Nick Verreos's Blog, page 29
February 25, 2018
RUNWAY REPORT.....London Fashion Week: BURBERRY Spring/Summer 2018
Burberry Spring/Summer 2018
WHAT: Burberry Spring/Summer 2018. Creative Director Christopher Bailey has been at the helm of the iconic British fashion house for 17 years and is bidding "Goodbye".
Christopher Bailey
INSPIRATION: Bailey named the collection "Time" and said it was the past, present, and future. The collection was also full of LGBTQ Pride with rainbows EVERYWHERE, as a bow to being a proud LGBTQ man who came from a working class background and after much bullying and being looked down upon, ended up being so admired and respected--not only in the fashion industry but the world.
Burberry Spring/Summer 2018
Burberry Spring/Summer 2018
SEEN ON THE RUNWAY: Bailey brought back part of Burberry’s ’80s past that the company had tried to bury by re-releasing a capsule collection of sweatshirts, checked bucket hats, and baseball caps as well as other items that one can find on a street stall in London (the faux ones!). Styles blended Hip-hop, relaxed, Street-style and Burberry Chic.
COLLECTION HIGHLIGHTS:
Burberry Spring/Summer 2018
Burberry Spring/Summer 2018
Burberry Spring/Summer 2018
Burberry Spring/Summer 2018
Burberry Spring/Summer 2018
Burberry Spring/Summer 2018
Burberry Spring/Summer 2018
Burberry Spring/Summer 2018
Burberry Spring/Summer 2018
Burberry Spring/Summer 2018
Click below to watch the Burberry Spring/Summer 2018 Collection:
February 23, 2018
ICE STYLE.....2018 Winter Olympics Figure Skating Costumes RECAP: LADIES COSTUMES!
Golden Girl--Gold medal winner Alina Zagitova of Olympic Athlete from Russia, during her Free Skate at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, Gangneung Ice Arena, Gangneung South Korea
Last night were the finals of the Ladies Figure Skating Olympics competition, a culmination of the Ladies Short Programs (which occurred two days prior) and their Free Skates, which would "crown" the top ladies in Figure Skating at the 2018 Winter Olympics. It was a showdown between the two Russians--or "Olympic Athletes from Russia"--. The battle was between two-time world champion, two-time European champion, two-time Grand Prix Final champion 18-year-old Evgenia Medvedeva and 15-year-old Skating Wunderkind Alina Zagitova.
Dueling Skating Divas--(L to R) Silver medalist Evgenia Medvedeva and gold medal winner Alina Zagitova, both of the Olympic Athletes from Russia
It was a duel to beat all figure skating duels and Alina came out on top winning the first gold medal for her country at the PyeongChang Olympics. As a big figure skating fan, I thought this was one of THE BEST Olympics figure skating events in all four disciplines; there was drama, excitement, and to-the-last minute "OMG! What's going to happen??" nervousness. And to add to all that, they were BOTH coached by the same person, the woman by the name of Eteri Tutberidze!!
Gold medalist Alina Zagitova (2nd, left) and silver medal winner Evgenia Medvedeva (2nd, right) with their coaches Sergei Dudakov (far left), Eteri Tutberidze (center) and Choreographer Daniil Gleikhengauz (far right)--2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics Ladies Figure Skating Finals, Gangneung Ice Area, Gangneung South Korea
And yes, I also loved seeing their COSTUMES!!! Since I have already discussed the PAIRS HERE, ICE DANCE HERE, and MEN'S HERE, it's now time for the LADIES! Here are my "Nick Two Cents" on some of the Short and Free Skate Costumes seen at this 2018 Winter Olympics:
Costumed Beauties--The Best of The Best (L to R) Canada's Kaetlyn Osmond; Russia's Alina Zagitova (2nd & 3rd from left); Russia's Evgenia Medvedeva; and Japan's Sakoko Miyahara--2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics
Evgenia Medvedeva of Olympic Athlete from Russia Short Program to Nocturne by Frederic Chopin--For her Short Program, Evgenia has worn this gray, blue and ombre lilac costume throughout this entire 2017-2018 Season and there was no "Costume Surprise" or change for the Olympics. It is a gorgeous costume that reflects the "nocturne", night-lit sky through the design, colors and sprinkle of star-like crystals. I also liked the subtly asymmetrical/handkerchief hem and strappy neckline.
Free Skate to Anna Karenina (soundtrack) by Dario Marianelli: For her Free Skate, Evgenia debuted a brand new costume at the 2018 European Figure Skating Championships which she ended up wearing for the 2018 Winter Olympics. The costume was similar to what she had been wearing before in style and sequined applique but while the previous one was black, this new one was in a rust/Cabernet red-like color. I thought the costume was very luxe, reflecting the Upper Class Russia "Anna Karenina" era, and I loved the red caviar beading throughout the design. If there was any critique, it would be that it was verging on being a little too busy and too intricate; she could have done with a couple less sequined applique flowers for sure! It looked like flowers were "exploding" on her!
Kaetlyn Osmond of Canada Short Program to Sous le ciel de Paris, Milord performed by Edith Piaf--Kaetlyn was one of those costume-repeat offenders this season (there were several, darlings, keep reading!) in that she had worn this costume for last year's (2016-2017) Season. Besides the fact that it's an old costume--well, just last season old!--it still works. The costume features a tie-neck design, midnight blue sequined chiffon with applique details, all giving a nod to Parisian Chic. I just wish she would have worn something new only because it was, after all...THE OLYMPICS!
Free Skate to Andante Allegro (from "Swan Lake") and No. 24 Scene: Allegro (from "Swan Lake") by Petr I. Tchaikovski, Stumbled Beginnings (from "Black Swan") and Nina's Dream (from "Black Swan") by Clint Mansell--This "Black Swan" costume was absolutely gorgeous! Not only was it exquisitely made but it looked Ballet-perfect, refined and elegant. Kaetlyn looked like Margot Fonteyn at the Royal Ballet with this costume, Prima Ballerina makeup and that top-knot...SUPERB! I also LOVED the black nail color on her very pointed nails!
Gabrielle Daleman of Canada Short Program to Habanera (from "Carmen") by George Bizet--Gabrielle wore this black sequined-and-chiffon costume with red ombre dyeing for this Short program of hers. The costume featured applique on the torso and an asymmetrical hem skirt. It was just OK to be honest; it just looked a bit too "Figure Skating Costume 101" for me. This costume was debuted at January's 2018 Canadian Nationals. She wore this sleek, modern "Carmen" look before:
Sequin-less Carmen--Which costume do YOU guys like better? The newer on or the one above?
Free Skate to Rhapsody in Blue by George Gershwin: Poor Gabrielle, she skated a MISERABLE Olympic Free Skate which was very unfortunate. But, if there's any consolation, her royal blue sequined costume was quite beautiful! This was the same costume she wore last season. Not sure if that was a good or bad omen, but like I said, I thought it was very pretty, especially the gradating silver jeweled sequins that reminded me of a broken star.
Carolina Kostner of Italy Free Skate to L'apres-midi d'un faun by Claude Debussy: For her Free Skate at the 2018 Winter Olympics, Carolina debuted this new costume during the Team competition. And THANK GOODNESS!! Before I get to why, let me just discuss how pretty, directional and fashionably chic this costume was: I loved it: I want to take this costume and make it into a floor-length gown! Now, in terms of why I was happy, it was because she didn't wear this:
The NEON GREEN JUMPSUIT she wore at the 2018 European Figure Skating Championships. Ciao Green Sequined Jumpsuit!
Kaori Sakamoto of Japan Short Program to Moonlight Sonata by Ludwig van Beethoven--Kaori wore this blue ombre-dyed costume for her Short Program and I thought it was very pretty. The design featured a gathered one shoulder-like design plus lots of silver sequins throughout the garment. This is another example of a figure skating costume that would probably looked fabulous a red carpet gown!
Free Skate to Amelie (soundtrack) by Yann Tiersen: Kaori began this past season in this costume BUT it was a PUTRID pea green. I did not like it. But thank goodness someone in her team also realized this and changed the color to beautiful red: Much better.
Maria Sotskova of Olympic Athlete from Russia Short Program to Swan Lake by Petr I. Tchaikovski--Maria wore this pink sequined costume for her Short Program and it was beautiful. In the beginning of the season, at 2017 Skate Canada International , she was still wearing an older costume (from the previous season) and I wondered if she was going to change it or if a new one was being made and it wasn't ready yet. Well, she changed! I loved this elegant costume featuring a pink chiffon base with 19th Century-like design details reminding me of a Romanov Russian Princess. The rhinestone-studded necklace, bracelets and bodice embellishment were superb! I also LOVED the back.
Free Skate to Claire de Lune by Claude Debussy--Maria debuted this gray costume back at the 2017-2018 Grand Prix of Figure Skating Finals and I thought it was elegant and very pretty. The costume was a silver/gray sequined embroidered design featuring a high neck, long sleeves, appliqued bodice and clean chiffon bottom/skirt section.
Satoko Miyahara of Japan Short Program to Memoirs of a Geisha (soundtrack) by John Williams--Satoko looked so pretty in this pink costume: It was delicate and Geisha LITE, with no overt hints of a Geisha or Kimono. Instead, what we did see was a powder pink costume with beautiful petal-like silver rhinestones and dégradé pink skirt.
Free Skate to Madame Butterfly Act 3, Goro's Entrance (Madame Butterfly Act 2) and Butterfly Bids Her Child Farewell (Madame Butterfly Act 2) by Giacomo Puccini--Satoko continued with her Japan-centric music for her programs, wearing this blue design for her "Madame Butterfly" Free Skate. This blue costume featured solid stretch Lycra jersey as well as nude illusion, beautifully sequined, giving a hint of a delicate Kimono-like robe. It was pretty, feminine and not causing a "Costume Earthquake".
Bradie Tennell of USA Short Program to Taeguki by Lee Dong-Jun--The music comes from the movie of the same name, which is about two brothers who are forcibly drafted into the South Korean army at the outbreak of the Korean War. Her costume has hints of the traditional Korean Hanbok and I liked the delicate sequined flower applique.
Free Skate to Cinderella Medley by Patrick Doyle--Bradie wore this very pretty aqua blue costume worthy of an Ice Queen Cinderella. The costume tried to give the look of a strapless ball gown with the sequined applique that stopped right at the overbust, but then had nude illusion covering the shoulders and upper torso. I also liked the delicate sprinkling of rhinestones on her arms. While both of Bradie's Short and Free Skate costumes were nice, I can't help but think they had a certain "Junior-like design"; in other words, they were a bit "Figure Skating Ready-to-Wear" as opposed to Skating COUTURE!
Karen Chen of USA Short Program to On Golden Pond by Dave Grusin--OK, when I first saw Karen in this, I thought that she was skating to "Swan Lake", "Black Swan" or "Nutcracker"...you get the picture. But no kids: She skated to "On Golden Pond". And surprisingly, I liked it! It was pretty, well made and exquisitely sequined. The costume was designed and made by Lisa McKinnon who has made a lot of figure skater's costumes. Karen debuted this costume at the 2016 NHK Trophy in late November and she wore it last season.
Free Skate to Jalousie "Tango Tzigane" by Jacob Gade--This costume is another been there/done that costume for Karen in that she wore it last season as well. I loved it then and it still holds up now. The silver and red crystals were beautiful and the scroll-like torso detail was very pretty. But...I just wished she would have NEW costumes; I don't mind the same old/same old programs, I just want to see some semblance of NEW. I hoped/wished/prayed that for the Olympics, she would somehow have new costumes but, oh well...Not So Mucheey.
Mirai Nagasu of USA Short Program to Nocturne No. 20 in C Sharp Minor by Frederic Chopin--This Cabernet-red colored design is what Mirai wore to skate to the same music as last season's Short Program. The costume featured a stretch lace bodice/sleeves/skirt with silver rhinestone studded front bodice. It's an OK costume but I think it's the stretch lace that makes it a bit underwhelming and not-so Haute for me.
Free Skate to Miss Saigon by Claude-Michel Schönberg: The red cheongsam silhouette, the Mandarin collar, the intricate silver and gold crystals...all added up to a very pretty costume perfect for this music. I especially liked how the sequins were put on to highlight her upper torso as well as almost "draw" a sweetheart neckline bustier. Even though it was quite simple, it was still effective...even if she pretty much messed up on her Free Skate. But then, there's always "Dancing With The Stars" for her, I guess! (Please NOOOOO!!!!)
Before I get to discussing Olympic gold medal winner Alina Zagitova's costumes, I wanted to give a special shout-out to these ladies and their costumes:
Special Costume Mentions...to (L to R)
*Brazil's Isadora Williams: Loved her lilac colored sequined Short Program design that she wore to skate to Hallelujah performed by K.D. Lang, by Lisa McKinnon , naturally!
*Dabin Choi of South Korea Short Program to Papa Can You Hear Me (soundtrack) mint-and-white costume Hanbok-inspired costume as well as her Free Skate costume to Doctor Zhivago (soundtrack) by Maurice Jarre. Both of these were outstanding and GORGEOUS!
*Australia's Kailani Crane and her Free Skate costume to Moulin Rouge (soundtrack). This blue and black sequined costume was beautiful and expensive looking and worthy of a mention.
And lastly...
Aiza Mambekova of Kazakhstan Short Program to Amanama by DJ Antoine ft. Timati
Hourshaker Radio Edit--Black. Asymmetrical. Sequined head crown. Enough said.
And now, Queen Alina:
Alina Zagitova of Olympic Athlete from Russia Short Program to Black Swan--For her Short Program to Black Swan, Alina wore this GORGEOUS sequined and tulle design. I absolutely LOVED this costume--the hand-cut ballerina tutu, the silver and black paillettes, the sleeve/arm details...it was Haute Figure Skating COUTURE!
Free Skate to Don Quixote by Leon Minkus: This was another excellent costume from figure skating phenom Alina Zagitova. She looked like a Prima Ballerina in this absolutely beautiful costume. The ballet theme started with her Short Program and reached a zenith in this red and gold sequined design for her Free Skate. But I have to say, she skated so incredible that well, she probably could have put on a red and gold garbage bag...and I would have been: OK! She wore these two costumes throughout the season and I have to say that they were so on another level (a VERY GOOD ONE!) that it was as if her team and coaches just knew that this was someone special enough to deserve the top-of-the-line costumes.
CONGRATULATIONS to the Olympic medalists! (L to R) Russia's Evgemia Medvedeva (Silver), Alina Zagitova (gold) and Canada's Kaetlyn Osmond (bronze)
NICK APPEARANCES.....Filming National & International Media FIDM Museum Exhibition: Photos, Videos!
Nick Verreos with BC China TV at FIDM Museum's 26th Annual Art of Motion Picture Costume Design Exhibition
Last week was the opening of the 26th Annual Art of Motion Picture Costume Design Exhibition at FIDM Museum . As the Official Spokesperson for my Alma mater--the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising/FIDM --as well as the FIDM Museum Spokesperson, I have the honor to represent the college and museum when it comes to these fabulous exhibition openings and doing media...
(L to R) ABC7-LA Adrienne Alpert and Nick Verreos--26th Annual Art of Motion Picture Costume Design Exhibition, FIDM Museum
This year, I had the pleasure of hosting many representatives from the international press/media and filming interviews discussing the exhibition as well as the Academy Award nominated costumes on display. I filmed segments with NTD TV China, Univision (Spanish language), Central News Agency Taiwan, as well as local Los Angeles KTLA-TV and ABC-7 LA ...
Here's a Photo Blog Recap of my "Art of Motion Picture Costume Design Exhibition" Media:
Best of The Best: The five Academy Award nominated costume designs at FIDM Museum's 26th Annual Art of Motion Picture Costume Design Exhibition--Clockwise L to R: "Beauty and The Beast", "Victoria and Abdul", "Darkest Hour", "Phantom Thread" and "The Shape of Water"
Photos courtesy of FIDM and Alex J. Berliner/ABImages
Chinese TV--Nick Verreos filming TV segment with NTD TV China--26th Annual Art of Motion Picture Costume Design Exhibition FIDM Museum
Taiwan News--Nick Verreos filming TV segments with Central News Agency Taiwan--26th Annual Art of Motion Picture Costume Design Exhibition FIDM Museum
Spanish Language--Nick Verreos with Univision's Maria Hurtado, filming TV segments for "El Gordo y La Flaca" TV Show--26th Annual Art of Motion Picture Costume Design Exhibition FIDM Museum
KTLA Fab--(L to R) Gayle Anderson of KTLA and Nick Verreos filming LIVE TV segments for KTLA's Morning News--26th Annual Art of Motion Picture Costume Design Exhibition FIDM Museum
Nick Verreos and Sheila Tepper of Classical KUSC--I did a WONDERFUL Podcast Interview with Sheila discussing all the "Inside Dish" on the Academy Award nominated costumes--Click HERE to listen to the PODCAST!
ABC-7 LA--(L to R) Adrienne Alpert and Nick Verreos--26th Annual Art of Motion Picture Picture Costume Design Exhibition
Click here to watch the four KTLA-TV segments I filmed with Gayle Anderson on the Oscar nominated costumes at FIDM Museum's 26th Annual Art of Motion Picture Costume Design Exhibition:
Click below to watch Adrienne Alpert's segment for ABC-LA on FIDM Museum's 26th Annual Art of Motion Picture Costume Design Exhibition:
February 21, 2018
ICE STYLE.....2018 Winter Olympics Figure Skating Costumes RECAP: ICE DANCE COSTUMES!
Giving Me Back Couture!--Canada's 2018 Olympic gold medal winners Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, during their Free Dance at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics
Continuing with my ICE STYLE 2018 Winter Olympics COSTUMES BLOG, I have discussed the PAIRS COSTUMES HERE, as well as the MEN'S COSTUMES HERE, so now, it is time to talk about one of my favorite figure skating disciplines, Ice Dance and in particular, the ICE DANCE COSTUMES!
Olympic Medal Podium--(L to R) Silver medalists from France Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron; gold medalists Canada's Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir; bronze medalists Maia Shibutani and Alex Shibutani of U.S.A.--Gangneung Ice Arena, Gangneung South Korea
Normally, the Ice Dance discipline does not involve the drama of skaters falling from the jumps (as in the Singles Ladies and Men's) and instead it may be a missed synchronization of twizzle turns, etc. but no one could have expected what occurred several days ago at the Short Dance portion to France's Gabriella Papadakis. So...
Let's just discuss the "Wardrobe Malfunction":
Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron of France Short Dance to Shape Of You by Ed Sheeran and Thinking Out Loud by Ed Sheeran, remastered by Karl Hugo--the French Ice Dance couple of Papadakis and Cizeron wore these costumes above for their Latin-inspired Short Dance. Gabriella has worn (a variation) of this costume the entire season (Guillaume has not--keep reading for more of that). In terms of Gabriella's costume, I've talked about it here on my Ice Style Blog in previous competitions which she attended this past season: I loved this design and thought she looked like someone at the top of a Brazilian Carnival Float. Her two-piece sequined and fringed look and the gold and green colors were great but...yes, there was a WARDROBE MISHAP at the 2018 Winter Olympics. Somehow, the top of her jeweled neckline came off...
Olympics Oops--Gabriella Papadakis and her "wardrobe malfunction" at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, during the Short Program. Before she even started, someone on her coaching team was trying to re-snap/hook her neckline, so you knew there was "trouble" (I remember thinking "Oh, this is NOT GOOD!") and then, seconds into their program, her neckline snapped off and well...the now infamous wardrobe malfunction. At the time watching it all go down, I was surprised that her whole top wasn't flipping down.
But....I was wrong (or at least, partially wrong): In fact (as the Twitterworld unfortunately enlightened me) her breast was exposed and shown on TV, as well as the monitors at the Gangneung Ice Arena. I feel HORRIBLE for Gabriella and what happened to her, and personally, that is "EXHIBIT A" on why I would probably never design/create a figure skating costume, as much as my "Ice Style" fans would like me to. I would love to know the real story of how this happened. I could be wrong, but I could swear that this top is different than the one she has worn the entire season. It is very similar, but their are slight difference, most importantly the fact that it sits lower on her torso and therefore seemed to drag her neckline down. Inquiring minds want to know!
In terms of a COSTUME CHANGE...
Sleeved Guillaume--Guillaume Cizeron wore a black see-through top for the Short Program at the 2018 Winter Olympics (top photo), which was a change from the SUPER SEXY SLEEVELESS tank top he had been featuring before (lower photo). Which one do YOU guys like best on him? I say SLEEVELESS TANK. Only because...he's SO HOT!
Free Skate to Piano Sonata N. 14 in C sharp minor, Op. 27, No 2. "Moonlight Sonata", Adagio Sostenuto, by Ludwig van Beethoven performed by Steve Anderson "Moonlight Sonata", Presto Agitato by Ludwig van Beethoven--For their Free Skate costumes, I have only two words: JUST GORGEOUS. These costumes were subtle, beautiful, elegant, and PERFECT. Her softly flowing chiffon dress with Lycra bodysuit was sublime and fluttered with the dance like a gorgeous bird flying through the wind. And Guillaume: That side cowl drape top was FIGURE SKATING COUTURE Fab! Sexy, elegant, draped. I love that for the Free Dance, HIS costume was actually THE STAR.
Let's say Adieu to the Wardrobe Malfunction and move on to some of the other Ice Dancers:
Anna Cappellini and Luca Lanotte of Italy Short Dance to Cha Cha: Kaboom performed by Ursula 1000; Samba: Skip to the Bip performed by Club des Belugas; and Samba: 1008 Samba. While most of the Ice Dance men are utilizing this Samba/Rhumba/Cha-Cha Short Dance to be Muy Caliente Sexy Hot with their costumes (sheer, plunging and tighter!), Luca is all covered up...and in all-black! At least he added some "spice" with his cheetah-printed cut-velvet shirt. Her costume, on the other hand, is one of my favorites of the season: It is spectacular with the sequined bodice and fuchsia ruffled skirt that is just the right length for her teeny tiny frame.
Free Dance to Biongiorno Principessa (from "La Vita e Bella" soundtrack), Life Is Beautiful (from "La Vita e Bella" soundtrack) by Nicola Piovani, arranged & performed by Mi Loco Tango, and La Vita e Bella (from "La Vita e Bella" soundtrack) by Nicola Piovani arranged by Claudio Mandonico--Cappellini and Lanotte are known for their very Italy-centric Ice Dances and this Olympic Season was no exception for their Free Dance. Her costume was a red dress featuring a gathered torso, satin underbust band, 3/4-length sleeves and a gored skirt. Her red dress was a much better choice than what she wore during the Team Competition...
White dress with embroidered top section. This dress just didn't stand out or make an impact. Luca, as you can see, stayed the same in brown high-waisted pants, cream shirt and suspenders.
Alisa Agafonova and Alper Ucar of Turkey Free Dance to Marco Polo by Loreena McKennitt, Cleopatra by Maxime Rodriguez and Iron (Mystery Jets Remix) by Woodkid--I am only adding this Ice Dance pair from Turkey because of their Pharaoh-inspired costumes! Naturally, as a Costume-watcher, the minute I saw them--and these costumes!--I was like "Oh Dear! Looks like someone is really putting a capital "C" in COSTUMES! As kooky as these may seem, I thought they were effective and they certainly got my attention. Let's just be happy they didn't skate to "Walk Like an Egyptian"! But then again, I probably would have still liked these costumes.
Yura Min and Alexander Gamelin of South Korea Free Dance to Arirang (Korean Folk Song)--Many of the Ice Dance skaters skated their Free Dance honoring the culture of the country they were representing. This team from South Korea did just that AND IN SOUTH KOREA! They skated to a Korean folk song dressed in these traditional Korean costumes. I liked the color story between the two--Yura was in pink (she's the female of course) and Alexander in blue (the boy!). I also appreciated the obvious homage to the Korean Hanbok with her dress which features fuchsia and violet-blue layers of flowy chiffon and flower details. Alexander's blue wrap Hanbok vest/jacket was pretty fab as well!
Kana Muramoto and Chris Reed of Japan Free Skate to The Last Emperor (soundtrack) and Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence by Ruyichi Sakamoto--These Free Dance costumes were pretty, elegant and right for that beautiful Ruyichi Sakamoto music. There were hints of Geisha Fab in her pink flower applique costume and I also liked his gray chiffon draped top. Kana's dress had a "Costume Change" midway through the skate as she went from the green-and-pink look on the left photo above to un-snapping her shoulders, releasing that over-layer to display the pink cherry blossom dress hiding underneath! #Love
Sara Hurtado and Kirill Khaliavin of Spain Free Dance to Don Quijote by Leon Minkus--Spain's Ice Dance pair of Hurtado and Khaliavin (he's from Russia), wore these sexy "Viva España" costumes for their "Don Quijote" Free Dance. I thought that these designs certainly evoked the Spanish spirit; Hurtado looking like a Sevillana Diva and Khaliavin giving me Hot Toreador.
Ekaterina Bobrova and Dmitri Soloviev of Olympic Athletes from Russia Short Dance to Rhumba: Latin Lover by Joao Bosco; Samba: Dance by DJ Maksy and Samba: Quand je vois tes yeux by Dany Brilliant--Russians Bobrova and Soloviev looked Muy Caliente in these costumes above! She wore a very "Dancing With The Stars" asymmetrical dress in royal blue/deep purple featuring gold sequined detail and lots of fringe. And if that wasn't enough, she added a bicep bracelet and fringed earrings! Ekaterina was straight out of a Russian Ballroom Competition and looking fabulosa! Dmitri also looked sexy and hot with his black costume featuring a plunging neckline. I love the irony of the fact that even though they both OOZED the definition S.E.X. in these costumes, they still felt the need to wear those crosses on their neck: Ummm, OK.
**NEW COSTUMES ALERT**Madison Chock and Evan Bates of USA Short Dance to Salsa: Aguanile by Mark Anthony; Rhumba: Que lio by Mark Anthony; Samba: Vivir mi vida by Mark Anthony--Americans Chock and Bates wore these costumes above for their fiery Short Dance. These were NEW COSTUMES for these two and I thought they were GREAT! Madison was giving South American Parrot Fabulous with her colorful and very flora & fauna-like look (I hear Madison designs all their costumes) and Evan did his best to feature SEXY with his plunging neckline red sequined trimmed top. I thought the mini-beading on her costume, in particular, was OUTSTANDING! In case you were wondering what they had worn before to this same Short Dance...
Different Costumes...Different Bird Inspirations--Madison Chock and Evan bates Short Dance Costumes: (L) 2018 Winter Olympics, and (R) 2018 U.S. Figure Skating Championships
Free Dance to Imagine by John Lennon: Chock and Bates wore these blue costumes for their Free Skate. I liked these costumes as well. The blue colors were pretty and they worked beautifully with the music and program. I loved the star sequin detail on Madison's dress and Evan's "NYC"-like skyline (done with dip dying and crystals) was beautiful.
Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue of U.S.A. Short Dance to Samba: Le Serpent by Guem et Zaka; Rhumba: Cuando Calienta El Sol by Tayla Ferro; and Samba: Sambando by Los Ritmos Calientas--For their Latin-inspired Short Program, Madison and Zachary wore these purple/deep violet-based costumes. I loved these looks on them for many reasons: They were stage impacting, very Cha-Cha Fab, and UBER SEXY! Her open side-and-back asymmetrical one-sleeved dress was HOT, especially with the sequin detail and paillettes at the hem. Oh and not leaving Zach too far behind, he looked great as well; his v-neck top was sexy and included color and sequin elements taken from her costume. In case you want to know (Part One), Madison's mom, Susan Hubbell makes all the costumes. I met her in San Jose at the 2018 U.S. Figure Skating Championships and gave her a big approving "Nick Hug"! And...in case you want to know (Part Two), these were a costume change (for Zach) from what we last saw him in...
Zach Shirt Costume Change--Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue in their Short Dance costumes at the (L) 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics and, (R) during the 2018 U.S. Figure Skating Championships--Which one do YOU guys like best? I like the 2018 Olympics one best!
Free Dance to Across the Sky - Instrumental by Rag N'Bone Man and Caught Out in the Rain by Beth Hart--For their very sensuous Free Dance, Madison wore a deep gray sequined dress that was beautiful, fluid and fashionable. Zach donned a black "Dinner Jacket", white unbuttoned dress shirt and pants. I'm thinking his look was of a guy who began the night in a tuxedo but after some hours with Madison, he let it all loose! Speaking of loose,his dress shirt is actually a "faux" dress shirt:
No Sleeves Zach--Zach Donohue (L) and Madison Hubbell (R) during the "Kiss & Cry" at the 2018 U.S. Figure Skating Championships
**NEW COSTUMES ALERT**Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje of Canada Short Dance to Bolero: Tango by Diane Reeves; and Mambo: Do You Only Wanna Dance performed by Julia Daivel Big Band--Canada's Weaver and Poje debuted this new costumes at the 2018 Winter Olympics for their Latin-inspired Short Dance. The color theme was red and black...and Muy Caliente! Kaitlyn wore a sequined mesh crop top with sequined scroll-like applique as well as a sexy side-slit red skirt. She looked great. Andrew wore a bright red tuxedo shirt with black pants. I think both of them were perfectly costumed-matched. In case you wanted to know what they wore previously, for this same Short Dance....
Carmen Miranda Dance--Kaitlyn wore this flower appliqued navy off-the-shoulder dress and Andrew wore a midnight blue tuxedo-inspired look. I liked BOTH of their costumes--the new ones as well as these; they are both so different in terms of styles and inspirations that you really cannot compare. The one thing that stands out is COLOR. The red in the new costumes is definitely a much bolder costume choice.
**NEW COSTUME ALERT**Free Dance to Je suis malade performed by Lara Fabian: For their Free Dance, they wore these looks above. She wore a scarlet red satin dress with sequined applique netting panels. This dress on her was a new costume and I loved it! I really liked the flowy volants (ruffles) in the dress and I think it was a wise choice to have her wear this. Andrew's costume of slate-gray shirt and dark gray pants didn't change. And in case you were wondering what she had worn previously...
Cowl neck Slip Dress Kaitlyn--Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje of Canada
Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier of Canada Short Dance to Bossa Nova: Bossa Cubana and Mambo: Gopher Mambo--Piper wore an aquamarine and black Devore velvet-like dress with an open back and GORGEOUS gold jeweled sequins on her upper torso. And Paul...well, he started with black pants and sequined black top but then...halfway through their skate, she ripped his sleeves, revealing Cha-Cha ruffles of a similar fabrication to her dress. While it was gimmicky, I liked it! He definitely needed a style element of fun and the ruffles did it.
**NEW COSTUMES ALERT**Free Dance to The Chase Bond Theme (Octopussy soundtrack), The Palace Fight (Octopussy soundtrack),Thunderball (Thunderball soundtrack) and Yo Yo Fight and Death of Vijay (Octopussy soundtrack) by John Barry--For their Free Dance, the Canadian Ice Dance couple changed their program music from what they had been skating to all season long (music to "Perry Mason") to a James Bond one. I actually loved these costumes and hers especially was one of THE MOST BEAUTIFUL COSTUMES I saw for Ice Dance at the 2018 Winter Olympics! Piper wore a chartreuse-colored satin draped dress with gorgeous sequined applique; she looked like a Hollywood Glamour Diva from the 1940's. And Paul looked very dapper and elegant in a wonderfully-fitting shawl collar tuxedo. These were a SUPER WONDERFUL costume change from the not-so-cute designs they had worn before (to the "Perry Mason" music Free Dance this past 2017-2018 Season):
Maia and Alex Shibutani of USA Short Dance to Mambo: Mambo No. 5 by Perez Prado; Cha Cha: Cherry Pink And Apple Blossom White by Perez Prado and Samba: Mambo Jumbo/Mambo No. 8 by Perez Prado--I LOVED these costumes worn by Maia and Alex Shibutani--the "Shib Sibs". These were BRAVO, BRAVO, BRAVO! I thought her bubblegum pink with gold and silver crystals dress designed and created by Lisa McKinnon was A STUNNER. And Alex was no Costume Chopped Liver: I thought his nude bedazzled shirt with black pants look was sexy and a perfect costume partner to her colorful eye candy costume.
Free Dance to Paradise by Coldplay: For their Free Dance, they went much more subdued--keeping in mind their emotional and modern music. I liked the red and black colors and I especially liked her softly draped chiffon dress featuring subtle hints of ombre dying. I also appreciated how his shirt perfectly matched her dress coloring. This might not have been as impressive as their Short Dance costumes but they were quietly beautiful and appropriate for this Free Dance.
Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir of Canada Short Dance to Samba: Sympathy for the Devil by The Rolling Stones; Rhumba: Hotel California by The Eagles; and Cha Cha: Oye Como Va by Santana--I have one word to say for these costumes: WOW. Tessa's design involved a see-through cheetah print look with fringe and GORGEOUS gold jeweled sequined embellishment. It also featured a very sexy scooped open back. I loved it all! And then, there was Scott: Oh Huney, that sequined black-and-nude top was EVERYTHING! They both looked Samba and Rhumba Fabuloso! In case you were paying attention, the costumes above were different from what they had worn for their Short Dance of the 2018 Winter Olympics Team competition:
Which one do you guys liked best? Tessa's Team Short Dance Costume (Left) or the one in the main Ice Dance competition (Right)? It's a toss-up for me. While I definitely LOVED the newer one worn for the Team competition which gave me "Balmain"-like fashion vibes, I was always a fan of the cheetah-printed one.
Free Skate to Roxanne and Come What May (from "Moulin Rouge" soundtrack): For their Free Skate, they wore these looks above...and won the gold! For Tessa, it was a Cabernet red fishtail hem costume with pointed edge neckline featuring delicate beading. Scott's look involved a see-though and solid black top and pants. I especially loved the top with the crystal embellishment. He looked sexy hot! Her costume, by the way, was a change from what we had seen her wear before:
(L to R) Stretch Velvet Tessa (2018 Canadian Nationals); Red Flowered Tessa (2018 Olympics Team); and Pointed Neckline Tessa (2018 Winter Olympics Ice Dance Finals)...Which look on Tessa did you guys liked most?
And in case you were paying attention--Scott's costume--his top, specifically, got a beading upgrade for his 2018 Olympics look as you can see from the 2018 Canadian Nationals look (Left) compared to above his top at the 2018 PyeingChang Winter Olympics Ice Dance Finals (Right)
GOLDEN COUPLE--CONGRATULATIONS CANADA and Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir!!!
ICE STYLE.....2018 Winter Olympics Figure Skating Costumes RECAP: ICE DANCE COSTUMES
Giving Me Back Couture!--Canada's 2018 Olympic gold medal winners Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, during their Free Dance at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics
Continuing with my ICE STYLE 2018 Winter Olympics COSTUMES BLOG, I have discussed the PAIRS COSTUMES HERE, as well as the MEN'S COSTUMES HERE, so now, it is time to talk about one of my favorite figure skating disciplines, Ice Dance and in particular, the ICE DANCE COSTUMES!
Olympic Medal Podium--(L to R) Silver medalists from France Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron; gold medalists Canada's Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir; bronze medalists Maia Shibutani and Alex Shibutani of U.S.A.--Gangneung Ice Arena, Gangneung South Korea
Normally, the Ice Dance discipline does not involve the drama of skaters falling from the jumps (as in the Singles Ladies and Men's) and instead it may be a missed synchronization of twizzle turns, etc. but no one could have expected what occurred several days ago at the Short Dance portion to France's Gabriella Papadakis. So...
Let's just discuss the "Wardrobe Malfunction":
Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron of France Short Dance to Shape Of You by Ed Sheeran and Thinking Out Loud by Ed Sheeran, remastered by Karl Hugo--the French Ice Dance couple of Papadakis and Cizeron wore these costumes above for their Latin-inspired Short Dance. Gabrielle has worn (a variation) of this costume the entire season (Guillaume has not--keep reading for more of that). In terms of Gabrielle's costume, I've talked about it here on my Ice Style Blog in previous competitions which she attended this past season: I loved this design and thought she looked like someone at the top of a Brazilian Carnival Float. Her two-piece sequined and fringed look and the gold and green colors were great but...yes, there was a WARDROBE MISHAP at the 2018 Winter Olympics. Somehow, the top of her jeweled neckline came off...
Olympics Oops--Gabriella Papadakis and her "wardrobe malfunction" at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, during the Short Program. Before she even started, someone on her coaching team was trying to re-snap/hook her neckline, so you knew there was "trouble" (I remember thinking "Oh, this is NOT GOOD!") and then, seconds into their program, her neckline snapped off and well...the now infamous wardrobe malfunction. At the time watching it all go down, I was surprised that her whole top wasn't flipping down.
But....I was wrong (or at least, partially wrong): In fact (as the Twitterworld unfortunately enlightened me) her breast was exposed and shown on TV, as well as the monitors at the Gangneung Ice Arena. I feel HORRIBLE for Gabriella and what happened to her, and personally, that is "EXHIBIT A" on why I would probably never design/create a figure skating costume, as much as my "Ice Style" fans would like me to. I would love to know the real story of how this happened. I could be wrong, but I could swear that this top is different than the one she has worn the entire season. It is very similar, but their are slight difference, most importantly the fact that it sits lower on her torso and therefore seemed to drag her neckline down. Inquiring minds want to know!
In terms of a COSTUME CHANGE...
Sleeved Guillaume--Guillaume Cizeron wore a black see-through top for the Short Program at the 2018 Winter Olympics (top photo), which was a change from the SUPER SEXY SLEEVELESS tank top he had been featuring before (lower photo). Which one do YOU guys like best on him? I say SLEEVELESS TANK. Only because...he's SO HOT!
Free Skate to Piano Sonata N. 14 in C sharp minor, Op. 27, No 2. "Moonlight Sonata", Adagio Sostenuto, by Ludwig van Beethoven performed by Steve Anderson "Moonlight Sonata", Presto Agitato by Ludwig van Beethoven--For their Free Skate costumes, I have only two words: JUST GORGEOUS. These costumes were subtle, beautiful, elegant, and PERFECT. Her softly flowing chiffon dress with Lycra bodysuit was sublime and fluttered with the dance like a gorgeous bird flying through the wind. And Guillaume: That side cowl drape top was FIGURE SKATING COUTURE Fab! Sexy, elegant, draped. I love that for the Free Dance, HIS costume was actually THE STAR.
Let's say Adieu to the Wardrobe Malfunction and move on to some of the other Ice Dancers:
Anna Cappellini and Luca Lanotte of Italy Short Dance to Cha Cha: Kaboom performed by Ursula 1000; Samba: Skip to the Bip performed by Club des Belugas; and Samba: 1008 Samba. While most of the Ice Dance men are utilizing this Samba/Rhumba/Cha-Cha Short Dance to be Muy Caliente Sexy Hot with their costumes (sheer, plunging and tighter!), Luca is all covered up...and in all-black! At least he added some "spice" with his cheetah-printed cut-velvet shirt. Her costume, on the other hand, is one of my favorites of the season: It is spectacular with the sequined bodice and fuchsia ruffled skirt that is just the right length for her teeny tiny frame.
Free Dance to Biongiorno Principessa (from "La Vita e Bella" soundtrack), Life Is Beautiful (from "La Vita e Bella" soundtrack) by Nicola Piovani, arranged & performed by Mi Loco Tango, and La Vita e Bella (from "La Vita e Bella" soundtrack) by Nicola Piovani arranged by Claudio Mandonico--Cappellini and Lanotte are known for their very Italy-centric Ice Dances and this Olympic Season was no exception for their Free Dance. Her costume was a red dress featuring a gathered torso, satin underbust band, 3/4-length sleeves and a gored skirt. Her red dress was a much better choice than what she wore during the Team Competition...
White dress with embroidered top section. This dress just didn't stand out or make an impact. Luca, as you can see, stayed the same in brown high-waisted pants, cream shirt and suspenders.
Alisa Agafonova and Alper Ucar of Turkey Free Dance to Marco Polo by Loreena McKennitt, Cleopatra by Maxime Rodriguez and Iron (Mystery Jets Remix) by Woodkid--I am only adding this Ice Dance pair from Turkey because of their Pharaoh-inspired costumes! Naturally, as a Costume-watcher, the minute I saw them--and these costumes!--I was like "Oh Dear! Looks like someone is really putting a capital "C" in COSTUMES! As kooky as these may seem, I thought they were effective and they certainly got my attention. Let's just be happy they didn't skate to "Walk Like an Egyptian"! But then again, I probably would have still liked these costumes.
Yura Min and Alexander Gamelin of South Korea Free Dance to Arirang (Korean Folk Song)--Many of the Ice Dance skaters skated their Free Dance honoring the culture of the country they were representing. This team from South Korea did just that AND IN SOUTH KOREA! They skated to a Korean folk song dressed in these traditional Korean costumes. I liked the color story between the two--Yura was in pink (she's the female of course) and Alexander in blue (the boy!). I also appreciated the obvious homage to the Korean Hanbok with her dress which features fuchsia and violet-blue layers of flowy chiffon and flower details. Alexander's blue wrap Hanbok vest/jacket was pretty fab as well!
Kana Muramoto and Chris Reed of Japan Free Skate to The Last Emperor (soundtrack) and Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence by Ruyichi Sakamoto--These Free Dance costumes were pretty, elegant and right for that beautiful Ruyichi Sakamoto music. There were hints of Geisha Fab in her pink flower applique costume and I also liked his gray chiffon draped top. Kana's dress had a "Costume Change" midway through the skate as she went from the green-and-pink look on the left photo above to un-snapping her shoulders, releasing that over-layer to display the pink cherry blossom dress hiding underneath! #Love
Sara Hurtado and Kirill Khaliavin of Spain Free Dance to Don Quijote by Leon Minkus--Spain's Ice Dance pair of Hurtado and Khaliavin (he's from Russia), wore these sexy "Viva España" costumes for their "Don Quijote" Free Dance. I thought that these designs certainly evoked the Spanish spirit; Hurtado looking like a Sevillana Diva and Khaliavin giving me Hot Toreador.
Ekaterina Bobrova and Dmitri Soloviev of Olympic Athletes from Russia Short Dance to Rhumba: Latin Lover by Joao Bosco; Samba: Dance by DJ Maksy and Samba: Quand je vois tes yeux by Dany Brilliant--Russians Bobrova and Soloviev looked Muy Caliente in these costumes above! She wore a very "Dancing With The Stars" asymmetrical dress in royal blue/deep purple featuring gold sequined detail and lots of fringe. And if that wasn't enough, she added a bicep bracelet and fringed earrings! Ekaterina was straight out of a Russian Ballroom Competition and looking fabulosa! Dmitri also looked sexy and hot with his black costume featuring a plunging neckline. I love the irony of the fact that even though they both OOZED the definition S.E.X. in these costumes, they still felt the need to wear those crosses on their neck: Ummm, OK.
**NEW COSTUMES ALERT**Madison Chock and Evan Bates of USA Short Dance to Salsa: Aguanile by Mark Anthony; Rhumba: Que lio by Mark Anthony; Samba: Vivir mi vida by Mark Anthony--Americans Chock and Bates wore these costumes above for their fiery Short Dance. These were NEW COSTUMES for these two and I thought they were GREAT! Madison was giving South American Parrot Fabulous with her colorful and very flora & fauna-like look (I hear Madison designs all their costumes) and Evan did his best to feature SEXY with his plunging neckline red sequined trimmed top. I thought the mini-beading on her costume, in particular, was OUTSTANDING! In case you were wondering what they had worn before to this same Short Dance...
Different Costumes...Different Bird Inspirations--Madison Chock and Evan bates Short Dance Costumes: (L) 2018 Winter Olympics, and (R) 2018 U.S. Figure Skating Championships
Free Dance to Imagine by John Lennon: Chock and Bates wore these blue costumes for their Free Skate. I liked these costumes as well. The blue colors were pretty and they worked beautifully with the music and program. I loved the star sequin detail on Madison's dress and Evan's "NYC"-like skyline (done with dip dying and crystals) was beautiful.
Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue of U.S.A. Short Dance to Samba: Le Serpent by Guem et Zaka; Rhumba: Cuando Calienta El Sol by Tayla Ferro; and Samba: Sambando by Los Ritmos Calientas--For their Latin-inspired Short Program, Madison and Zachary wore these purple/deep violet-based costumes. I loved these looks on them for many reasons: They were stage impacting, very Cha-Cha Fab, and UBER SEXY! Her open side-and-back asymmetrical one-sleeved dress was HOT, especially with the sequin detail and paillettes at the hem. Oh and not leaving Zach too far behind, he looked great as well; his v-neck top was sexy and included color and sequin elements taken from her costume. In case you want to know (Part One), Madison's mom, Susan Hubbell makes all the costumes. I met her in San Jose at the 2018 U.S. Figure Skating Championships and gave her a big approving "Nick Hug"! And...in case you want to know (Part Two), these were a costume change (for Zach) from what we last saw him in...
Zach Shirt Costume Change--Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue in their Short Dance costumes at the (L) 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics and, (R) during the 2018 U.S. Figure Skating Championships--Which one do YOU guys like best? I like the 2018 Olympics one best!
Free Dance to Across the Sky - Instrumental by Rag N'Bone Man and Caught Out in the Rain by Beth Hart--For their very sensuous Free Dance, Madison wore a deep gray sequined dress that was beautiful, fluid and fashionable. Zach donned a black "Dinner Jacket", white unbuttoned dress shirt and pants. I'm thinking his look was of a guy who began the night in a tuxedo but after some hours with Madison, he let it all loose! Speaking of loose,his dress shirt is actually a "faux" dress shirt:
No Sleeves Zach--Zach Donohue (L) and Madison Hubbell (R) during the "Kiss & Cry" at the 2018 U.S. Figure Skating Championships
**NEW COSTUMES ALERT**Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje of Canada Short Dance to Bolero: Tango by Diane Reeves; and Mambo: Do You Only Wanna Dance performed by Julia Daivel Big Band--Canada's Weaver and Poje debuted this new costumes at the 2018 Winter Olympics for their Latin-inspired Short Dance. The color theme was red and black...and Muy Caliente! Kaitlyn wore a sequined mesh crop top with sequined scroll-like applique as well as a sexy side-slit red skirt. She looked great. Andrew wore a bright red tuxedo shirt with black pants. I think both of them were perfectly costumed-matched. In case you wanted to know what they wore previously, for this same Short Dance....
Carmen Miranda Dance--Kaitlyn wore this flower appliqued navy off-the-shoulder dress and Andrew wore a midnight blue tuxedo-inspired look. I liked BOTH of their costumes--the new ones as well as these; they are both so different in terms of styles and inspirations that you really cannot compare. The one thing that stands out is COLOR. The red in the new costumes is definitely a much bolder costume choice.
**NEW COSTUME ALERT**Free Dance to Je suis malade performed by Lara Fabian: For their Free Dance, they wore these looks above. She wore a scarlet red satin dress with sequined applique netting panels. This dress on her was a new costume and I loved it! I really liked the flowy volants (ruffles) in the dress and I think it was a wise choice to have her wear this. Andrew's costume of slate-gray shirt and dark gray pants didn't change. And in case you were wondering what she had worn previously...
Cowl neck Slip Dress Kaitlyn--Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje of Canada
Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier of Canada Short Dance to Bossa Nova: Bossa Cubana and Mambo: Gopher Mambo--Piper wore an aquamarine and black Devore velvet-like dress with an open back and GORGEOUS gold jeweled sequins on her upper torso. And Paul...well, he started with black pants and sequined black top but then...halfway through their skate, she ripped his sleeves, revealing Cha-Cha ruffles of a similar fabrication to her dress. While it was gimmicky, I liked it! He definitely needed a style element of fun and the ruffles did it.
**NEW COSTUMES ALERT**Free Dance to The Chase Bond Theme (Octopussy soundtrack), The Palace Fight (Octopussy soundtrack),Thunderball (Thunderball soundtrack) and Yo Yo Fight and Death of Vijay (Octopussy soundtrack) by John Barry--For their Free Dance, the Canadian Ice Dance couple changed their program music from what they had been skating to all season long (music to "Perry Mason") to a James Bond one. I actually loved these costumes and hers especially was one of THE MOST BEAUTIFUL COSTUMES I saw for Ice Dance at the 2018 Winter Olympics! Piper wore a chartreuse-colored satin draped dress with gorgeous sequined applique; she looked like a Hollywood Glamour Diva from the 1940's. And Paul looked very dapper and elegant in a wonderfully-fitting shawl collar tuxedo. These were a SUPER WONDERFUL costume change from the not-so-cute designs they had worn before (to the "Perry Mason" music Free Dance this past 2017-2018 Season):
Maia and Alex Shibutani of USA Short Dance to Mambo: Mambo No. 5 by Perez Prado; Cha Cha: Cherry Pink And Apple Blossom White by Perez Prado and Samba: Mambo Jumbo/Mambo No. 8 by Perez Prado--I LOVED these costumes worn by Maia and Alex Shibutani--the "Shib Sibs". These were BRAVO, BRAVO, BRAVO! I thought her bubblegum pink with gold and silver crystals dress designed and created by Lisa McKinnon was A STUNNER. And Alex was no Costume Chopped Liver: I thought his nude bedazzled shirt with black pants look was sexy and a perfect costume partner to her colorful eye candy costume.
Free Dance to Paradise by Coldplay: For their Free Dance, they went much more subdued--keeping in mind their emotional and modern music. I liked the red and black colors and I especially liked her softly draped chiffon dress featuring subtle hints of ombre dying. I also appreciated how his shirt perfectly matched her dress coloring. This might not have been as impressive as their Short Dance costumes but they were quietly beautiful and appropriate for this Free Dance.
Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir of Canada Short Dance to Samba: Sympathy for the Devil by The Rolling Stones; Rhumba: Hotel California by The Eagles; and Cha Cha: Oye Como Va by Santana--I have one word to say for these costumes: WOW. Tessa's design involved a see-through cheetah print look with fringe and GORGEOUS gold jeweled sequined embellishment. It also featured a very sexy scooped open back. I loved it all! And then, there was Scott: Oh Huney, that sequined black-and-nude top was EVERYTHING! They both looked Samba and Rhumba Fabuloso! In case you were paying attention, the costumes above were different from what they had worn for their Short Dance of the 2018 Winter Olympics Team competition:
Which one do you guys liked best? Tessa's Team Short Dance Costume (Left) or the one in the main Ice Dance competition (Right)? It's a toss-up for me. While I definitely LOVED the newer one worn for the Team competition which gave me "Balmain"-like fashion vibes, I was always a fan of the cheetah-printed one.
Free Skate to Roxanne and Come What May (from "Moulin Rouge" soundtrack): For their Free Skate, they wore these looks above...and won the gold! For Tessa, it was a Cabernet red fishtail hem costume with pointed edge neckline featuring delicate beading. Scott's look involved a see-though and solid black top and pants. I especially loved the top with the crystal embellishment. He looked sexy hot! Her costume, by the way, was a change from what we had seen her wear before:
(L to R) Stretch Velvet Tessa (2018 Canadian Nationals); Red Flowered Tessa (2018 Olympics Team); and Pointed Neckline Tessa (2018 Winter Olympics Ice Dance Finals)...Which look on Tessa did you guys liked most?
And in case you were paying attention--Scott's costume--his top, specifically, got a beading upgrade for his 2018 Olympics look as you can see from the 2018 Canadian Nationals look (Left) compared to above his top at the 2018 PyeingChang Winter Olympics Ice Dance Finals (Right)
GOLDEN COUPLE--CONGRATULATIONS CANADA and Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir!!!
February 20, 2018
FASHION WITH A PASSION.....Fashion With A Passion 2018 Event at FIDM San Diego March 24th
Fashion With A Passion 2018--Nick Verreos with models in his NIKOLAKI gowns at last year's "Fashion With A Passion 2017" Make-A-Wish San Diego event, FIDM San Diego
I am SO EXCITED to announce that I have been invited (for a consecutive year!) to take part in the WONDERFUL Make-A-Wish San Diego "Fashion With A Passion" Event Presented by the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising/FIDM at the FIDM San Diego campus!
"Fashion With A Passion 2018" Event featuring Nick Verreos and his NIKOLAKI gown collection at FIDM San Diego
Since 1980, Make-A-Wish has provided children and their families with a life-affirming experience in the midst of a challenging time. A wish can bring a sense of normalcy, change a child's mental state and provide much-needed respite for a family. "Fashion With A Passion" is a very special event benefiting Make-A-Wish San Diego that helps children have their wish come true as well as use fashion for a great cause.
The sensational fashion event will feature:
*Food and wine
*Marvelous vendor village with Pop-up Boutiques
*Make-up artists, jewelry designers
*A Fashion Swap as well as Silent Auction, and...
A very special FASHION SHOW showcasing my NIKOLAKI red carpet gowns! (Photos of models above from last year's "Fashion With A Passion 2017" Event)
Here are all the DETAILS:
WHAT--"Fashion With A Passion" Fashion Event featuring NIKOLAKI Fashion Show with Nick Verreos Benefiting Make-A-Wish San Diego Presented by FIDM
WHEN--Saturday March 24, 2018, 11:00 AM - 3:30 PM
WHERE--FIDM San Diego, 350 10th Avenue, #300 (3rd Floor), San Diego California 92101
TICKETS--The earlier you purchase your TICKETS, the better (in terms of price!):
*Early Bird: January 2-February 28th
-General Admission (includes Admission, Food, Beverages & Swag Bag): $40
-VIP Tickets (Admission, Food, Beverages, complimentary parking, reserved seating for fashion show, welcome Champagne cocktail, early admission to SHOP!, enhanced Swag Bag & private reception with a "Wish Kid" and her family): $100
*General Admission: March 1st-March 23rd, at 5PM
-General Admission: $45
-VIP Tickets: $125
*At The Door--Tickets will be available to purchase at the door, day of the event
-General Admission: $55
-VIP: $125
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Click HERE!
And...SEE YOU March 24th for "FASHION WITH A PASSION"!
February 18, 2018
ICE STYLE.....2018 Winter Olympics Figure Skating Costumes RECAP: MEN'S COSTUMES
Yuzuru Hanyu of Japan during his gold medal winning Free Skate at 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, Gangneung Ice Arena, South Korea
In my last ICE STYLE blog post HERE, I discussed some of my FAVORITE PAIRS figure skating costumes from the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics and now it is time for the MEN. A few days ago, the Finals of the MEN'S Figure Skating competition took place with twenty-four men competing for that magical Olympic moment. In the end, no one could dethrone THE KING: Japan's Yuzuru Hanyu. It was a great championship including Nathan Chen! THE SIX QUAD KING! But, enough about that, it's time to talk about THEIR COSTUMES!
Here are some of my COSTUMES HIGHLIGHTS of the MEN from their Short Programs and Free Skates--Let's begin with the German "Jaime Lannister":
Paul Fentz of Germany Free Skate to Game of Thrones (soundtrack)--As much as I watch figure skating and (almost) each and every one of the international competitions, and as much as I cover the costumes of figure skating...somehow I missed this GEM of a costume: Paul Fentz from Germany in a Jaime Lannister "Game of Thrones" getup! While in terms of going with the theme and music, he was spot-on, it's just the costume looked a little bit as if he had bought it from a costume shop for like $39.99. Well, at least people on the Twittersphere went cosplay CRAY-CRAY for him.
Michal Brezina of Czech Republic Short Program to Kodo (Japanese Drums)--Michal skated his Short Program in this black and white costume featuring a skin-tight top with crystal studded dragon-like motifs. I really liked the sequined dragons on his top and style elements of those Kodo drummers with the cinched-at-the-ankle pants and white-tie wrists. Above all, I was just happy he cut his hair and wasn't featuring that douchey hipster top-knot hair I had last seen him with:
Top Knot Michal: NO.
Deniss Vasiljevs of Latvia Free Skate to Put the Blame On Mame by Doctor 3, Anyone to Love and Sway by Michael Buble--For his Free Skate, Deniss went for a "Lead Singer of a Las Vegas Band"-look with his shimmering costume. The look had tuxedo-like pants, dress shirt and a jacket featuring one gold metallic side as well as a blue one. The overall look was a bit Eurovision "kooky".
Keiji Tanaka of Japan Free Skate to Amarcord, Le Notti di Cabiria, La Paaserella di Otto e Mezzo by Nino Rota--Tanaka skated his Free Skate to a selection of music from famed Italian composer Nino Rota (known for his film scores for Fellini). Therefore, I expected color, bold and fun, and he gave me all those with this costume of a royal blue-and-black jacket, striped shirt and skin-tight "jeans". While I LOVED the colors, I was especially fond of his skin-tight skater leggings/jeans; the perfect indigo denim blue, the top-stitching...they were so Disco 1970's Jordache !
Misha Ge of Uzbekistan Short Program to Ave Maria by Giulio Caccini performed by Ikuko Kawai: Misha Ge is one of my FAVORITE male figure skaters. I love his skating but I especially LOVE how he BOWS after his skate like a Bolshoi Ballet Dancer! Oh, and yeah, he also embraces fab costumes. For his Short Program, Misha wore this above. It is a bit "Game of Thrones" Medieval-like in its colors, details and macabre red-and-black details. I liked the asymmetry of the top, sequined embellishment and his low-slung sequined "triple belted" top: So 90's Retro Fab.
Dmitri Aliev of Olympic Athlete from Russia Short Program to Masquerade Waltz by Aram Khatchaturian--I loved this costume. The "Admiral"-like costume featured a red/maroon colored double-breasted snug-fitting stretch jacket, gorgeous collar and cuffs with sequined appliques and those great frilly epaulets. With the accompaniment of the sweeping music and this costume, I was almost transported to a fabulous ball in Imperialist Russia.
Free Skate to To Build A Home by Cinematic Orchestra, The Winner Is (from "Little Miss Sunshine" soundtrack) and How It Ends (from "Little Miss Sunshine" soundtrack) by Mychael Danner & DeVotchKa--I have said this before and it bears repeating: I do love when a male figure skater wears a draped top/costume. Full stop. I love that they are strong enough in their so-called masculinity to wear a soft, draped look, usually reserved for the ladies. So, yes, I do like this purple draped costume worn by Russia's Dmitri Aliev. I also liked the little details, such as the side sequined "buckle" and his purple stretch chiffon-covered hands. This was sublime.
Mikhail Kolyada of Olympic Athlete from Russia Short Program to Piano Concerto No. 23 in A Major by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Tango. I loved this black and white costume from Kolyada. It was sleek, fit him well, and featured enough "sparkle" to make me happy.
Free Skate to to Steamroller Blues, Can't Help Falling In Love, Rip It Up by Elvis Presley--Mikhail did Elvis proud with an interpretation of one of his famous costume looks. I liked the details, especially the front torso jeweled sequins, purple scarf and crystal studded back yoke. Once again, the super slim fit was perfect!
Jin Boyang Jin China Short Program to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (soundtrack) by Tan Dun--For his Short Program, Jin Boyang wore this all black costume that had the detailing of a traditional Chinese robe, but reinterpreted in a modern way. The entire look was slim, sleek and minimal. I liked how the interest was kept on top and loved the "harness"-like costume details.
Free Skate to Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen, performed by Jeff Buckley--I thought this was quite beautiful, in terms of a costume. It was romantic, sensual and quietly elegant...like the "Hallelujah" music he skated to. I LOVE seeing male figure skaters wear softly draped tops such as these. It might not have been much of a costume (it's just a red top and black pants after all!) but I appreciated it, especially the cowl draping!
Vincent Zhou Short Program to Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol--He wore this lilac-hued shirt and dark lilac/gray skin-tight pants designed by Lisa McKinnon who also designed many of the other top figure skaters including Olympic gold medal winner Aljona Savchenko . The shirt featured beautiful crystals throughout but it was the white tank/shirt underneath that made it slightly too "Casual Fridays" for my taste; I'm just not a fan of the under t-shirt showing, so I would have preferred no undershirt.
Free Skate to Moulin Rouge (soundtrack): Zhou wore this red-and-black costume for his "Moulin Rouge" Free Skate. This costume, which was designed by Ladu Design , featured a red and black color theme. I especially liked the beautiful sequin detail that was delicately placed at the shirt's shoulders and one side of the front.
Nathan Chen of USA Short Program to Nemesis by Benjamin Clementine--Nathan wore this black-and-white costume for his Short Program at the 2018 Winter Olympics. The design was done by Vera Wang and her team. Wang is not a stranger to figure skating costumes since, as we all know, she famously designed the costume for 1994 Olympic Silver medalist Nancy Kerrigan, Michelle Kwan (on many occasions), as well as 2010 Olympic Champion Evan Lysacek (who now works for Wang). This costume featured a sleek Lycra black long sleeve mock-neck shirt with a bold white section on one side of it as well as one sleeve. He wore black skin-tight pants to go with the top. It was a very linear look. This was a nice look for Nathan and a COSTUME CHANGE from what he last wore to this Short Program--also designed by Vera Wang:
Do we like this (above) or what he wore at the 2018 Winter Olympics?
Free Skate to Mao's Last Dancer (soundtrack) by Christopher Gordon--For his Free Skate, Nathan also debuted a new costume--also by Vera Wang--This was different from what he last wore for this Free Skate (also from Vera Wang) at the 2018 U.S. Nationals. Once again, it was a black and white costume--featuring a white stand-up band collar, black top and pants and gray sleeves. While I liked the clean, directional design, I have to admit, I was a bit disappointed with BOTH of his costumes--especially when it is Vera Wang. Many fashionistas were expecting SOMETHING...and these two costumes were not that. But I do understand how they were VERY Vera Wang-aesthetic and Nathan-like (no fussy, sequined CRAY-CRAY). In case you are wondering, this is what he last wore to the same Free Skate (by Vera Wang) at the 2018 U.S. Figure Skating Championships:
Nathan Chen in Vera Wang, at the 2018 U.S Figure Skating Championships San Jose California
Adam Rippon Short Program to Let Me Think About It (Eddie Thoneick Remix) performed by Ida Carr feat. Fedde Le Grand--I LOVED this costume--designed by Braden Overett and Veretto Sport--worn by Adam for his fab dance music Short Program. I really like the faux leather panels and the rhinestones accenting the top. Throw in that center front zipper and sheer stretch chiffon and Adam is ready to hit the dance floor! I just want to know if I can join him!? The costume is like Figure Skating Meets The Abbey! And just in case you are paying attention (and a figure skating costume fan), the top Adam wore for the 2018 Winter Olympics Short Program was a teeny bit different than what he had been wearing before:
Before: Longer sleeves!
Free Skate to Arrival of the Birds ("Crimson Wing" soundtrack) by The Cinematic Orchestra
O by Coldplay--THIS WAS GORGEOUS! The look--also designed/created by Braden Overett --included blue skin tight pants and a second-skin sequined top. That top was OUTSTANDING: This, ladies and gentlemen IS Figure Skating Haute Couture! There were hints of the sky and bird's wings (to go along with the music) in the sequined designs of the top which I really loved, and against the crisp white ice, the colors and crystals stood out like a fabulous and glorious peacock! In person, the crystals lit up the entire arena! Bravo Adam and Bravo Braden! And by the way, in case you were paying attention...what he wore for his Olympic Free Skate above was different than what he chose to wear for his TEAM competition Free Skate:
Which Top Do You Like The Best?--(Left) Adam Rippon during the 2018 Winter Olympics Team Figure Skating Competition doing his Free Skate representing the U.S.A., and (R) during the Men's Figure Skating Free Skate 2018 Winter Olympics
Javier Fernandez of Spain Short Program to Modern Times (Charlie Chaplin soundtrack): Spaniard Javier Fernandez was a sleek-and-sexy Charlie Chaplin with this costume that he wore for his Short Program. The look comprised of snug gray pants, a second-skin black stretch velvet jacket and white shirt. The jacket had nice details like sequined trim, satin lapels and a fab flower-like lapel "rosette". It was sharp and fit him well yet still had elements of the character he was playing.
Free Skate to Man of La Mancha: I really liked this "Conquistador"-style costume design worn by Fernandez for his Free Skate. The design featured a beautifully pleated blouse with ruffled neckline and sleeve cuffs, as well as high-waisted pants. While I'm not necessarily a fan of the beige-and-black costume color story (so not exciting), it was fine for the theme of his skate and at least, that blouse had those gorgeous details of the mini-pleating.
Shoma Uno of Japan Short Program to Winter (from "Four Seasons") by Antonio Vivaldi--Shoma Uno wore this costume above for his Short Program and I loved it! The Ombré dyed stretch velvet combined with the beautiful bead-work that mimicked ice crystals made for a fabulous look.
Free Skate to Turandot, Nessun Dorma (from "Turandot") by Giacomo Puccini, performed by Jose Carreras--Shoma Uno's costume for his Free Skate consisted of black pants and an intricately detailed royal blue top. The top was striking and impacting, featuring a "plunging neckline" (demurely covered by nude illusion), and gold sequin applique highlighting his neckline and upper torso. It's obvious Shoma Uno LOVES a FABULOUS top for his skates and this follows this style pattern. I liked the "Costume Period"-like design and the colors and sequined embellishment were quite fantastic.
Yuzuru Hanyu of Japan Short Program to Ballade No. 1 by Frederic Chopin--For this Short Program, Yuzuru Hanyu wore this blouson-style ombre-shaded blue-white blouse with sequined embellishment, a gold cummerbund and black stretch velvet pants. If this costume looks familiar (if you are a figure skating costume fan!), it is because we have (kind of) seen it before: For this 2017-2018 Olympic Season, Hanyu has gone back to the same Short Program Music and (almost) the same Costume that he used for the 2014-15, 2015-16 Seasons. The look above is the costume he debuted at the Rostelecom Cup of Russia 2017 but it is a variation on what he has worn before...
Costume Adjustments: MINOR adjustments to the same costume--(L to R) 2014-15, 2015-2016 and now. The "New & Improved" version includes basically the same ombre-dyed blouson top with crystals but gold beading was added to the mock-neckband. He also used the same gold cummerbund as in the previous season.
Free Skate to Seimei (soundtrack) by Shigeru Umebayashi: For his Free Skate, Yuzuru also went back to a previous Free Skate Program from a couple of seasons ago and he also used the (almost) same costume but with minor sequin adjustments. The costume he wore was elegant and right for the music. In case you are wondering, this is what he wore before, which had more sequin embellishment in the top section...
Old Costume=More Sequined Appliques--Do you guys like this one above or the one worn at the 2018 Olympics?
CONGRATULATIONS...
Top Three Boys--(L to R) Silver medalist, Japan's Shoma Uno; Gold medalist Yuzuru Hanyu, and bronze medalist Javier Fernandez of Spain--2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics Men's Figure Skating Finals
Yuzuru Pooh Bear Ice--Winnie The Pooh bears on the 2018 PyeongChang ice, following Yuzuru Hanyu's skate--2018 PyeongChnag Winter Olympics
THE KING!!! Olympic gold medal winner Yuzuru Hanyu of Japan (center) at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics Medals Ceremony
**UP NEXT: ICE DANCE COSTUMES RECAP of the 2018 Winter Olympics!!
February 15, 2018
ICE STYLE.....2018 Winter Olympics Figure Skating Costumes RECAP: PAIRS COSTUMES
Golden Couple--Germany's Aljona Savchenko and Bruno Massot at the end of the Gold medal-winning skate at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics
Last night were the Finals of the 2018 Winter Olympics Figure Skating Pairs competition in Gangneung Ice Arena, Gangneung South Korea. It was THE BEST PAIRS FIGURE SKATING COMPETITION EVAHHH!!!! I was on the edge of my sofa watching it and hoping/wishing/praying that somehow, some way...the FABULOUS DIVA and two-time Olympic bronze medalist Aljona Savchenko would FINALLY win her Gold. And she did!!
Aljona Savchenko and Bruno Massot of Germany, following their gold medal-winning skate at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics
Along with her pairs partner Bruno Massot (she is originally from the Ukraine and he is from France), the team won the Gold for Germany and in the most AMAZING fashion. It was EVERYTHING and a perfect example of why I watch and LOVE figure skating. But enough of that...time to discuss the PAIRS COSTUMES!!!
Let's begin with the US pair:
Alexa Scimeca-Knierim and Christopher Knierim Short Program to Come What May (Moulin Rouge soundtrack)--Alexa and Chris skated their Short Program wearing these costumes above. Alexa wore a pretty golden/nude colored costume--designed by Skating Costume Goddess Lisa McKinnon --with gorgeous beading throughout and a lilac/violet colored belt/waistband. I thought she looked like a "Red Carpet Satine" in her look, very on-trend and very pretty. Christopher's costume (of the same color as her waistband) involved a delicately beaded shirt, with matching-color pants. When they last wore this, during the 2018 U.S. Nationals, his shirt was un-tucked and it annoyed me and I said HERE that I wish it wasn't. Well, I guess someone read my blog! Thank you Chris.
Free Skate to Ghost - The Musical by David A. Stewart, Glen Ballard--For their Free Skate, Alexa and Chris wore these looks above which I thought were modern and sleek. Alexa's dress featured a lilac-hued ombre color and clean/un-fussy design and I loved the sexy open back. Christopher's look was more on the un-costume costume world of the "Max Aaron School of Costuming" with his very tight silver-gray asymmetrical top and black pants. He also looked quite sexy and it was wise to make those sleeves as tight as they could be, showing off his very toned biceps. Overall--in terms of their skating--I just wished they had more emotion, more passion. For a married couple, it seems strange how much of that they lacked, particularly Chris; the entire time he looked as if he was waiting for his bread to toast.
Nicole Della Monica and Matteo Guarise of Italy Short Program to Magnificat by Mina--OK, let me be frank: I could CARE LESS what they skated to when they looked this HOT! HOT! HOT! I loved these lavender costumes featuring ombre-dye coloring and sequined applique embellishments. I liked her little costume with long sleeves and handkerchief-hemmed skirt section. But can we discuss MATTEO GUARISE!!??? Mamma mia!!! His body is INSANE! Oh, and yes, I loved his costume. First, the fit was perfection.
Free Skate to The Tree Of Life by Roberto Cacciapagua--Once again, these Italians are making me swoon with just looking at how SEXY they look! I really liked these costumes from head to toe! The colors were vibrant and ice-impacting and they looked like a wonderful and sexy sea/earth flora-and-fauna God and Goddess in these.
Valentina Marchei and Ondrej Hotarek of Italy Short Program to Tu vuo fa l'Americano by Renato Carosone--The music and program was SOOOO Italian, they should have served the judges some Limoncello after they skated! The colors and fun presentation were a welcomed respite from the usually more serious Pairs programs. Ondrej wore black pants, tight white dress shirt and red polka dotted neck-scarf. He looked like the waiter at a fun pizza restaurant, and Valentina wore this red mini dress using the same polka dotted print for the skirt. I especially liked the crystals that were strewn throughout her tights.
Free Skate to Amarcord by Nino Rota--Once again, Marchei and Hotarek went the Italiano route; this time for their Free Skate, they skated to the music of the Academy Award-winning Federico Fellini film "Amarcord". They were bold and fun in their "Harlequin" print embellished costumes in black, red and white. It was kooky and slightly "Circus"-like. But visually, at least it got me to pay attention. Fun and bold: Me Piace!(I LIKE IT!).
Vanessa James and Morgan Cipres of France Short Program to Make It Rain by Foy Vance performed by Ed Sheeran arranged by Maxime Rodriguez--Vanessa wore a bright royal blue "Versace"-like design featuring strap detail, crystals and overall styling reminiscent of the 90's heydays of Gianni Versace. I could care less if the music or program had NOTHING to do with the Italian designer or 90's Supermodels because I loved her costume! And now, it's time for Morgan: While I do not complain when I see something SUPER TIGHT and SUPER SEXY on Morgan Cipres (Bonjour Morgan!!), this was a bit of a disjointed mess. I give them points for trying to bring in her royal blue color with his strap detail, but...this was just odd. He should have dumped that vest and belt and just keep that see-through super sexy plunging v-neck top. Add tiny royal blue crystals on it...and call it a COSTUME day! Merci.
Free Skate to Sound of Silence by Simon & Garfunkel performed by Disturbed, arranged by Maxime Rodriguez--The French pairs team went back to their 2016-2017 Free Skate with his music and program. In terms of their costumes, they were sleek and sexy, just like their skating. Vanessa wore a black jumpsuit/unitard with a faux leather-like strappy harness on her upper torso. I liked the modernity of it. We know she loves a jumpsuit/unitard so this was not a surprise. Morgan was a bit of a costume disappointment since he looked as if her just went to Zara and called it a day...
In case you were wondering, this above is what they last wore for this same program last season
Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford of Canada Short Program to With Or Without You by U2 performed by April Meservy--Meagan's look featured a sheer tank with deep blue lace overlay including delicate silver beading. I thought she looked pretty, sexy and modern. Eric looked sleek and fab in his matching deep blue "Western Shirt"-inspired top that had delicate rhinestone details at the collar, shoulder and sleeve bands. Oh, and yes, he wore a pair of nice super-tight black pants. While we have seen these costumes before at the end of last year and at the 2018 Canadian Nationals, this was a COSTUME CHANGE from what they last wore at Skate Canada International 2017 for the Short Program...
I am happy they changed because these were just plain odd, especially hers. Come to think of it, maybe they knew it and that's why they changed.
Free Skate to Neutron Star Collision by Matthew Bellamy, I Belong To You (Mon coeur s'ouvre a ta voix) from "Samson and Dalilah" by Camille Saint-Saens, and Uprising by Matthew Bellamy performed by Muse--If I am not mistaken, these were new costumes for this Free Skate, debuted at the Olympics last week for the Team Event...and I liked them! Meagan's maroon colored halter-style costume featured GORGEOUS jeweled sequins in the neckline which accentuated her incredible shoulders, as well as a handkerchief hem skirt which elongated her petite frame. I especially LOVED Eric's cowl draped top with see-through chiffon side panels. It was pretty, matched her dress and had enough stage impact. Now, going back to the Costume Change...Meagan and Eric love a Costume Change and especially for their Free Skate; they literally CHANGED THEIR COSTUMES almost every single time they skated:
Gold? Red? Or Blue? Costumes worn by Canada's Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford for their Season 2017-2018 Free Skate
Natalia Zabiiako and Alexander Enbert of Olympic Athlete from Russia Free Skate to Too Close by Alex Clare (Evan Duffy Cover) , I love you much too much by Bob Zurke and The Sleeping Beauty by Petr I. Tchaikovski--Since the nation of Russia was not allowed to compete under the name "Russia", all their athletes come from the banner "Olympic Athlete from Russia". Now, in terms of their costumes: These lovely looks are what they wore for their Free Skate. They were quietly elegant if not rather "basic" but not in a bad way. The music was classical, yet instead of going the tutu route, they went for 90's slip dress sleek. They did, however, allow for a little bit of sparkle when toward the end of their program, they flipped their necklines, and exposed hidden sequin embellishments in a kind of "costume change" flourish (see photos above for before and after the "costume flip". It was meant to reflect going from "practice to performance"...cleaver, but also a tad gimmicky.
Evgenia Tarasova and Vladimir Morozov of Olympic Athlete from Russia Short Program to Piano Concerto No. 2 by Sergei Rachmaninov--I thought these costumes were quite unique and fabulous. I loved the wrapping-around red ties and black background. While they did give me a feel of blood slashed through their bodies, the costumes still seemed sublime and almost pretty. I also really liked how they matched! (what a novel costume idea for Pairs??!!).
Free Skate to Candyman by Christina Aguilera--For their Free Skate for the 2017-2018 Season, Tarasova and Morozov decided to go "Kooky" as you can see above. While I guess there were hints of the WWII 40's Milk Shake Diner Style to these looks, they were still more "The Mask" than "Candyman". I don't know but these costumes just seem a little too "comical", especially for an Olympic year skate as many commentators pointed out (Hello Tara Lapinski & Johnny Weir!).
Xiaoyu Yu and Hao Zhang of China Free Skate to Star Wars (soundtrack): While I liked both of these costumes, I especially loved the blue chiffon costume on her! The gathered bodice design featured gorgeous sequined trim at the plunging neckline, armholes and waist and a fabulous neck drape. This dress could easily go from ice to the red carpet! Now, for Hao Zhang, I thought his top was great with its Star Wars-meets-Star Trek-like details; I especially loved how the crystals on his shirt look like mini buttons lighting up on a "Star Wars" ship!
Wenjing Sui and Cong Han of China Short Program to Hallelujah--I LOVE this Chinese Pairs couple, not just for their skating but, yes, their costumes as well. They are bringing the Haute in Haute Couture Figure Skating Costumes with these looks above worn for their Short Program. Her scarlet red costume was BEAUTIFUL; I loved the sequin work that went from heavy to light--as if a gorgeous Swarovski crystal mirror had broken and ended up beautifully on her costume! And he was not left behind with a beautifully-embellished "Dragon" sequined top. LOVE LOVE LOVE.
Free Skate to Violin Fantasy on Puccini's Turandot by Vanessa-Mae and Nessun Dorma (from "Turandot") by Giacomo Puccini, performed by Luciano Pavarotti--These costumes worn for their Free Skate were two of the MOST BEAUTIFUL COSTUMES I have seen in a long time on Pairs skaters. They were bold, right for the music and looked super ice skating COUTURE...I can go on and on. I loved the sequined applique on her gorgeous red dress but that gold and silver dragon on his shirt was EVERYTHING!
Tae Ok Ryom and Ju Sik Kim of North Korea Short Program to A Day in the Life by Paul McCartney, John Lennon, performed by Jeff Beck--This is the North Korean pairs couple EVERYONE is talking about so, naturally, I was excited to discuss their costumes. Anyone thinking that since they came from poverty-stricken North Korea that their costumes would be, let's just say Not-So-Mucheey, they were sadly mistaken: They looked FAB! They skated their Short Program in these black jumpsuit ensembles featuring silver and gray metallic, jeweled sequins and Rock & Roll-like accessories--like her arm bands. I liked the matching asymmetrical waist/hip details and his sheer side panels, encrusted with crystals. These reflected the music and had nice stage impact.
Free Skate to Je suis qu'une chanson by Diane Justler, performed by Ginette Reno--For their Free Skate, they wore the costumes above, which were quite similar in silhouette to their Short program but with slight changes. She looked quite sexy in her halter-style jumpsuit/unitard with silver beading and illusion neckline and I really liked the sheer swirl patterns on her legs. Finally, his look comprised of black pants and top was sleek and directional. I especially loved his tank-top/short sleeve shirt design featuring similar sheer panels seen on her costume. Overall, these were great fashionable looks from this North Korean pairs team. whoever is designing these looks and helping out with their image is doing an A+ job!
Let's finish with the Gold medalists from Germany:
Aljona Savchenko and Bruno Massot of Germany Short Program to That Man performed by Caro Emerald--I absolutely LOVED this new costume worn by Aljona for her Short program! The minute she stepped on the ice I had one word: WOW. The crystals, sequins, fringe, sheer waist panel...it was GLORIOUS 1920's Flapper "Great Gatsby" DIVA! Sorry Bruno, you looked cute and I loved your little bow tie but...it was ALL ABOUT Miss Savchenko! Her costume, by the way, was designed and created by:
Lisa McKinnon. Of course. Fab job Lisa!
And in case you were wondering, these were the costumes they wore when they skated to this music/program last season (Season 2016-2017):
While I think these are cute and the salmon pink color is nice, the new one is MUCH BETTER!
Free Skate to La Terre vue du ciel by Armand Amar, edited by Maxime Rodriguez: For their Olympic gold medal winning Free Skate, the German Pairs couple of Savchenko and Massot wore these lilac-hued costumes above. I LOVED Aljona's white-and-lilac ombre dyed costume which featured gathered upper torso and a sequined neckband. The costume also had a center front nude illusion panel and diamante-studded waistband. I especially LOVED the front gathered section and that bejeweled neckline! Bruno matched her costume with his top and while it was OK, once again, this was all about (costume-wise) Aljona darlings! Her costume was another great design from...
Lisa McKinnon
And, for those inquiring minds...while she has worn this before, it was a COSTUME CHANGE from what she last wore for their Free Skate earlier in the season last year at...
2017 Skate Canada International
CONGRATULATIONS...
To all the Top Three Medalists: (L to R) China's Wenjing Sui and Cong Han (Silver), Germany's Aljona Savchenko and Bruno Massot (Gold) and Canada's Meagan Duhamel and Rric Radford (Bronze)
Bravo Savchenko and Massot!
**Stay tuned here on my ICE STYLE BLOG for more Costumes Recaps of the 2018 Winter Olympics Figure Skating!!
February 14, 2018
FIDM.....FIDM San Diego Open House 2018: My Special Appearance PHOTO BLOG RECAP!
Time for FIDM San Diego Open House...Nick Verreos at FIDM San Diego Open House 2018
This past weekend, I drove to San Diego for a "Special Appearance" at the WONDERFUL Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising/FIDM San Diego campus for their Open House. FIDM Open House is an event where students (and their family members) who are interested in a career in Fashion, Visual Arts, Interior Design and Entertainment get a chance to tour the campus, check out student work, meet instructors and alumni as well as...get a chance to MEET ME!!!
Nick Time--FIDM San Diego Open House
I always LOVE visiting all the FIDM campuses and doing my "Special Appearance"/Lecture for FIDM Open House where I talk about my beginnings, how I got into sketching, my passion for fashion and lastly, how FIDM helped me fulfill my dreams. I try to inspire future students thinking about attending the college, how to get the best out of their time in school, and proceed on a path to success.
Here is my PHOTO RECAP of my "Special Appearance" at the wonderful FIDM San Diego Open House including my Lecture and post-appearance Meet & Greet...
"When I was a little boy in Venezuela..."--Nick Verreos during his Lecture at FIDM San Diego Open House
Group Photo!--Nick Verreos with attendees at FIDM San Diego Open House
Custom Tote Bag--Nick Verreos sketching and signing a FIDM tote bag raffle winner, Lindsey, won at FIDM San Diego Open House
Meet & Greet Photos--One of the best parts of my Appearance is meeting everyone afterward and getting to take photos and giving any advice they request--here are photos:
Nick Verreos with FIDM San Diego Open House attendees during the "Meet & Greet", FIDM San Diego
As a bonus to my visit to FIDM San Diego, I even got an early Birthday present from Christina Haynes, an FIDM San Diego Advisor...she surprised me with a BEAUTIFUL...
1953 Vintage Ice Skates "Ice Follies" Souvenir Pin!! OMG!!! Just in time to wear while watching 2018 Winter Olympics figure Skating!!!
THANK YOU TO EVERYONE who attended this past weekend's FIDM San Diego Open House!!! #FIDMSanDiego #FIDMSD #FIDMSDOpenHouse
February 10, 2018
OLYMPIC STYLE.....TOP TEN BEST PyeongChang Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony Uniforms!
Flag Bearer Style--(L to R) German Madrazo (Mexico), Ngozi Onwimere (Nigeria), Pita Taufatofua (Tonga), and Abzal Azhgaliyev (Kazakhstan)--PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony
Two nights ago was the official Opening Ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympics, officially known as XXIII Winter Olympics and commonly as PyeongChang 2018. The Ceremony was held at the Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium and featured extraordinary performances, light shows, fireworks and even an incredible Drone Show (it's 2018!)....
Performers from the 2018 Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony, Pyeongchang South Korea
All in all, it was an elegant yet simple show put on a grand scale highlighting the Korean culture beautifully. While I do enjoy seeing the "show" part of the Opening Ceremony, my FAVORITE part is the "parade of Nations" when all the countries (and their athletes) participating enter the stadium and we get to see their uniforms/outfits--or lack thereof (Hello Hot Shirtless Pita!).
2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony
Now, in terms of the different countries and their uniforms and OLYMPIC STYLE, the weather was an important factor since it is VERY VERY COLD in Pyeongchang and well, not much of a choice of what the athletes and Opening Ceremony participants can wear except a bunch of bulky not-so-fashionable puffy jackets!
Standard Bearer Couture: Standard bearers (they hold up the countries names) at the Parade of Nations portion of the 2018 Winter Olympics
With that said, I wanted to discuss MY TOP TEN BEST Opening uniforms/outfits (and Most fab Flag Bearers) from the 2018 Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony. My criteria involved the following:
A) Can I see it from the "nose-bleed seats"/Does it stand out?;
B) Does it feature some semblance of STYLE and FASHION (I know, it's like 20 BELOW ZERO and very difficult to do something somewhat stylish for that kind of weather but...): and finally
C) When I'm watching on TV, does it cause me to put down my phone, stop looking at my Insta Stories and declare "now THAT'S a uniform!"
Before I get to my TOP TEN, I wanted first to briefly discuss three countries that ARE NOT IN MY TOP TEN LIST. Especially because they are three HUGE fashion nations and I am sure some readers here would probably ask "Nick! Why aren't France, Italy and USA here??!!" Well...
France: Designed by Lacoste, these all white outfits featured red and blue piping (reflecting the tri-color French flag) with one of the most tailored puffy jackets and an interesting asymmetrically place zipper. Unfortunately, none of the Opening Ceremony participants wore these...
They wore THIS:
NEXT...
Italy: Designed by Giorgio Armani (of course!). A blue outfit consisting of a long padded jacket with a hood made of technical fabric and matching trousers. Interesting fact: The first verse of the Italian national anthem is printed inside the jacket close to the heart. While all this is nice and the fact that ARMANI designed and created these, they were (how do you say this in Italiano?) MEH...not so exciting or to be honest... fashionable.
NEXT...
USA--As we all know, The American brand of Ralph Lauren designed and created these uniforms for the USA. They were all red, white and blue to represent the USA of course, featuring big puffy coats, skinny jeans, knit ski caps, "Icelandic" print sweaters, boots and gloves (we'll get to the gloves don't worry!). First the good: The sweaters were cute and vintage-like. I also liked the skinny jeans. Those were chic, sleek and right, especially for these .000003 % fat free perfect athletes' bodies. Unfortunately, after that, they all just looked like big ol' Mountaineering Style Messes. I know that Ralph Lauren is known for this "Americana/Montana/Trust-funder Skier look but it was just A LOT. The entire ensemble was bulky and frankly, unattractive. Again, I know it's FREEZING and they need to be covered up but there was just a lack of style.
And then, there were THOSE GLOVES:
OK, I'll just say it: THEY ARE NOT CUTE! Even the Washington Post said that these gloves look like "advanced falconry and amateur smelting". Ditto huney. On a good note: At least someone sitting in those cheap seats probably noticed those BIG OL' BROWN GLOVES...Good or bad!
Now that I got that out of the way...time for my TOP TEN FAVORITE Opening Ceremony Parade of Nations Outfits and TOP SIX MOST FAB Flag Bearers--Let's start with the Opening Night Outfits:
No. 1. Nigeria--In my Number One spot were the fabulous Nigerian bobsled team that lead their Nigerian contingency. Ngozi Gnwumere, who was born in Texas of Nigerian parents was the flag bearers and her team (the FIRST bobsled team from that country) accompanied her. they wore these GREAT green and white outfits that were fashionable, bold and kept them warm. The looks consisted of long coats in green and white, white pants and tops, black knee-high boots and those FABULOUS head wraps/turbans, or "Gele". They had style, gave nods to the Nigerian culture and were THE DEFINITION of what I expect to see at an Olympics Parade of Nations! Brava ladies!
No. 2 Norway: Norway comes in at my Number 2 position mainly because of these explosive and very eye-catching colors featured in their Opening Ceremony uniforms. When I am talking about "seeing it from the nose-bleed seats", THIS IT IT! The burnt-orange, bright blue colors popped on the stage and I also loved the "color-blocking" of how they were styled...spreading the blue-orange-blue evenly. Good job Norway!
No. 3 Canada--Canadian company Hudson Bay designed and created these VERY "Canada-centric" looks. And I loved them, especially for the bold red color and the fact that "CANADA" was printed like 50 times on their uniforms! (OK, maybe just THREE!) If there's a time to put the name of your country all over your outfits...it's AT THE WINTER OLYMPICS! In terms of their outfits, I liked the bright red tailored-and-padded coats with a gigantic maple leaf on the back, the ski caps and mittens (with maple leaf prints of course!), the contrasting black skinny pants, and those fabulous red boots! These were country proud, bold in color and stylish! A Win, Win, Win...GO CANADA!
No. 4 Slovenia--Once again, it's ALL ABOUT COLOR COLOR COLOR!!! The neon lime green colors of the Slovenian contingency were bold and fabulous! I also liked the slimming ski puffy jacket and pants. The athletic ensembles were designed by Chinese sportswear company PEAK and kudos to them!
No. 5. Netherlands--Even though the county's flag is red, white and blue, the color orange has come to symbolize The Netherlands and become a symbol of pride. So it is not a surprise that they wore this color in their uniforms for the Opening Ceremony...and I'm glad they did! Bold color to be noticed from the cheapest seats at the top! I also liked the matching orange-colored sneakers (which I would TOTALLY wear running on the treadmill in my garage!).
No. 6 Serbia--Unlike The Netherlands, Serbia's uniforms actually did match the colors of their flag: Red, white and blue. There were a lot of these red. white and blue looks on display and these were one of the better ones. I liked the late 70's-like color-blocked puffy vest with high neckline and the red ski-suit worn underneath. it was simple, effective and BOLDLY colorful!
No. 7 Puerto Rico--Here is another red, white and blue colored "uniform"--this time worn by Puerto Rico. I loved the bright red puffy jacket and although I would have liked the ski pants to be more sleek and fitted, they made up for it with those great white caps and gloves. I would have rather seen the USA wear these rather than and those bulky "Mountain Man" messes they actually wore.
8 Brazil--Repeat after me: COLOR COLOR COLOR!!! BOLD COLOR! Happy to see the bright blue and canary yellow colors on the winter outfits worn by Brazil. While they might not have that much "style" factor, I didn't care, since it was ALL ABOUT these bright colors.
No. 9 Kyrgyzstan--The red puffy coat is fab. It was lean and stylish. But more fab is that hat! The hat is a traditional Kyrgystan "Ak Kalpak", a white felt hat worn in the country and region. I love when the uniforms include something of the country's culture and so it made me smile to see it here. Thank you Kyrgyzstan.
No. 10 Colombia--Speaking of wearing something reflecting the culture of the country...I present to you: COLOMBIA! The white capes--or Ruanas--a type of outerwear typical of the Andes region of Colombia, were the STARS of the Colombian team's looks and therefore made my TOP TEN list!
And now...my TOP SIX Most FAB Flag Bearers:
No. 6 Sweden--Flag bearer Niklas Edin wore this metallic gold and navy blue puffy jacket that was EVERYTHING! Great way to stand out!
No. 5 New Zealand--While the rest of the Kiwi team uniforms were a bit of a let-down (all black--I know New Zealand's national rugby team are the "All Blacks" but seriously...these were boring...NOTHING!), Flag bearer Beau-James Wells, a free style skier, did GREAT by accessorizing it with a glorious Korowai. The traditional Maori full cloak is worn to celebrations such as weddings, birthdays, graduations and yes, even the Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony Parade of Nations!
No. 4 Mexico--Flag bearer German Madrazo, a cross-country skier, did his nation proud by donning a full-on Mariachi outfit--the Charro--including that hat! Once again, I kind of wished that the rest of his Mexican team would have worn it too!
No. 3 Kazakhstan--Flag bearer Abzal Azhgaliyev looked fabulous--and fabulously warm--in his fur-trimmed traditional Kazakh coat with gorgeous embroidery. While it might not have been as color-impacting as what the country's last flag bearer wore at the 2014 Sochi Olympics, it was still great:
Yerdov Akhmadiyev--Kazahkstan flag bearer from 2014 Sochi Olympics
2. Bermuda--At No. 2, I put Bermuda's flag bearer here in his navy blazer and yes, red Bermuda shorts. It was VERY VERY COLD in Pyeongchang so he gets points for wearing such "Summer weather' ensemble. Poor thing, just look at his nose:
It's COLD!!!!
But, this poor chap from Bermuda has NO RIGHT to complain of being cold or exposing his knees to such frigid weather when...
No. 1 Tonga--Pita Taufatofua takes the PRIZE for BEST and MOST FAB Flag Bearer at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics!! The Tongan Shirtless Hunk is BAAAACK!!!! And God Bless Him! No puffy coat, no ski hat, no boots, no UGLY Ralph Lauren gloves...just his oiled muscled torso, raffia skirt and flip flops!
Look at the rest of his team...and look at him! GOOOOO Pita!
High Fives Pita! Please come back for the Summer Olympics. Please.
