Angelica Babiera | Arts Editor
Featured image: The figure skating team made Canada proud with their red and black outfits. | Courtesy of Reuters
While the Winter Olympics have recently ended, many still can’t get over the events that occurred during the two weeks it lasted. From North and South Korea joining together as one team, to Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir’s beautiful Free Dance routine, people are still in awe of the unity the Olympics can espouse.
However, one of the most fashion-forward occurrences to have happened in the Olympics is the figure skating outfits; each figure skater looks as though they’re a goddess or god, compared to the other athletes.
Take the Canadian figure skating team, which consists of Virtue and Moir, Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier, and Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje for Ice Dance; Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford, Julianne Seguin and Charlie Bilodeau, and Kirsten Moore-Towers and Michael Marinaro for Pairs; Gabrielle Daleman, Kaetlyn Osmond, and Larkyn Austman for Women’s; and Patrick Chan and Keegan Messing for Men’s. Each of their costumes are well thought-out, reflecting their respective routines.
Figure skating is unique because it is a combination of both athleticism and artistry. A skater’s routine must appear flawless with each twirl, spin, and lift, and their costume is an integral part of their performance—giving it the aesthetic it needs to make the performance more appealing to the audience and judges.
At the same time, skatewear designers must follow the guidelines and rules for the Winter Olympics.
The International Skating Union’s regulations stipulate: “costumes must be modest, dignified, and appropriate for athletic competition—not garish or theatrical in design, and there can be point deductions if a part of the costume falls on the ice.”
When Virtue and Moir came out of the rink for their Free Dance routine on February 19 at the Gangneung Ice Arena, it wasn’t just their their routine that wowed the audience, but their costumes as well.
Both skaters wore a Mathieu Caron design for their routines. Virtue wore a beautiful Cabernet red fishtail hem costume with a pointed edge neckline featuring delicate beading, while Moir wore a transparent and solid black top and pants, with crystal embellishment on his top. Their costumes were a reminiscent commemoration of their last Canadian Nationals routine, as if to signify a blossoming finale to their Olympic careers.
During their 2018 Canadian Nationals routine, both Virtue and Moir’s outfits were plain, lacking the same beading and crystal embellishments. By the time they performed at the Winter Olympics, the pair came out of the rink with more elegant and beautiful costumes, which helped them take home the gold medals.
As for Chan’s outfit for his Free program, he wore a combination of a solid red top and black pants. He also gave ode to his Olympic career, as he skated for the last time at this year’s Winter Games.
“As evident by the veteran members of the team: Virtue and Moir, Duhamel and Radford, and Chan, the red outfits that they wore for their free skates and long programs capitalized on the nation’s colour, and gave the statement of patriotism and home.”
