Figure skating is undoubtedly one of the most elegant sports of all time, a beautiful and unique combination of athleticism and artistry. Unlike other team sports, there are no formal uniforms. Instead, figure skaters wear their costumes, individual to each performance. The costumes become iconic to the performance by reflecting the music, accentuating the whole performance. They become iconic to the performer as well because no one will be able to pull them off, let alone perform in them, the same way the individual performer does. Here are some of the top fashion moments in PyeongChang so far!
Evgenia Medvedeva
Evgenia is one of the most watched figure skaters for this olympics. Not only is she gorgeous, but in just her first olympics, she broke the world record score in the women’s short program. The 18-year-old from Russia sported this dress in her short program about “the flight of the soul”. The dress itself looks like a collection of stars in a purple night sky, truly illustrating the theme of her performance.
Shoma Uno
Shoma commanded the ice in these specks of purple in his short program. The rhinestones in this ensemble add a ton of dimension to the lighter end of the color spectrum, balancing out the black base of the suit, and emphasize a beautiful gradient in his “feathers”. I mean, have you ever seen a bird look so fierce?
Mirai Nagasu
The rhinestones and collar add an oriental element to this dress, but the shape itself is soft and relaxed, compared to the stiff figure that traditional oriental dresses take. Did I mention she is also the first American woman to land a triple axel at the Olympics? (No big deal…)
Adam Rippon
Adam says he may not be the best, but he is “the most fun”, and no one is denying that, especially when he looks like blue fire on ice. Unlike the other costumes we’ve seen with white rhinestones, the top part of Adam’s costume is already designed on a white base and includes blue rhinestones, which contribute depth to the blue “flames”. Adam is also a major contributor to figure skating history, being one of the first openly gay athletes to compete in the Olympics.
Preparing for the performance, these athletes are probably not nearly as bedazzled. Despite the technical-based scoring, it is not merely the technique that makes the sport. The costumes help showcase the full magnificence of the sport. This is what sets figure skating apart from other sports, and makes it one of the most breathtaking sports the world has ever seen.