--I loved the way this costume paid homage to the iconic Italian flag with a design that featured sparkly netting in green, white and red in a column dress with shoulder and hip flourishes. This design somehow did a great job of being fashionable and "National Costume" appropriate.







12. Miss Cote D'Ivoire Tara Gueye--Inspired by the Yacouba dancers from the West of the Ivory Coast (Cote D'Ivoire), this costume featured black-and-white striped top and skirt, shell detail and headdress and white chiffon cape. I really liked this chic and yet, still somewhat traditional design.







13. Miss China International Ten Yun-Xuan--For her "National Costume", China's representative wore this gorgeous violet-colored strapless gown. It was pretty stunning. I loved the shite applique details which showcased a dragon motif in the front and beautiful scroll-like details. This was a gown version of those iconic Ming Dynasty vases. It was a nice way of showing style and fashion and yet, still giving homage to the Chinese culture.







14. Miss Nicaragua International Maria Gabriella Saballos--Gabriella's costume is a tribute to all women of Nicaragua entitled "Nicaraguan Women: History, Inspiration, and Beautiful", in this elaborate pink-based sequined costume featuring a crop-top, mermaid-shaped skirt, and exuberant headdress. In addition, there were Pre-Columbian Native American images on the exaggerated sleeves. Muy Bien! 







15. Miss Venezuela International Melissa Jimenez--Inspired by the Wayuu tribe's Princess Wajayura, from the Guajira indigenous tribe. Designed by Julio Mora, it is supposed to be a "modern abstract" version of this Guajira queen. I love the angelic inspiration, the beautiful gold and silver sequin torso detail and that golden halo crown. Pretty chic and stunning at the same time.





16. Miss United Kingdom International Harriotte Lane--Harriotte's national costume, designed by Kathryn Russell, represents the queen of birds in the United Kingdom, the Mute Swan. Queen Elizabeth II owns and protects all of them. The design is supposed to celebrate people's differences and support those with the greatest of dreams and help them achieve them. As Harriotte feels like she herself is a swan, she wanted to wear this as her Miss International National Costume.





17. Miss India International Simrithi Haresh Bathija--The national costume of Miss India International is inspired by "The Incredible India" and designed by Neha Kumar. Incredible India is the name of an international tourism complex that is designed by the Government of India to project various aspects of Indian culture as an attractive tourist destination of India. The name of the dress is Lehenga Choli, which depicts the national flag and culture of India, the scene behind the dress is known as Kathakali which is a classical dance in India, as well as the upper part of the national dress, is known as the lotus which is the national flower of India. The Bengal tiger is the hand prop of the symbol of the national animal of India. The headgear is known as Mattha Patta and Gajra and the name of the jewelry is Rani Haar(neckpiece). The overall look is impressive and very-well done.







18. Miss Canada International Megha Sandhu--Maple Leaf Fabulousness is the theme here as seen in Megha's golden sequined jumpsuit with maple leaf "wings" and shoe accents. The costume is pretty sexy and striking a definite Canadian inspiration, worthy of being here in my Top 20.





19. Miss Brazil International Carolina Stankevicius Cruz--What a shocker a Brazilian representative would don a futbol/soccer-inspired look for their Miss Brazil National Costume. The yellow/green and blue of the Brazil flag are featured prominently. I kind of love how the sequined blue "world" of the Brazilian flag was done as hot pants (shorts), and the yellow and green flag "wings" were on Brazilan Botox as in their exaggerated sizes! Only thing: I wish she would have worn some fab sneakers/kicks as opposed to those tacky looking black heels.





20. Miss Belarus International Maria Perviy--In a fun and original costume representing a mixture of a Belarusian tourist highlighting her National Flower of Flax or cornflower, shown in the bright blue flower applique on this stylish dress. Included in the costume is a postcard, fabulous bag and Japanese Geta, or wooden clogs. And finishing up the styling, a bold hat featuring the white storks Belarus is also famous for.

ICE STYLE.....Skate Canada International 2019 COSTUMES RECAP: ICE DANCE and PAIRS!

  Glittering Dance--Paul Poirier and Piper Gilles of Canada, during their Free Dance--Skate Canada International 2019, Kelowna British Columbia Canada 


Wrapping up my 2019 Skate Canada International COSTUMES RECAP, it's time to discuss some of the fun ICE DANCE and PAIRS COSTUMES! If you missed my RECAP for the LADIES and MEN, click HERE!



Let's start with one of my NEW FAVORITE Ice Dancing Pairs, Great Britain's Fear and Gibson:







Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson Great Britain Rhythm Dance--For their Rhythm Dance to Swing: Shake Your Tail Feather (from "The Blues Brothers"); Quickstep: Everybody Needs Somebody to Love (from "The Blues Brothers"); Swing/Jive: Soul Man (from "The Blues Brothers"), this fun UK Ice Dance couple paid proper homage to the music with this black-and-white looks. They featured skin-tight tuxedo looks with white tops and sequined ties; they were the Ice Dance Fabulous version of those iconic "Blues Brothers" suits. 







Free Dance to Vogue by Madonna, Shep Pettibone and Like A Prayer by Madonna, Patrick Leonard--OK, when they came out and the music started....well, they had me at "Hello!!!", or should I say "Vogue!". Their Free Dance to Madonna was AMAZING, fun...and fresh! I also thought their costumes were great! They wore black costumes featuring decadent and Rococo Dolce & Gabbana-like gold embroidery. The sequined applique was all over her bustier (of course a bustier!) and entire costume...and on Lewis, it was prominently displayed on the back of his skin-tight shirt. They both looked like dancers in a Madonna concert which means THEY NAILED IT!







I'm thinking the costumes might have been inspired by a combination of...




 Madonna at the Met Gala 2018




 and



"Madame X" Madonna performing at Eurovision 2019






Sara Hurtado and Kirill Khaliavin Spain Rhythm Dance--Spain's Hurtado and Khaliavin skated their Rhythm Dance to Foxtrot: Hello Dolly performed by Barbra Streisand; Quickstep: Hello Dolly performed by Frank Sinatra. Kirill wore a beautiful black mini-pleated tuxedo shirt with black cummerbund and pants; elegant and spiffy. Sara wore a gold sequined lame costume with an open back and black ties. I liked the modern draped style and slight homage to the iconic gold sequined gown wore by Barbra Streisand in "Hello Dolly". Part of me, though, wished there was a bit more costume razzle-dazzle. 







Free Dance to Orobroy by David Pena Dorantes and Puerta del Sol by Manolo Carrasco, Ara Malikian--I wish I could have found clearer photos of Hurtado's very directional High Fashion Flamenco design that she wore here for her Free Dance...but this was it, kids. So you have to just trust me that her black dress was MUY BIEN! It featured hints of the flamenco Sevillana volants (ruffles) and asymmetrical details that could have looked super-fab on a Madrid Fashion Week runway. Oh, and Kirill looked hot too!













Marjorie Lajoie and Zachary Lagha Canada Free Dance--For their Free Dance to Bohemian Rhapsody by Freddie Mercury performed by Queen, they wore these great costumes above. Notice the slight but definite tribute to Mercury's "Bohemian Rhapsody" look from the concert photo above in the striped trim down the sides/outseam of the pants. In addition, notice the Moto-Jacket inspiration in Zachary's costume and the costume from the film in the above photo (from the FIDM Museum Exhibition earlier this year). I also liked her strawberry-red dress as a nice bookend to his. Well done overall.









Paul Poirier and Piper Gilles Canada Rhythm Dance--For their Rhythm Dance, Gilles and Poirier of Canada paid tribute to the early years of Hollywood, skating to March: Movies Were Movies (from "Mack and Mabel") by Jerry Herman; Foxtrot: Look What Happened to Mabel (from "Mack and Mabel") by Jerry Herman; Quickstep: Entr'acte, Tap Your Troubles Away (from "Mack and Mabel") by Jerry Herman. I loved the very impacting costumes, ready for the stage (or ice!); the old-school costume-y tuxedos were so Radio City Rockettes, they were perfect. I loved the silver, bubblegum pink, her sequined sleeves and especially the fringe.





Free Dance to Both Sides Now by Joni Mitchell--The music was somber, delicate, thoughtful...so glad the costumes were anything but. These were gorgeous golden-toned designs that stood out, showed exquisite mirror-sequin work, looked expensive and somehow, they complemented the un-sparkling music. These are high on my list of favorites already, for the season. 





PAIRS COSTUMES:



Aleksandra Boikova and Dmitrii Kozlovskii Russia Short Program--Skating their Short program to My Way performed by Frank Sinatra, Boikova and Kozlovskii of Russia wore these costumes. They featured a pink dress and top for Aleksandra and Dmitrii, with multicolored sequin detail with black pants for him. They were nice but not extraordinary. 





Free Skate to The Writing On The Wall (James Bond) performed by Sofia Karlberg--Vibing a sleek James Bond look, Boikova and Koslovskii wore these looks above. She wore a gray-blue sequined dress with nude illusion back. It was pretty and very Cocktail Dress 101. His, to me, was far more interesting: I liked the costume interpretation of a bedazzled tuxedo--sans the jacket--exposing a studded gun holster. He was giving you Sequined "James Bond" for sure







Evgenia Tarasova and Vladimir Morozov Russia Free Skate--For their Free Skate to Te Amo (cover) by Umberto Tozzi, Russians Tarasova and Morozov wore these costumes above. He wore the requisite (and boring) black pants with a very pretty blue top featuring layered raw-edge front neck panels. It was unique and fashion-forward. Evgenia wore a costume with a baby blue chiffon tunic and sequined under-dress, finished off with diamante belt. It was Elie Saab Lite and rather pedestrian to be honest. Give me more huney. 





Kirsten Moore-Towers and Michael Marinaro Canada Short Program--Canada's Moore-Towers and Marinaro skated their Short Program to Love On the Brain (Los Feliz Blvd) feat. Bishop Briggs. I liked these pretty costumes worn by Kirsten and Michael. The striped sequin detail on her dress was nice and I also liked his sheer/solid panels down his back. 







Free Skate to Carry You by Ruelle (feat. Fleurie)--I really liked Kirsten's nude/peach one-shoulder draped dress that she wore for her Free Skate with Michael. It was fashionable, the sequin applique looked expensive and I also appreciated the hair accents. While I was OK with his all-black look; it was sleek and second-skin sexy, I just thought the addition of the nude/peach pocket hanky was a bit costume-cheesy.



That's it for Skate Canada International 2019...Stay tuned for more ICE STYLE here!