ICE STYLE.....Figure Skating Costumes Recap/Highlights of the Sochi 2014 Olympics, Ladies Free Skate Costumes!

Activewear Winning Ladies: (L to R) Bronze medalist Carolina Kostner of Italy, gold medal winner Adelina Sotnikova and silver medalist Kim Yu-Na of Republic of Korea--Medals Plaza Sochi Russia

Well, kids the Figure Skating Finals are OVER (sigh!). It was an exciting night watching the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics Ladies Finals where the top ladies of figure skating skated FOR THEIR LIFE! In fabulous--and some not so-fabulous--costumes...

 The Top: (L to R) Silver medalists Yu-Na Kim of the Republic of Korea, Gold medalists Adelina Sotnikova of Russia and Bronze winner Carolina Kostner  of Italy--Iceberg Skating Palace Sochi Russia

Now, naturally it wouldn't be Figure Skating without DRAMA and after the Russian Adelina Sotnikova earned higher scores than Republic of Korea's Yu-Na Kim--who many professional figure skating commentators argued, should have actually won--many cried "Sketchy". You can read all about that HERE but now it's time to discuss the COSTUMES...It's my Sochi Olympics Ladies Figure Skating Costume Recap--The Free Skate Finals:

Let's begin with a little bit of "Oh No She Didn't":

Mae Berenice Meite of France Free Skate to Europa by Jean-Pierre Danel, We Will Rock You KCPK, La Grange by Jean-Pierre Danel: Take a look at Mae Berenice--she wanted to cause a "sensation" at the Sochi Olympics and she did...with her very original sequined-and-black Lycra jumpsuit. This costume was designed by one of the Figure Skating Costume Designer Faves, Brad Griffies of Atlanta Georgia (he designs for Gracie Gold and Princess Alexandria of Hanover, Grace Kelly's Granddaughter). It's not every day one sees a Ladies Figure Skater in an International competition--or the OLYMPICS (!) no less--wearing a costume with "pants". Trust me, this ain't the norm, as they say. But I have a feeling Meite doesn't want to be the "norm", or conform or even care. This is what she wore last season for her Free Skate to Selections from "Zarafa" and "Dead Can Dance" and Soundtrack to "Belphegor":

Cleopatra Fab: France's Mae Berenice Meite in last season's costume/free skate

I'll be honest about what she wore for her Free Skate at the Sochi Olympics: I'm not a fan, however the bead-work on the top section and those turquoise, black and silver sequins are exquisite. Secretly, I wished she would have gone back to her Cleopatra/Whitney Houston "Queen of the Night" look above.

Kooky Grade: 9.8/10

Costume Grade: 5/10

Kanako Murakami of Japan, Free Skate to Papa Can You Hear Me (from "Yentl" soundtrack) by Barbara Streisand: Correct me if I am wrong (and many of you out there on the web do!), but isn't "Yentl" about an Ashkenazi JEWISH girl who decides she wants to dress and live like a man in order to receive Orthodox Jewish education? So....why is Kanako wearing a CROSS on her costume? This is so wrong on a couple of levels that well, I should just leave it at that. But seriously: a Cross? I don't get it.

Costume Score: 4/10 (it's a very nicely made/designed costume but the cross??!!)

Anne Line Gjersem of Norway, Free Skate to Westside Story by Leonard Bernstein: How do you say "poor thang" in Norwegian? This costume is straight out of a low-level skating costume shop; the cheap stretch lace and wonky-looking crystals...I am guessing that the Norway Figure Skating Association either A) did not sponsor her or B) give her money to have a custom high-end costume but seriously, it's THE OLYMPICS! 

Costume Score: 3.5/10

And then, there's her fly-away hair:

Pony Tail Fly-Away Don't: She's a GORGEOUS girl; but again, it's THE OLYMPICS! Every other ladies figure skater had their hair slicked...done. Yet Anne Line looks as if she just left her gym after doing the tread mill for an hour.

Kaetlyn Osmond Canada, Free Skate to Mission Cleopatre (soundtrack) by Philippe Chany, Numerobis Theme (from Mission Cleopatre soundtrack) by Philippe Chany, Asterix and Obelix (from Mission Cleopatre soundtrack) by Philippe Chany, Cleopatra and Caesar by Claude-Michel Schoenberg and David Nixon: One of my favorite costumes of the season; gorgeous, well-made, glorious and perfect for the "Cleopatra" skate. The jeweled sequins are exquisite.

Costume Score: 9.8/10

So-Youn Park of Republic of Korea, Free Skate to Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini by Andrew Lloyd Webber: This is a beautiful costume. The black, with silver and light blue crystal front detail costume was marvelous. Well made and very good design.

Costume Score: 9/10

Polina Edmunds of the U.S., Free Skate to "Solveig's Song" and "Morning" from Peer Gynt by Edvard Grieg: I love this ice blue with silver crystals costume designed by Lilya Dukler. The neckline detail is exquisite and I like the criss-cross sequin detail at the torso as well as the yellow "teardrop" sequins in her neckline. Also, notice the skirt's hem is finished with crystals. This is a very good costume; finished. I also love that from head to toe, she is "done"--her hair crystals go perfectly with the costume.

Costume Score: 8.9/10

Valentina Marchei of Italy, Free Skate to Nyah (from "Mission Impossible" soundtrack) by Hans Zimmer: Of all the black costumes worn by the Ladies (there were a lot), this blouson sequined with side-slit style is one of my faves. I like the silhouette and unusual design. It was a "mini-me" of a gown one would see on the red carpet at an awards show.

Costume Score: 7.9/10

Mao Asada of Japan, Free Skate to "Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor" by Sergei Rachmaninoff: I've said this before--this is one of my FAVORITE costumes of the season. Simply beautiful, creative, impacting, expensive-looking. I love the colors and the three-dimensional aspect of the costume. It also screams FASHION! It's easily a design that could have been done by the Jean Paul Gaultier design team or Los Angeles-based designers Rodarte.

Costume Score: 9.7/10

Julia Lipnitskaia of Russia, Free Skate to Music from the Schindler's List soundtrack by John Williams: The Russian favorite to win the Gold (up until the Ladies Short), Julia, wore this red "coat" dress/costume evoking the little girl in the red coat  in "Schindler's List". I liked this costume. I appreciated the interpretation of it and the elegant black sequin trim. The black gloves were perfect for it as well. Well done little Julia!

Costume Score: 9.5/10

Gracie Gold of the U.S., Free Skate to Music from Sleeping Beauty by Petr I. Tchaikovski: This costume on Gracie for her Free Skate is one of the best costumes for the Ladies this season. It's outstanding, very "Ice Princess", well-made and evokes "Old Hollywood Glamour". It's not by happenstance, by the way that it looks "Old Hollywood Glamour" because that's what Gold and her legendary coach, Frank Carroll, wanted when they asked figure skating costume designer "extraordinaire" Brad Griffies to create a costume for her:

 Brad Griffies sketches of Gracie Gold's costume for her Free Skate 

Oh and yes, I give Gracie a Costume Score of  9.8/10

Ashley Wagner of the U.S., Free Skate to Samson and Delilah by Camille Saint-Saens: Ashely changed her program--and costume--for the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics. This was a big topic of discussion among the figure skating crowd. I loved both the program--and costume change. This canary yellow costume, designed by Jan Longmire, was exotic and more impacting than what she had been wearing for her 2012-2013 Season Free Skate to Prokofiev's "Romeo and Juliet"...

Costume Score: 9.3/10

US Nationals 2014: This is the costume she wore at the U.S. Nationals, January 2014 for the "Romeo and Juliet" Free Skate

Skate America: This is what Ashley wore for her Free Skate--also to Prokofiev's "Romeo and Juliet" at Skate America 2013, October 2013

We saw Ashley skate her "Samson and Delilah" Free Skate at the ISU World Team Trophy in April 2013, as well as...

Ashley Wagner at the Trophee Eric Bombard 2012, November 2012--I admit that I like this version of the "Samson and Delilah" yellow costume better than what she wore at the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics Ladies Free Skate Finals, but they are both beautiful and exquisitely done.

 Jan Longmire's Sketch of Ashley Wagner's Free Skate Costume for Sochi Olympics 2014

Carolina Kostner of Italy, Free Skate to Bolero by Maurice Ravel: Carolina wore a black and sheer costume with "icicle" sequin detail costume with a curved mini, long sleeves and open back. It was beautiful, elegant and well-designed. Just like her Short Program, she continued the no-nude illusion back detail; instead there was an elastic back strap and it was actually nude.open--in her back.

 Costume Score: 8.9/10

Kim Yun-Na/Yun-Na Kim of the Republic of Kotrea, Free Skate to "Adios Nonino" by Astor Piazzolla: This music is a Tango and her costume coloring reflected that. Her costume--which featured a mock-neck long sleeved look with black and plum color blocking with front torso sequin applique...

Kim Yu-Na Costume: The costume also had a side front slit. There was a "sheer" inset panel in the front as well...

Kim Yu-Na sat the Korean Nationals: she wore (almost) the same costume except for the fact that there was a bit of a "nude" illusion inset in the costume. For the Sochi 2014 Olympics, that fabric was sheer black as opposed to nude. Slight "costume change" difference. I wasn't a huge fan of how dark the entire look was (especially with the high neck), but the beadwork and construction were perfection.

Costume Score: 9.4/10

Adelina Sotnikova of Russia, Free Skate to Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso in A Minor Op. 28 for Violin and Orchestra by Camille Saint-Saens: Adelina skated her gold medal-winning Olympic skate wearing this. Her costume was a deep gray with gold "Caviar" beaded paillette detail. Of note, she wore opaque gloves. I think they were trying to match her skin but well, not so mucheey. I don't think this glove detail was so much of a "fashion" statement but more for protection form bleeding and cutting herself from touching the skate's blade. Overall, it was an OK costume but not great in my eyes.

Costume Score: 7/10

Oh and there was also a Wardrobe Malfunction:

Tights Wardrobe Malfunction: During Adelina's gold medal-winning skate, her nude tights which were stretched over her skates, lifted up on one of her skates--disrupting the leg--and costume line. Hashtag #UhOh #FigureSkating #Costume

What Adelina wore at the Sochi 2014
Winter Olympics was a costume change from what I had seen her wear
before---(above) at the ISU Grand Prix Finals in Japan, December
2013

Congratulations to Adelina--and Yu-Na and Carolina!

ICE STYLE.....Figure Skating Costumes Recap Team Competition: Costume Changes, Re-runs, A Wardrobe Malfunction + More!

The Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics began last week and ended tonight. Spoiler Alert: Team Russia won the Gold with Canada getting Silver and the USA getting Bronze. I discussed my favorites of the Opening Ceremony "Parade of Nations" outfits/uniforms so now it's time to discuss some "Ice Style". If you've been keeping up with the Olympics, one of the first competitions held were the Figure Skating Team competition. This was the first time these were being held. Qualifying nations from around the world competed as teams (like in gymnastics at the Summer Olympics) in Ladies and Men Singles, Pairs and Ice Dance disciplines--in short and free (long) programs. As you know, I love discussing the figure skating costumes and naturally, I want to talk about some of the costumes at this Figure Skating Team competition. There were some costume changes, a return-to-an-original, a wardrobe malfunction and more...

Let's get started:

Meryl Davis and Charlie White, USA, Short Dance: The favorites to win the Gold for the Ice Dance competition--USA's Davis and White skated their Short Dance to My Fair Lady by Frederic Loewe. Meryl changed her costume to this pink blouson sleeved chiffon with sequin applique look. This was elegant if not a little "mature"--but in a good way. I actually liked the change. It was more intricate than what she last wore for this same Short Dance:

 Davis and White, Short Dance: This above was the last costume Meryl Davis had worn for this program.

Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir of Canada, Free Dance: For their Free Dance to Petit Adagio Waltz and from Seasons by Alexander Glazunov and "Piano Concerto in F-sharp minor" by Alexander Scriabin, Tessa changed the costume she had last worn in her previous competitions. She wore a red look with Faberge Egg-inspired gold and red bustier with neck band and above-the-knee flared skirt. I liked the strong color choice but felt that the skirt was too long; it looked mumsy. This is what she last wore for the same Free Dance at...

The 2014 Canadian Tire National Figure Skating Championships at Canadian Tire Centre on January 11, 2014 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada--a silver-gray costume with beaded top and neckband.

And in case you are wondering, this was also a Costume Change from what they BOTH wore at the  ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final 2013/2014 at Marine Messe Fukuoka on December 7, 2013 in Fukuoka, Japan (above photo).

Tatsuki Machida of Japan, Free Program: Machida's costume choice for his Free Program to Music from The Firebird by Igor Stravinsky seen above at the Sochi Olympics Figure Skating Team competition was a return to what he had last worn at Skate America 2013 in Detroit, Michigan. This costume was one of my favorites from last year and I am glad he went back to this, as opposed to wearing what he last wore for this same Free Skate:

Firebird Not: Japanese figure skater Tatsuki Machida wore this costume at the All Japan Figure Skating Championships at Saitama Super Arena on December 22, 2013 in Saitama, Japan.

Gracie Gold of the USA, Free Skate: Gracie skated wonderfully at tonight's Sochi Olympics Figure Skating Team Finals to Music from Sleeping Beauty by Tchaikovsky. This was not a costume change but there was a wardrobe malfunction. Her costume--designed by Brad Griffies Gale Johnson and Denise Gold--is beautiful and one of my favorites of the ladies. But the neckband snapped open during her skate:

Olympic Wardrobe Malfunction: Gracie Gold of the USA and her costume malfunction--her sequined neckband snapped off--this did not affect her skate at all, but as a fashion designer, I was holding my breath for sure!

Kaetlyn Osmond of Canada, Free Skate: Osmond wore one of my favorite costumes of the night--this mauve colored look with oversized jeweled crystal neckline and back. This costume was worn for her Free Skate to Music from the Astérix & Obélix: Mission Cléopâtre soundtrack by Philippe Chany and music from Claude-Michel Schönberg & David Nixon's Cleopatra. I LOVED this costume; absolutely one of my faves of the Olympics. It reminded me of...

 The Gionni Straccia-designed gown worn by Marelisa Gibson Miss Venezuela 2009 when she competed--and won--the "Miss Venezuela 2009" crown

Carolina Kostner Italy, Short Program: This costume, worn by Italy's figure skating Fashion Diva, Carolina Kostner for her SP to "Ave Maria" by Franz Schubert. It's a beautiful costume--a light lilac chiffon look with nude illusion plunging neckline and crystals throughout. This--I've already said--is much better than her last costume choice for this same program:

Butterfly Red Kostner--cute but not "Olympic Couture" enough

Russian President Vladimir Putin celebrating Russia's win--Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics Figure Skating Team Competition

Congrats Russia!