ICE STYLE.....Grand Prix de France 2023 COSTUMES: The MEN!

 

Power Men--(L to R) Lukas Britschgi (Switzerland), Adam Siao Him Fa (France), and Yuma Kagiyama (Japan), Grand Prix de France 2023

Continuing with my Costumes Recap of the 2023 Grand Prix de France, in my last post HERE, I talked about some of my faves from the WOMEN, and now it is time to discuss THE MEN:

Adam Siao Him Fa (France) Short Program--Skating to the blues-y The Prophet by Gary Moore, Adam wore this all-black ensemble consisting of skin-tight pants, a diagonal "striped" velvet and faux leather-trimmed shirt, and fingerless gloves. It was a take on the tuxedo, for a much cooler, hipper guy...especially one who doesn't mind a VERY plunging neckline! It was sleek and hot.

Free Skate to Departure (Home) by Max Richter, arranged by Cedric Tour, The Quality of Mercy by Max Richter, arranged by Cedric Tour, Mercy (Voiceless Mix) by Max Richter, Mari Samuelsen, and Refuge by Power-Haus and Ros Stephen--For his INCREDIBLE Free Skate, Adam wore this look above. The music haunting is from the supernatural drama TV series "The Leftovers", the costume...is more psychedelic hippy: The stretch velvet-y pants, and the almost-see-through flower print top...all gave me more 70s than the-world-is-over vibes. But...all that was just an after-thought after seeing his show-stopping--and Gold Medal-winning skate!

Yuma Kagiyama (Japan) Short Program--Yuma skated his Short Program to the thumping sounds of Believer by Imagine Dragons. His costume worked with the music (and his choreography/skate) in that it reiterated the club-like vibe with the black and silver "Disco Ball" embellishment. I also liked the asymmetrical neckline and fingerless glove-sleeves. I don't think I have ever seen Yuma look so cool!

Free Skate to Rain, in Your Black Eyes by Ezio Bosso--Yuma wore this look for his Free Skate. It consisted of black tuxedo pants, a purple crushed velvet shirt, and a choker necklace. The shirt had a draped fabric manipulated texture that I am not sure translated well; it looked a bit heavy and for a lack of finding a better word, weird. I think he should keep to more sleek looks as opposed to adding bulk.

Lukas Britschgi (Switzerland) Short Program--Skating to I'm In the Mood for Love by John Lee Hooker, Superstition by Chris Blue, Stevie Wonder, Lukas started out with a look that seemed like a pretty basic dark navy pair of skating pants and (almost) matching shirt. How boring, one thought...But wait for it, halfway through, as "Superstition" came on, he snapped the shirt open, and voila: A COLOR and PRINT explosion! Lukas isn't boring after all, but quite fun. Thank goodness for the reveal, is all I have to say!

Free Skate to The Rainmaker by Hans Zimmer, Enduring Hope by Daniel Deuschle, Corpus Rex by Safri Duo, Enduring Hope by Daniel Deuschle--Skating to Africa-themed music, Lukas wore this Kente cloth-like wrap tunic, with colorful prints and elbow-length sleeves. Finishing off the costume, he wore black pants and gloves. I liked the look and impact of the Kente prints as he skated.

Lastly...

Camden Pulkanen (USA) Short Program--Camden skated to A Different Kind of Love by Son Lux for his Short program wearing this costume above. The look featured black pants and a black top with skin-colored panels. I liked how snug-fitting the entire look was on him, and the modern graphic design of the top.

Free Skate to E lucevan le stelle (from "Tosca") by Giacomo Puccini, Quando m'en vo' solleta (from "La Bohème") by Giacomo Puccini--Normally, skating to opera standards such as these, one would see, a ruffled blouse, a conductors-like outfit, maybe a "Tosca" or "La Boheme"-inspired costume...but Camden went shiny and almost-Disco-like. I venture a guess that his look and in particular, the shirt, were inspired by the Tosca aria "E lucevan le stelle", which translates to "and the stars were shining"...therefore the intergalactic shiny stars/sky-like top. If that is the inspiration, I appreciate the style thought that went into this look. The colors are beautiful and the fit is on point!

**For my take on Ilia Malinin's costumes (he also skated at the Grand Prix de France), go to my recap of the MEN'S COSTUMES: SKATE AMERICA by clicking HERE!