Figure Skating Costumes: The World Figure Skating Championships Moscow: The Men!!

The Dandy Men...Ruffled Collars, Brocade Vests, Sequins and Carnival Cruise Dance Troupe Colors!!!

Go Canada: Patrick Chan of Canada wins Gold at the 2011 World Figure Skating Championships

The 2011 World Figure Skating Championships just finished in Moscow at the Megasport Ice Rink in Moscow Russia. There was a time there when no one knew if the Worlds would even happen since originally, they were scheduled to take place in Tokyo Japan. Following the massive earthquake and tsunami, the International Skating Union had to come out with a statement which read: "The Japanese Skating Federation regretfully and reluctantly declines hosting the Championships."
Soon after this announcement, the ISU had received bids to stage the event from Russia (Moscow), Canada (Vancouver, British Columbia), the United States (Colorado Springs, Colorado or Lake Placid, New York), Finland (Turku), Croatia and Austria.
And Moscow won and they put on a great show (Kudos to Moscow!).

With the watchful eye of Prime Minister Putin (seen above NOT cracking a smile, as usual), the Championships took place. Well, of course, as you know I LOVE me some Figure Skating Competitions--yes, for the sport which I am a fan of, but mainly for the COSTUMES!
So, here I begin my "Nick Verreos Worlds Figure Skating Costumes Report" and I start with THE MEN (naturally!):

Patrick Chan of Canada:

Patrick Chan of Canada won a Gold for his near-perfect skating and as you can see above, he was just a "tad" bit excited. He set new records for both his Short Program and Free Skate. In terms of Costumes (which is what we REALLY care about here!), he wore the same costumes for the World Championships that he featured at the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating 2010/2011 Cup of Russia back in November of last year. For his Free Skate to "The Phantom of the Opera" by Andrew Lloyd Webber, he wore a metallic brocade vest with fitted jacket and white bow-tied shirt underneath.

And for his Short Program to "Take Five" by Paul Desmond, he wore a black vest with contrast white piping and sequined "Argyle" diamond details in the back--finished off with sequined-studded "tuxedo" pants. He is serious and all "business" from the front, but...

A Sequined Party in the back!

And now onto the Costume Changing Boysssssss...
Daisuke Takahashi of Japan:

In contrast with Parick Chan most of the other top male skaters did change their costumes (which I was happy about but a bit strange for just the last event of the season). Japan's Daisuke Takahashi--he, of the KRAZEE coiffed and hair-sprayed hair (do Japanese girls like that??)-- changed BOTH his Short Program and Free Skate costumes. Same music, different costumes.

Last year's Free Skate Costume looked like this above: Billowing bishop sleeves in sheer black with diamantes, and a double-breasted vest in red and black. While for the 2011 World Figure Skating Championships last week, Takahashi wore this:

Notice something "kinda" similar? Same Costume, but different "Color Way" kids! So, if you want to get technical, it's really still the same costume.

Now, for his Short Program last year at Skate America 2010, he wore this colorful and very "A Night At The Copacabana" ensemble. Well darlings, I think he and his "people" didn't think it was "Latin" enough because this past week, he wore THIS:

He went from looking like the Conductor of a Band in Havana Cuba to the "sexually questionable" dancer on a Carnival Cruise to San Juan Puerto Rico! And I for one, LOVE IT! First of all: The color and prints are FAB-U-LOUS!!! And I especially love that he embraces the costumes along with the accompanying music. He doesn't do it 65%, he goes 110%!!

Nobunari Oda of Japan:

Now, onto another Japanese Skater, baby-faced Nobunari Oda--He also changed his costumes. At Skate America 2010 last year, he wore this above for his Free Skate--a white "blouse" with a "hint" of black applique and an asymmetrical ruffle collar/neckline.
But for the 2011 Worlds...

He got rid of the cascading ruffle and added more black embroidered applique, which I think was a wise decision. The shirt has much more of an impact now. I think he might be learning from his country-mate Takahashi: Take it from 65% to 110% darling! He did, in his own baby-faced way.

Takahiko Kozuka of Japan:

The other top Japanese skater, Takahiko Kozuka also did (kind of) a Costume Change, when it came to his Short Program. At last year's ISU Grand Prix Final in Beijing China, he wore a pinstriped vest and pants, along with a "retro" printed shirt.

Well, for the 2011 Worlds, he thankfully got rid of that vest as seen above. I am NOT a fan of those ubiquitous vests for Male Figure Skaters (Boys: It's getting TIRED!!!). And exposed the shirt that was hiding underneath in all its "What Thrift Store Did He Get That From?" glory.

Brian Joubert of France:

Hunk of all Figure Skating Hunks (I mean SERIOUSLY, look at THAT...Upper Leg Muscle!). Anyhow--Monsieur Joubert changed costumes for his Free Skate to Symphony No. 9 by Beethoven. Above is his new Free Skate Costume, a powder blue stretch lace (now you KNOW you are a so-called "Real Man" if you are comfortable enough with your masculinity to wear POWDER BLUE STRETCH LACE!) plunging-neck top with UBER tight blue pants. To be honest, I'm not so much a fan of this new costume. He looks like a Ballet Dancer from a third-rate ballet company in Suburbia USA, but (at least) it is an improvement from...

This (above) costume which he last wore at the ISU Figure Skating Championships in March 2010 in Torino Italy. The whole top looks like a costume reject from Mad Max-meets-Braveheart. Brown and muted mustard have NEVER been my favorite of color combinations, darlings.

And...Finally: An Honorable Costume Mention Goes to: Amodio Florent of France

A Futuristic Mexican "Mariachi" featuring a studded vest with CHAPS!!! And a Michael Jackson Tribute in Blue Sequins, suspenders, and fingerless gloves. It just doesn't get any better! Enough said. Thank you Florent. Merci.

Figure Skating Costume Question: White Skates vs. Beige Skates?

The Great (Figure Skating) Debate: White, Beige or Skin Tone Tights Over The Boots?

La Perfect Michelle: Michelle Kwan skating in...White Skates

Just in time for the final Grand Prix of Figure Skating Competition, which is occurring as I type in Beijing China, I began an email discussion with one of my Figure Skating "gals", the beautiful Courtney Prince, who skated professionally for a while but now owns the Jewelry Design company, Doloris Petunia. She emailed me asking "White Skates or Beige Skates?" She wanted my Fashion Designer (and Figure Skating fan) opinion. Her argument was that wearing beige skates made the skater look, well, a bit less professional.

So naturally, I said "I need to post a BLOG about this" and see what other people think. And I also decided to take it another step further and add: "Well, what about beige tights over the skating boots?". Why would Figure Skaters decide one versus the other.

Is wearing beige skates more of a statement of "I'm not traditional"? And finally, covering the entire leg--and boot--in skin-tone tights, would that be more to elongate the figure, especially for some skaters who well, might not be so height-inclined? White Skates seem to be the de-rigueur and more traditional choice for Ladies Figure Skaters throughout the years.
This changed in the late 80's when more and more professional figure skaters began to buck the "White Skate" rule and go for the beige ones. And then toward the late 90's, and early 2000's, we began to see the all-over skin-tone/beige tights over the skates look as well.

I went back in time and looked at iconic--and very fabulous Ladies Figure Skaters and what they wore:

White Skating Boot Queens:

In 1968 , Peggy Fleming won the Olympic Gold, wearing White Skates. She looked elegant and very "Mad Men" Figure Skater!!

Dorothy Hamill became the 1976 Olympic Champion...in White Skates. I see a pattern here: If you go to the Olympics, and want to win the Gold, ,maybe White Skates is your secret "boot" ticket. On Hamill, they were the perfect accessory since her costume had white-ish sequin trim on the neckline and sleeve of her red costume. Looking at these two icons of Figure Skating and thinking about costumes in 2010/2011, wearing White Boots might seem a bit "Retro", n'est pas?

In the 1992 Albertville Olympics, France's Surya Bonaly, caused a major ESCANDALO, when she refused to wear tights(!). My Figure Skating "Research Assistant" tells me that Danskin only makes tights in "never seen the sun" ballerina cream or "toast"(tan-a-rama!), so I can see why Bonaly just never wore tights when she competed (she just couldn't find a pair to match her skin tone). She still opted for the traditional White Skates--to go with her non-traditional glitzy over-the-top costumes.

Two years later, at the 1994 Winter Olympics, there was Miss Tonya Harding and her infamous broken boot lace incident. Yep, she wore White Skates and they coordinated well with her costume. They were the "Stars" of this Olympic boot lace incident, as well as the fact that her skates had GOLD blades. This was considered a bit on the tacky side and trust me kiddies, it was a topic of discussion amongst many a figure skating competition-watching party!

Beige Queens:

In the same year, Olympic Gold-medal Winner Oksana Baiul, who represented the Ukraine defeated USA's Nancy Kerrigan in (Oh No She Didn't!): Beige Skating Boots (I know, shut the front door!). I remember then thinking "Boy them beige skates are odd!". If I am not mistaken, I think she was the only figure skater to compete in the Olympics wearing BEIGE SKATES! (I'm sure I could be wrong and my dear readers will be sure to tell me so!)

In the early 2000's, we began to see the beige-tights-over-skates trend more. Exhibit A: Sarah Hughes, 2002 Olympic Gold Medalist. Hughes wore the beige tights over the skates look with her sequined lilac costume.

Exhibit B: In 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino (of which I actually went to!), Sasha Cohen skated in skin-tone tights over her boots, as well. Sasha, of course is known for her LONG lines and UNBELIEVABLE leg extensions. So in her case, it does make sense to cover the entire leg in skin-tone, in order to exaggerate even more the length of her lines. So what is the trend now, in 2010/2011?

What's The Trend Now: The 2010 Grand Prix Ladies

Italy's Carolina Kostner--and Roberto Cavalli-costumed muse--wore White Ice Skates in her winning Grand Prix performance. I loved the costume and had no problem with them. Kostner is a tall skater (compared to the others) and therefore doesn't need an elongation to her already lengthy legs. They also go just right with her asymmetrical costume. I just have a problem with her too-dark tights! (Are those "toast" by Danskin???)

Japan's Akiko Suzuki, on the other hand, wears the beige-tights-over-ice-skates, for her Grand Prix series look. Akiko is only 5 feet 2 inches and so it is understandable that she doesn't want to add anything to break the length of her leg-lines. For some reason, though, it looks very "bulky" down by the ankle. It would almost be better with just the white boots...

The stunning Barbie Doll-like Kiira Korpi from Finland, opts for the White Skates. Korpi looks like a figure skater from the 1960's, and from head to toe, she exudes a Retro vibe. So it makes perfect sense for her to go for the White Skates as opposed to the all-beige-leg look.

And finally, there's Rachael Flatt, from the USA, who chooses beige tights over the skates, as opposed to the White Skates. So, it seems that the great debate over "Which one is better?" or "Which is more Professional Looking?" will continue. I think, it all depends on the skater, the costume, and also the height of the skater. Shorter competitors should probably opt for the beige tight/skate look, while if you want to be more on the "Peggy Fleming/Dorothy Hamill" end--and be more "traditional"--then go for the White Skates.

Although for me there is one deal breaker and that is the Olympics. I am siding with a White Skate only policy. To me it is almost like not wearing a White Tennis Outfit to Wimbledon! For the Gran-daddy of all Sports and for photos that will appear for an eternity, classic white is always the answer!

What do you think?

Nick Verreos Figure Skating Fashion Blog on Universal Sports.com: Skate Canada Edition!!!

Miss Grand Prix Canada Is...

Sequin Trimmed Podium: The Top Three Ladies, Ksenia Makarova (Russia), Alissa Czizny (US, won the Gold), Amelie Lacoste (Canada)

I'm so excited to be back for another week of Figure Skating Fashion Two Cents for this Grand Prix Season. Last week we were in Japan (well, I wasn't unfortunately but they were!), and now...

We cross many, many time zones and arrive in Canada for the Grand Prix: Skate Canada edition. Let the Sequins, Asymmetrical Hemlines and Glue-Gun Begin:

Mandarin Evita: Figure Skaters and especially Russian Figure Skaters love a good asymmetrical costume. And Ksenia Makarova, skating to Evita for her long program, did not disappoint.

While she definitely was on the right track with the deep red color and very Eva Peron hairdo, the asymmetrical Nehru/Mandarin collar made the whole look literally askew--and also not "Country-appropriate" for the Argentine Muse.

Where's My Bayonet: Patrick Chan has decided to go "green" this season and recycle last seasons long program. He once again skated to Phantom of the Opera in this slightly period inspired all black costume.

Chan is one of those skaters that chooses simplicity over drama and although there is nothing wrong with this look, he definitely could have used an update. And he looked like he was doing a bad Civil War Reenactment as opposed to The Phantom!

Retro Chic: Vanessa Crone and Paul Poirier were definitely one of my favorite skates across all disciplines. They skated to Eleanor Rigby, and although I must admit I am not a huge Beatles fan (sorry!) I am a huge fan of Christopher Dean. His choreography is breathtaking and always innovative. These costumes were a perfect match for this program. The simplicity and retro vibe they portrayed, allowed the program to speak for itself. They actually got me to like The Beatles...just for 4 minutes.

Cha-Cha 1986: When I first saw Gorshkova and Butikov hit the ice, I said “Oh Dear!”, I should have said “Ay Caramba!”. They skated to a Cha-Cha medley and their costumes, though bold and exuberant, reminded me of a cross between “Blades of Glory” and...

Some tacky dance show review in Reno—circa 1986.

Scheherazade Aerobics: Fumie Suguri of Japan skated to Bagoa's Dance from Alexander...in stretch velvet pants! Now, Fumie was one of the first skaters to bring back pants to women’s skating a few years ago: Several seasons ago she looked sleek in a black pant suit ensemble, but here she is just a hot mess.

She looks like my “kooky” Aunt from Boca Raton going to her Aerobics Class at the Marriott, headband and all.

Ole!: Cynthia Phaneuf was at the top of her game during the short program in this one sleeve gold beaded costume. She looked sleek and modern and I loved her hair pulled back into a simple ponytail, very “fashion runway” in fact. Every detail accentuated her Spanish Theme perfectly—and not one Red Rose in sight (take note ladies!).

What did I think of Madison Chock and Greg Zuerlein's "Cabaret" costumes above? Click HERE to read my Universal Sports Blog and see what I thought about them and many more of the costumes.

Nick Verreos visits Boston's Suffolk University for Unity Week 2010!

Hello BAAAWWWWWSSSSTON!!!!!!Suffolk Cheer: Nick Verreos poses with "Unity Week" Suffolk University Committee

Last Monday, on March 1st, during my 7-day stint visiting the East Coast, I landed in Boston's Suffolk University, located in walking distance from landmarks such as The State House (more on that below), Boston Common, Public Garden, Quincy Market and the Financial District. Suffolk University, Boston Massachusetts

I was in Boston to do a very special speaking engagement to kick off Suffolk University's Unity Week 2010. My event was sponsored by the wonderful Suffolk University Program Committee, Student Leadership as well as Office of Retention Services.Minutes Before: The C. Walsh Theater Stage

I stepped into the fabulously renovated C. Walsh Theater, Suffolk's premier performance space. As students filled the theater, I waited "behind the wings" for my introduction. I brought a special slideshow with images from my NIKOLAKI Collection as well as red carpet images of celebrities wearing my designs. Fashion Stage: Nick Verreos onstage, C. Walsh Theater, Suffolk University Boston

These played behind me as I spoke to the 100+ audience. I think they really enjoyed it all (from what they told me!). After my "lecture" (or as some people called "Nick's Fashion & Comedy Hour"!), I made sure to gather everyone present to take a group shot:
My very special Unity Week 2010 lecture was followed by photos and autographs, as I got to meet Suffolk University "Best and Brightest" up close and personal. It was a chilly 35 Degrees but that didn't stop them from bringing in the "Spring Colors" and still looking cute.
Green Suffolk Pride: Nick Verreos poses with Suffolk University student, wearing a marine-green school sweatshirt and fabulous Neon-green Wellies

Boston Beauties: Nick Verreos poses with Suffolk University students after his speaking engagement

My evening ended with a delicious dinner at a local pub--I finished late (I went OVERTIME with my Lecture and photo-taking!). Thank you to the entire Unity Week 2010 Committee for making me feel right at home--and not judging my Lumberjack, skinny tie and skinny jean look of the night! Love ya!
Golden: The Massachusetts State House, Boston

The next morning, I had some time before heading to the Boston Logan Airport and catching my flight to New York City, so I decided to spend some time sightseeing and walking around. I just LOVE Boston and its architecture. I really felt as if I were in Milan or Paris as I ventured down some of its cobblestone streets and walked past the brick brownstone homes and historic buildings. Trust me, in LA, where I reside, there isn't ANYTHING like this, so I tried to soak it all up! I especially loved seeing the impressive Massachusetts State House with its gold dome and brick and Roman column facade. Where's Johnny Weir: The Ice Skating Rink at the Boston Common Frog Pond

I also was very happy when I spotted an ice skating rink, located adjacent to the State House (you know how much I love me some Figure Skating!) in the Boston Common Frog Pond. With this vision--and the thought of donning some skates and doing a triple axle--I realized it was time to get my luggage and catch a cab to head to my next stop: New York City and New Jersey!