ICE STYLE.....2014 U.S. Prudential Figure Skating Championships: Ladies & Pairs Free Skate

Golden Girl: Gracie Gold with coaches Scott Brown and Frank Carroll--2014 U.S. Prudential Figure Skating Championships, TD Garden Boston Massachusetts 

In Part Three of my Costumes Recap of  the 2014 U.S. Prudential Figure Skating Championships, it's time to discuss the Costume Highlights of the LADIES and PAIRS Free Skate/Long Program. The all-important ladies competition finished and the favorite to win gold--Ashley Wager--came in fourth. Luckily for Ashley, winning a medal at the National Championships does not determine if you will be chosen for the Olympic Team heading to Sochi next month. And  Just today, it was announced that 4th place Ashley Wagner was given a spot to go to the Olympics, therefore leaving actual third place medalist and 2010 Olympian Mirai Nagasu out. She, sadly, will not not be skating at the Olympics.

 Don't Worry, I'm Going: (left to right) Mirai Nagasu and Ashley Wagner, during the Medals Ceremony--2014 U.S. Prudential Figure Skating Championships TD Garden Boston Massachusetts

 Mirai Nagasu--Medals Ceremony--2014 U.S. Prudential Figure Skating Championships TD Garden Boston Massachusetts

Time for the Costumes:

Mirai Nagasu Free Skate: Mirai skated her FS to Music from James Bond by various artists, and I don't know why this didn't come to my Costume Commentin' attention before but...her costume is so similar to Ashley Wagner's Short Program costume (photo, right). It's black with sheer panels and features silver encrusted sequins at the torso and neckline mimicking a necklace. It is pretty, elegant and somewhat mysterious--and right for the "James Bond Girl" theme of her skate.

Ashley Wagner Free Skate: Speaking of Ashley, this is the costume she wore for her Free Skate to Music from Romeo and Juliet by Sergei Prokofiev. The costume is designed by Jan Longmire. I've discussed this costume before and you can read my thoughts HERE.

Ashley Cain, Free Skate: Ashley skated her FS to "Ave Maria" by William Joseph wearing this beautiful costume designed by Denyse Frey and Darlene Cain. The white costume featured asymmetrical lines at the torso with silver crystals throughout, a sheer upper chest and pointed neckline and sleeve hem. She looked very much like an "Ice Princess", and in a good costume-way.

 

Barbie Long Free Skate: I actually really liked this costume that Barbie wore for her FS to "Warsaw Concerto" by Richard Addinsell. The costume was designed by Marilyn Mathiney and Susan Liss and incidentally, 5-time U.S, champion and Olympic silver medalist Tanith Belbin (and a Twitter Buddy of mine!) is her choreographer.  

I liked this silver/gray costume featuring A WHOLE LOT OF silver crystals. The design is very "Retro" and and reminded me very much of Nancy Kerrigan's Lillehammer Olympic Free Skate Costume....

Christina Gao, Free Skate: Christina skated her FS to Music from the Angels and Demons soundtrack by Hans Zimmer and Joshua Bell. Her costume was designed by Yumi Barnett-Nakamura. I thought the torso, which featured a sheer illusion backdrop with solid ivory with silver crystal panels, was quite unique and fab.

Hannah Miller, Free Skate: Hannah skated her FS to "Primavera" by Ludovico Einaudi. Her costume was designed by Elena Pollack. While I liked the color and juxtaposition of the nude illusion with solid with sequins...it's A LOT. The costume does pay homage to the music but it looks a bit sophomoric in its overall design and execution.

Polina Edmunds, Free Skate: Polina wore this ivory costume for her Free Skate to "Solveig's Song" and "Morning" from Peer Gynt by Edvard Grieg. The costume was designed by Lilya Dukler and I thought it was modern, chic and correct, for Polina and that music.

Gracie Gold, Free Skate: Gold Medalist Gracie Gold skated her FS to Music from Sleeping Beauty by Tchaikovsky. Her costume was designed by Gale Johnson and Denise Gold. I really liked this lilac colored costume which featured long sleeves, and uneven "skirt" and silver crystal neck, bust and  sleeve accents. If I had any criticism, it would be...

A TOO WIDE collar band. I just feel that it should have been 1/2"-3/4" thinner.Other than that: good (Costume) job. By the way, this is a COSTUME CHANGE and below, is what she wore...

At the NHK Trophy 2013, which I deemed one of the BEST Figure Skating Costumes of 2013.I am not quite sure why they decided to change the costume as I prefer the original design.

Pairs Free Skate Costume Highlights:

Caydee Denney and John Coughlin, Free Skate: Denney and Coughlin skated their Free Skate to Selections from The Phantom of the Opera by Andrew Lloyd Webber. Their costumes were right on with the Musical. He looked sharp in his very fitted costume. Caydee--who can look two seconds away from a "Toddlers & Tiaras" grown-up cast member--looked good in her ivory sequined lace and chiffon number.

Gretchen Donlan and Andrew Speroff, Free Skate: Donlan and Speroff wore these costumes for their FS to "Pas de Deux" from The Nutcracker by Tchaikovsky.  The costumes were designed by Yumi Barnett-Nakamura and I thought they were VERY "The Nutcracker". I just wish that there was another way of designing a more modern/directional looking interpretation.

Felicia Zhang and Nathan Bartholomay, Free Skate: Zhang and Bartholomay skated their FS to Music from Les Miserables by Claude-Michel Schonberg. The costumes designed by Dawn Imperatore and James Peterson. These costumes were very "Les Miserables" and unless you were in a COMA you would obviously recognize that. I liked his more than hers. Nathan looked hot, musical-appropriate while Felicia looked as if it was a (costume) after-thought.

Marissa Castelli and Simon Shnapir, Free Skate: Castelli and Shnapir skated their FS to Music from the Skyfall soundtrack by various artists. Part of me wanted Simon to actually look like James Bond--a Tom Ford-looking fitted suit, etc. But I get that it might be rather restricting when it comes to the skating. So, what costume designers Yumi Nakamura and Paul Ginandes came up with instead seems like a good idea. Marissa's black lace applique costume--by the way--does give a nod to the "Bond Girls" that one may see at a casino scene. Overall, this is a 7.5 out of 10 in my book.

***Next Up: The Free Skate/Free Dance Costume Highlights/Recap of the MEN and ICE DANCE of the 2014 U.S. Figure Skating Championships