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Showing posts with label Evgenia Medvedeva. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Evgenia Medvedeva. Show all posts

Monday, 23 October 2017

ICE STYLE.....2017 Rostelecom Cup of Russia COSTUMES REVIEW: THE LADIES!

October 23, 2017 0 Comments



"Please Let Me Win Gold!'--Russian figure skater Evgenia Medvedeva closes hers eyes as she begins her Short Program at this weekend's 2017 Rostelecom Cup of Russia Grand Prix of Figure Skating competition, Moscow Russia



It's Grand Prix of Figure Skating Season!!! (as well as International Pageant Season! What a coincidence!). The first one is the 2017-18 Rostelecom Cup of Russia, held in Moscow over the weekend. In my previous post HERE, I discussed my thoughts on the MEN'S COSTUMES--and Yuzuru Hanyu's (almost) Costumes Repeats. Now, it's time to review the LADIES!






The Necklines Win!--Bedazzled necklines of some of the ladies' costumes seen at the 2017-18 Rostelecom Cup of Russia Grand Prix of Figure Skating: (Clockwise, L to R) Mirai Nagasu(USA), Mariah Bell(USA) and Wakaba Higuchi(Japan) 







Carolina Kostner of Italy: Italy's Carolina Kostner is BAAAACK! And kids, she is looking quite good! For her Short Program to Ne me quitte pas by Jacques Brel, performed by Celine Dion, she wore this Cabernet red colored costume which was simple, romantic and right for the iconic song. The red evoked passion, heart (notice the sweetheart neckline!)...while the oversized jeweled "straps" have a slight look of a delicately detailed gown. This costume was beautiful. in it's sublime qualities.







Free Skate to L'apres-midi d'un faun by Claude Debussy: For her Free Skate, Carolina wore this lilac-hued costume which honored the music and Nijinski ballet. I LOVED the leaf-like gathered tulle details and crystals that highlighted the upper torso. Nicely done Carolina!









Evgenia Medvedeva of Russia: Evgenia is an INCREDIBLE skater. SUPER INCREDIBLE. No one can touch her. She has matured with her skating and she has matured with her costumes. For her Short Program to Nocturne by Frederic Chopin, she wore this gray, blue and ombre lilac costume. I thought this was just gorgeous; it looked as if it cost $5,000 if not more! 









Free Skate to Anna Karenina (soundtrack) by Dario Marianelli: I also loved this costume which Evgenia wore to her "Anna Kerenina" Free Skate. The design was chic, sexy and different. I liked the black and silver sequin applique highlighted throughout the costume and I especially liked the see-through stretch chiffon in the back, sides and skirt. I am usually not a fan of those finger-less gloves but here, it worked--both with the "Period" theme of the music and the rest of her costume.







Mariah Bell of the USA: Mariah skated her Short Program to Roxie (Chicago soundtrack) performed by Renee Zellweger and All That Jazz (Chicago soundtrack) by John Kander, Fred Ebb. This was the same music and costume Mariah wore for last year/season's Short Program which I LOVED in my Costumes Review of 2016 Skate America HERE. So yeah...I still love it! It's jazzy, excellent for the music and really gives extra vibrancy to her skate. The silver jeweled sequins + the skirt fringe=FABULOUS!









Free Skate to West Side Story by Leonard Bernstein: For her Free Skate, she went "Sequined Maria" in her costume. And I loved it! The halter neckline costume featured a red base fabric with lots of multicolored sequins that looked AMAZING especially near her neck. I love the dripping bugle beads from the neck and the combination of red and purple. This was a very nice costume and well designed. 








Mirai Nagasu of USA--Mirai skated her Short Program to Nocturne No. 20 in C Sharp Minor by Frederic Chopin. This was the same music as last season's Short Program as well as the same costume...





Mirai Nagasu at 2016 Skate Canada International (above photos)--I really liked this costume then and naturally, I still do. Would I have wished she might have "changed" the costume just a teeny-tiny bit? Maybe. But, this is so outstanding that heck, why not? Give it a second run! Since is the first event of the season, I'm kinda hoping these repeat program gals and guys will at least give us a switch in costumes. One can only hope!







Free Skate to Miss Saigon by Claude-Michel Schönberg: The minute I saw this red costume, I just knew it was "Miss Saigon". 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.







Kaori Sakamoto of Japan: Kaori skated her Short Program to Moonlight Sonata by Ludwig van Beethoven and wore this blue ombre-dyed costume. the design featured a gathered one shoulder-like design plus lots of silver sequins throughout the garment. It was pretty and expensive-looking.









Free Skate to Amelie (soundtrack) by Yann Tiersen: For her Free Skate to "Amelie" she wore this olive-colored design. It was drab as drab can be. I get the connection to "Amelie" with the color and mini "Peter Pan" collar but this just didn't have enough of that figure skating costume "razzle dazzle" needed to make an impact and this is one of the most unflattering colors one could possibly choose. It was SAD; she looked like she was playing a refugee from a war-torn land.







Wakaba Higuchi of Japan: Japan's Wakaba Higuchi wore this costume for her Short Program to Gypsy Dance by Leon Minkus and I loved it! The strawberry red costume featured gold, silver and emerald jeweled sequins as well as feathers which framed her shoulders and upper torso beautifully. I especially loved the jeweled sunburst in the center front bust. Wakaba did look like a gypsy...and a very fashionable and fabulous one!







Free Skate to Skyfall (James Bond soundtrack) performed by Adele: For her Free Skate, she also made me very happy with this indigo blue colored costume as she skated to "Skyfall". LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the entire look--from her sleek chignon, the silver crystal neck...to those AMAZING oversized jeweled stones on her upper torso. Her costume literally looks as if the stars in the sky...fell! 









Mae Berenice Meite of France: France's Mae Berenice Meite is know for her costumes, and also, being a lover of jumpsuits/bodysuits. She did not disappoint for what she wore for her 2017-18 Season's Short Program to Halo by Beyonce, cover version by Jasmin Thompson

Who Run the World by Beyonce. The halter neckline jumpsuit featured a STUNNING display of gold jeweled sequins on her upper torso which really gave me goosebumps! Seriously...take a look at those photos above! THAT, my dear readers is what a top level figure skating looks like! The costume--I assume--was inspired by these looks from Miss Beyonce:






Beyonce in DSquared2 at the Super Bowl Halftime Show (Left) and in Roberto Cavalli for her "Formation" Tour





Free Skate to Les Nocturnes de Chopin and Happy by C2C: For her Free Skate, Mae Berenice wore this black and white costume featuring a very "Lady-like" Peter Pan collar, and tuxedo-like shirt and cummerbund ensemble. I thought this was pretty "safe" especially knowing what Mae Berenice has worn before. It was very un-Mae Berenice. I was like "OK, this is soooooo not her!". And then, halfway through her program...








She did an "outfit change" of sorts and flipped her wrap skirt flap and exposed multi-colored jeweled shorts! While, yes, it was arguably a bit gimmicky and possibly semi-tackylicious...I still LOVED IT! Now THAT'S the Mae Berenice Meite I was looking for!



NEXT UP: The 2017 Rostelecom Cup of Russia COSTUMES REVIEW for PAIRS and ICE DANCE!!!


Saturday, 1 April 2017

ICE STYLE.....2017 World Figure Skating Championships Costumes Recap: LADIES & PAIRS!

April 01, 2017 0 Comments



Queen Evgenia: Gold medalist Evgenia Medvedeva from Russia during her Short Program at the 2017 ISU World Figure Skating Championships Helsinki Finland



This week/weekend is a VERY IMPORTANT time in international figure skating competitions: It's the 2017 ISU World Figure Skating Championships!! It's like "Miss Universe" or "Miss World" of figure skating (naturally, I have to put it in beauty pageant terms!).





This year, it's doubly important since it also determines the number of entries for each country for the 2018 World Championships and the MOST IMPORTANT 2018 Winter Olympics. This year's Worlds are being held in Helsinki Finland at the Hartwall Arena and medals have already been given in the Ladies and Pairs disciplines. Now that we got all the basic stuff out of the way, it's time for my "Ice Style" Costumes Recap! Let's begin with the Ladies....






Top Three: (L to R) Silver medalist Kaetlyn Osmond of Canada, gold medalist Evgenia Medvedeva of Russia and bronze medalist Gabrielle Daleman of Canada--2017 ISU World Figure Skating Championships Helsinki Finland





Evgenia Medvedeva Russia Short Program to River Flows in You by Lorenzo de Luca, The Winter by Balmorhea: Evgenia wore this blue ombre-shaded costume featuring crystal and blue beading in the top section. The design made her look like she was a beautiful sea creature from the Mediterranean and I liked the ombre multicolored shading at the skirt. The gloves are a little "junior-ish", in my opinion, but in terms of a costume detail, they do help in accentuating her beautiful hand movements...and yes I know, they help her not cut her hands while grabbing her blade for those amazing spins!







Evgenia Medvedeva Russia Free Skate to Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, and Piano Lesson with Grandma by Alexandre Desplat: It's not every day one sees a top ladies' singles figure skater wearing a dress this long as her costume but it's worked for Medvedeva this season. This design had purple-to-lilac ombre shading and an Empire-waist look that featured sequin embroidery. There was almost a Medieval/Game of Thrones look to it providing a somewhat ethereal quality to the background of the somber 9/11-inspired music.





Ashley Wagner USA Short Program to Sweet Dreams (Are Made of These) by Annie Lennox: I have commented on this costume on Wagner throughout this past season and it bears repeating: I LOVE THIS! It's chic, superfab and so right for the Annie Lennox music. Ashley wore this blue asymmetrical design which featured great sequin details on the shoulders, neckline and throughout the costume's torso. I also loved the slight royal blue color "peek-a-boo". And to finish everything off, her smoky eyes and red lipstick were 90's New Wave on-point. Really, this is one of THE BEST costumes of the entire 2016-2017 season!





Kaytlyn Osmond Canada Short Program Sous le ciel de Paris and Milord performed by Edith Piaf: I thought this design was a nice choice considering her music. The neck-tie costume with sequin applique midriff was "Parisian" in its flair and reminded me of the iconic Yves Saint Laurent pussy-bow sheer chiffon blouse. And while I am normally not a fan of the gloves (refer back to Evgenia Medvedeva), I think they were correct in this look.







Kaetlyn Osmond Canada Free Skate to Mimi Tells Her Story (from "La Boheme - The Ballet") by G. Puccini, arranged by K. Hocking and Sono Andati (from "La Boheme") by Giacomo Puccini: The red design worn by Osmond does give hints of a 19th Century corseted dress with the neckline and front pointed bodice detail and therefore I can see the overt "La Boheme" inspiration. It was pretty but part of me wished for more "Skating Couture"!





Gabrielle Daleman Canada Short Program to Acte IV Prelude from "Herodiade", Scene XIV Ballet Finale from "Herodiade" by Jules Massenet: I loved this costume on Daleman.  The music is from "Herodiade" opera which retells the story of John The Baptist, Salome, Herod Antipas and Herodias. She's playing "Salome", I assume and looks the part, in a modern fashionable sense. The black costume is highlighted by the GORGEOUS gold, silver and lilac sequins that form a breastplate of snakes. I'm thinking the costume designer might have taken some inspiration from these "Salome" Opera Divas:













Gabrielle Daleman Canada Free Skate to Rhapsody in Blue by George Gershwin: Daleman skated a FABULOUS Free Skate at 2017 Worlds and I thought this royal blue sequined costume was PERFECT for the iconic "Rhapsody in Blue" music. I appreciated the varying sizes of the crystals strewn throughout the costume and especially how the larger ones highlighted her neckline and waist. Also, I think it was smart of the costume designer to make her skirt very short to make her not-so-long legs seem longer. Visual Fashion Illusion courtesy of a Figure Skating Costume!





Karen Chen 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 LOVE it. It was pretty, well made and exquisitely sequined, down to her fingertips. Gorgeous! She debuted this costume at the 2016 NHK Trophy in late November and I'm glad she has stayed with it.







Karen Chen USA Free Skate to Tango Jalousie by Jacob Gade: Tango anyone? Well, for Karen, it was "Si!". Another very good costume for Karen Chen. The silver and red crystals were beautiful and the scroll-like torso detail was very pretty. For such a young lady, this costume was very mature, and in a super chic way! I also loved her sultry makeup, especially those red lips and Señorita eyes.





Carolina Kostner Italy Short Program to God of Thunder by Kitaro, Bonzo's Montreux by John Bonham (Led Zeppelin): Carolina is returning to figure skating after a two-year hiatus (and being suspended for lying about her ex-boyfriend, reportedly concealing the fact that he was using banned illegal performance-enhancing drugs--Yikes!). Well, anyhow...she's BACK! This black and white costume for her Short Program is graphic, modern and void of typical sparkly embellishments the sport's costumes are known for. I liked the gathered top and asymmetry of the look, as well as the chic metallic belt. It was directional (for figure skating!) and fashionable. #love







Mai Mihara Japan Free Skate Cinderella by Patrick Doyle: Mai is all but 17 years old and now she's joined the Senior's rank, but yet, her costume (and, let's be honest, her music choice too!) was a tad bit on the Junior's side. Yes, her costume was very "Cinderella" but there was something about that jewel teal color, sequin work, and off-the-shoulder silhouette that screamed "young". I get it, but...I just wished the costume was taken to a slightly more mature level.









Rika Hongo of Japan Short Program to O Fortuna (from "Carmina Burana") by Carl Orff: This was a fun and bold costume. Rika is kind of known for her costumes and this was not a disappointment for the 2016-2017 season. I loved the multi-colored jewels at the bust and fire-like detail in the costume. It looked well-made and was dramatic.





Speaking of Drama...




Anna Pogorilaya Russia Free Skate to Modigliani Suite by Guy Farley, Le Di a la Caza Alcance by Estrella Morente, Memorial Requiem by Michael Nyman: Anna Pogorilaya is usually a wonderful skater and I always look forward to her costumes...In terms of her Free Skate at the 2017 Worlds, it was a MAJAH failure. Poor thang just kept falling, and falling, and then cried and cried. In terms of her costume, I liked this costume with some reservations. I liked the mix of washed red with gray and the caviar-beaded sequin side-torso panel was beautiful! Anna is kind of known for sometimes being too-costume-y (and kooky) with her looks, but this verged on Runway Ready. The only thing I wasn't a fan of was the awkward cowl draped/pick-up detail of the bottom skirt section; it just looked like a bad Prom Dress from 1992.





PAIRS:



Wenjing Sui and Cong Han China Short Program to Blues for Klook by Eddy Louis: First of all, I am IN LOVE with Wenjing Sui's asymmetrical bob hairstyle! She is definitely a STYLE STAR! These costumes worn for their Short program are nice. There's nothing extraordinary about them but they work--navy blue for the "Blues for Klook" music. 







Wenjing Sui and Cong Han China Free Skate to Bridge Over Troubled Water by Paul Simon: Once again, their skating was amazing and her bobbed hair was the "Style Star" but....I just didn't think these were the right costumes for this skate. Don't get me wrong, their is nothing wrong with these costumes. Wenjing's dress is beautiful. I love the asymmetry, beading and coral color, I just don't get what it has to do with a modern interpretation of "Bridge Over Troubled Water"!! Beautiful Skate, Wrong Costumes!









Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford Canada Free Skate to No, je ne regrette rien performed by Patricia Kaas: I've said this before so I hope it's not news: I thought her costume is two minutes away from looking a bit "Toddlers & Tiaras". I think it's the powder pink and crystal applique work but mainly, I just have a strong abhorrence to a sequined applique neck-piece detail; it's just so Miss America 1996. And then, she added a matching sequined hair clip! Oyyyyy! Oh, and Eric, well, he looked handsome and not Toddlers & Tiaras....so there's that positive. 







Aliona Savchenko and Bruno Massot Germany Short Program to That Man by Caro Emerald: These costumes were cute, simple and right for the music. Her powder pink sequined-and-chiffon dress was jazz dancer pretty (going along with the music). I also liked her sequined headband accessory. In terms of the guy, I liked that Massot matched her costume's color with the tie. 





Aliona Savchenko and Bruno Massot of Germany Free Skate to Lighthouse by Patrick Watson: I love these costumes worn by Savchenko and Massot for their Free Skate. They are elegant and subdued with a dash of sparkle with the beautiful over-sized crystals. Hers looks like a figure skating costume version of an Haute Couture Elie Saab gown especially with the sequined waistband. And his, well--I BOW to him for giving me sequins, ombre and semi-sheer. 







Alexa Scimeca Knierim and Chris Knierim USA Short Program Come What May (Moulin Rouge soundtrack): Alexa and Chris were giving purple...in their costumes for their Short Program. I thought these were nice costumes for their "Moulin Rouge" music and I liked her sequined corset-like design and his semi-sheer top with sequin accents.







Evgenia Tarasova and Vladimir Morozov Russia Short Program to Glam (Electro Swing Remix) by Dimie Cat: I liked these costumes, especially her shimmying silver and gold fringed design. I also appreciated his semi-matching vest. The gold metallic colors and fringe accents were impacting on the ice for sure!




Tarasova and Morozov Russia Free Skate to Music by John Miles: The music was a bit 80's and so were their costumes so...I guess that's good.  They went with a blue and black theme with asymmetrical style lines and minimal silver crystal detail. Not sure how necessary those off-white "sleeves" were though; they were odd. Now, I have said this before and will say it again: She looks soooo much like Claire Danes!









Vanessa James and Morgan Cipres France Short Program to Earned It (from "Fifty Shades of Grey") by The Weekend and Maxime Rodriguez: I always look forward to what James and Cipres wear. These two have the most AMAZING bodies and they almost always give fashion folk like me something when it comes to their costumes. For their Short Program they went sexy, 90's Vintage Versace-like (especially with those back straps on James). I especially liked her black-and-nude illusion sequined trimmed top section as well as the crystal-accented shoulders of his Moto jacket. They both look on-trend, fashionable and oh-so-chic!







Vanessa James and Morgan Cipres France Free Skate to Sound of Silence by Disturbed and Maxime Rodriguez: There wasn't much to these all black "costumes" from James and Cipres of France. He wore a black top and deep gray-ish skin-tight pants. And Vanessa donned a black Lycra body suit. It was a bit early 80's Disco but I still think it reflected the music and looked slightly directional. I think the most important part was that they looked SUPER SEXY.






**NEXT UP: Costumes Recap to 2017 World Figure Skating Championships: MEN and ICE DANCE!



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