ICE STYLE.....2012 Skate Canada International: LADIES!

Ladies Costume Review:

Silver, Gold and Bronze: The winners of the 2012 Skate Canada International Ladies competition--(left to right) Silver medalist Akiko Suzuki from Japan, Gold medalist Kaetlyn Osmond from Canada and Bronze medalist Kanako Murakami from Japan--2012 Skate Canada International, ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating at WFCU Centre Windsor, Canada

If you're a Figure Skating Watcher--and fan--you know that Figure Skating is BACK--and that we are now in the midst of the ISU Grand Prix Series of International Figure Skating Competitions. Last weekend was the first installment--Skate America 2012 and you can read/see my Costume Reviews of the Ladies, Men's & Pairs and Ice Dancers. And now, we've traveled a little bit up North and we are onto Skate Canada International 2012.

Let's begin my Costume Recap of the LADIES:

Ksenia Makarova of Russia: For her Free Skate, this Russian beauty skated to "Megapolis". She wore a sea-foam green costume that was modern and very contemporary. The entire costume was solid stretch fabric except for one sleeve that was in an embroidered sequined lace that looked very expensive. Her costume had asymmetrical details and a "cut-out" at the side.

I thought it was unique and definitely stood out among all the other semi-typical figure skating ladies costumes.  I almost wanted the cut out to be wider, and would have liked a teeny bit more fluttering/flare on the "skirt" portion.

The silhouette of Ksenia's costume reminded me A LOT of the bright neon costume Meryl Davis of the US Ice Dance team of David and White wore during the latter part of the last 2011-2012 Season during their Short Dance. Also, in case you forgot...

This above is what Ksenia wore last season to her "Diamond's Are a Girls Best Friend" Medley Free Skate Program. So, her contemporary sea-foam green costume is, indeed, quite a departure.

Akiko Suzuki of Japan: Akiko won the Silver Medal at this weekend's 2012 Skate Canada International. For her Short Program to the "Kill Bill Soundtrack", she wore this black and diamante costume above.

At least she didn't wear Uma Thurman's NY Taxi Cab-yellow jumpsuit!

I thought this was edgy and semi-punk-y for Akiko. I'm usually NOT a fan of those cheap-looking diamantes but in this costume, they kind-of worked (that's a lukewarm endorsement!). I liked the fingerless gloves and open back. It's not every day that you see Akiko looking well, so "out there". Therefore, I give her "Nick Figure Skating Costume Points" for going there!

For her Free Skate, Akiko skated to "O" from Cirque du Soleil. Her costume was pretty fabulous. It had a one-shoulder neckline silhouette, was blue and green and had overt Peacock influences--notice the sequin applique and feathers.I also liked the side draped "skirt" section. This was a very well done costume.

Kanako Murakami of Japan: Murakami wore this ivory and green costume for her Short Program to "Prayer for Taylor". The one-shoulder design was romantic, sweet and expected. She looked like an underwater Nymph rising from the Mediterranean. In other words: I liked. Was it "Fashion-Forward"? or Couture-looking or Directional? Nope, not so mucheey.But, it was very pretty.

For the Free Skate to the Tango-inspired "Oblivion, A Fuego Lento, Adios Nonino", she donned a red-and-black costume with red chiffon cascade ruffles and underskirt. I'm sure she was trying to "vibe" in her Latina side and reflect the Argentinian tango soundtrack of her Free Skate. But maybe, she should have gone to Buenos Aires to actually know what these women wear to dance the Tango. On a good note: the beading looked very intricate and expensive.

Oh Canada:

Kaetlyn Osmond of Canada: Kaetlyn won the Gold at the 2012 Skate Canada International this past weekend. This was a nice achievement, especially since she is considered a "newcomer" and was only assigned one event; therefore not really eligible for the Grand Prix Finals in Russia. But, I can still discuss her costumes of course! For her Short Program, she skated to Perez Prado's "Mambo No. 8" and "Gwendoline".

She was shimming and shaking in her black and crystal-filled costume. I really liked this mock-neck/long sleeve number. The fringed "car-wash" skirt section was a bit too "low-rent" for me...but I get that skaters and their designers want to come up with different ways of expressing movement in the "skirt" sections of the costumes. I liked the light-to-heavy beading in the torso portion of her costume seen above.

For her Free Skate to "Carmen Ballet Suite by Georges Bizet", she chose to wear red and black. Oh what a surprise. It's CARMEN. Hello. I wish once, someone would skate to "Carmen" in NEON GREEN! Seriously. Moving on...

 Her costume was predictable and almost "Pageant Betty" from the front...

But I liked the back--which featured four straps and and was very open (yes, it was covered in illusion of course). As a whole, however, the costume seemed dyslexic; the front didn't match the back and it looked like two costumes combined into one. The front says "I am the Third Runner Up at Miss World"--and the back says "I'm going to VEGAS!". My suggestion is to make the front design a little bit more original and directional. But still, keep within the fact that A) she's SIXTEEN, and B) that she's skating to Carmen. Not an easy task! And again: CONGRATULATIONS for getting the Gold for Canada!!

*** Next Up: The 2012 Skate Canada International Ice Dancers, Men's and Those GERMAN Pairs multi-colored unitards!!!!