ICE STYLE.....2017 Rostelecom Cup of Russia COSTUMES REVIEW: The MEN!

A Costume Repeat? Maybe...Yuzuru Hanyu of Japan at the 2017 Rostelecom Cup of Russia Grand Prix of Figure Skating in Moscow Russia

This past weekend was the first of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Season 2017-2018 international competition events: The Rostelecom Cup of Russia. It was held at the Megasport arena in Moscow Russia. Disciplines in Ladies, Mens, Pairs as well as Ice Dance were on display and the winners of these disciplines earn points to qualify them for the 2017-18 Grand Prix Final...

GOOOO JAPAN!!! Even though the Grand Prix of Russia was held in...Russia, the Megasport Arena was PACKED with the very supportive Japanese fans. Thousands traveled to Russia to cheer on their Japanese skaters, especially Yuzury Hanyu. God bless the Japanese fans, they seem to be keeping the ISU and figure skating afloat many, many thousands of fans at a time!

Now, let's get to the IMPORTANT STUFF: THE COSTUMES!!! As you may know, I love discussing and reviewing the figure skating costumes here on my "Ice Style" blog so let's get started with my Recap of the 2017 Rostelecom Cup of Russia Costumes: MEN. I will follow with separate blogs on LADIES, PAIRS and ICE DANCE...

MEN:

Nathan Chen of USA: First of all: Nathan is a QUAD wunderkind!! What I am not so impressed with are his costumes. This all black dress shirt and pants look is what he wore as his "costume" for his Short Program to Nemesis by Benjamin Clementine. I get that the music is sweeping, jazzy, modern...so a sleek all black costume is appropriate but...THIS? Nathan looks like...

The WAITSTAFF at a party!! It's not particularly the all black that I have a problem with, if done right, it can be quite beautiful and interesting...take a look at these examples:

BETTER: (L to R) Jeremy Abbott at 2011 Cup of China, Evan Lysacek at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, Max Aaron and his "Carmen" costume at 2013 US Championships--Nathan doesn't have to look like the "hired help" at a party. Just saying.

Free Skate to Mao's Last Dancer (soundtrack) by Christopher Gordon: And kids, it didn't get any better for his Free Skate costume. An indigo blue colored dress shirt (Oh, what a shock!! Color!!). The music is this sweeping score from the film depicting a ballet life of Li Cunxin taken from his early life in rural China to end up defecting to the US. Even the "costume" in the movie's poster is more exciting:

I REALLY REALLY HOPE that these are just "in transition" looks and that his REAL COSTUMES are being made as I type this. PLEASE I hope I am right! I am in AWE of Nathan Chen's multi-quads. His "costumes" leave A LOT to be desired.

Mikhail Kolyada of Russia: Russia's Kolyada skated his Short program to Piano Concerto No. 23 in A Major by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Tango. I loved this. Now, this is something I wished Nathan would have worn. It was sleek, fit him well and had enough "costume" excitement but not too much. 

Free Skate to Steamroller Blues, Can't Help Falling In Love, Rip It Up by Elvis Presley--Mikhail did Elvis proud with an interpretation of one of his famous costume looks (seen above from his 1972 concert). I liked the details, the obvious homage to the original costume with the front torso details. This was another nice costume for the young Russian.

Denis Ten of Kazakhstan: Denis skated his Short Program Tu Sei by Vittorio Grigolo in this look above. The outfit consisted of black pants and a wrap-style white embroidered shirt. It gave hints of a classical opera tenor with a little bit of funky style. I especially liked the caviar beaded-like "thread" applique seen in the lower photo above.

Free Skate to SOS d'un terrain by Dimash Kudaibergen: Denis skated his Free Skate to his famous song done by a fellow Kazakh artist. Ten's costume was a sleek, modern look that included silver sequin embellishments as well as chiffon volants/mini-ruffles. Overall, it was a good costume for the beautiful and deep-meaning song. If there was any critique, I don't think he needed the crystal-detailed waist. Otherwise, it was just fine. 

Grant Hochstein of USA: Grant skated his Free Skate to Phantom of the Opera by Andrew Lloyd Webber in this midnight blue costume featuring violet, blue and silver crystals highlighting his upper torso. I liked that this was not so overtly a reference to Phantom and that he didn't have any gimmicky faux mask anywhere... 

The slight peeking of white ruffles gave enough of a nod to the Phantom's blouse (seen on actor Gerard Butler above with director Joel Schumacher in the 2004 movie version ) which was nice.

Misha Ge of Uzbekistan: Misha Ge wore this lilac top and black pants costume for his Free Skate to Meditation (from "Thais") by Jules Massenet. The look was a bit "subdued" from some of Misha's past costume looks but it was lovely. The color added delicacy to his skate and I liked the ruffled sleeve cuffs. I just wish the neckline didn't have that mini panel of nude illusion (WHY??) and I would have rather seen a more plunging neckline. Maybe not Max Aaron plunging but a little more than that above. It seemed a bit "Junior Skater" to me.

Yuzuru Hanyu of Japan: Yuzuru skated his Short Program to Ballade No. 1 by Frederic Chopin. If this sounds familiar, it is because it's almost like "Groundhog's Day: The Figure Skating Edition" when it comes to Hanyu, his Short program AND his costumes. For this 2017-18 Olympic Season, Hanyu has gone back to the same Short Program Music and (almost) the same Costume that he used for the 2014-15, 2015-16 Seasons...

Costume Adjustments: MINOR adjustments to the same costume--(L to R) 2014-15, 2015-2016 and now. The "new & Improved" version includes basically the same ombre-dyed blouson top with crystals but gold beading was added to the mock-neckband. He also used the same gold cummerbund as in the previous season. I think this is kind of lazy costuming if you ask me. It's an OK costume but it would have been WONDERFUL to have seen something COMPLETELY NEW! As a Fashion Designer and costume enthusiast, I selfishly want something NEW and EXCITING!

Free Skate to Seimei (soundtrack) by Shigeru Umebayashi: For his Free Skate, Yuzuru also went back to a previous Free Skate Program from a couple of seasons ago. He also used the (almost) same costume but with minor sequin adjustments. 

Yuzuru Hanyu's costume for his 2015-2016 Season Free Skate

Once again, I liked the original (above photo), especially with the music but I am just baffled why he didn't just have a BRAND NEW design and style made??!! We all know he has the MILLIONS to get it done so why??!! Maybe he is superstitious and somehow feels that he should wear the same (or almost the same) to bring him luck??? Who knows...

I know that I probably would have rather seen him in a cute Pooh Bear Costume instead...or this fab little stretch velvet number on this darling little Russian boy!

UP NEXT: The LADIES COSTUMES REVIEW of the 2017 Rostelecom Cup of Russia!