ESPN: FIGURE SKATING COSTUMES gleam under the lights at Milano Ice Skating Arena at the 2026 Winter Games. With every twizzle, lift and lutz, thousands of sequins and crystals -- often Swarovski -- bedazzle and glimmer. "It's not just a little uniform you put on to do your sport. It is literally a piece of art," says designer Lisa McKinnon, who has crafted costumes for Team USA skaters Alysa Liu, Amber Glenn and Isabeau Levito, among others in Milan.
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This is such an awesome article! I have really enjoyed watching the Winter Olympics, and figure skating is definitely one of the best events. It is such a unique combination of athleticism and artistry. There is not much else like it. I never realized how complicated the costumes are for figure skating. It makes so much sense though. They need to be visually appealing and aid in telling the story of the piece, while functioning as an essential logistical part of figure skating, just like uniforms in any other sport. Ice skating has gotten so wild, so the costumes that the athletes wear need to be able to handle a lot of stress. I find it really interesting how few producers of these costumes there are. Maybe this is because there are so few professional ice skaters that need this level of costume? I am also curious about if the costume designer ever extends to the skate itself, or if that needs to stay as is because it has such high performance standards.
I have been absolutely obsessed with figure skating in these winter Olympics. I am not typically a sports person and sports are not something I typically find interesting to watch. However, figure skating feels so different because it feels like I'm watching a performance. Something about the theatrics of their hair, makeup, costumes, song choice, etc. makes me feel like I'm watching a piece of art and not like I'm watching people compete in sport. My favorite costume piece that I saw this winter Olympics was Isabeau Levito on the United States team, her red costume was STUNNINGGGG! It was so elegant and added to her piece so much, even though she didn't win anything, I feel like that costume won it for me. Another one that I really loved was Kaori Sakamoto’s burgundy and pink costume. I love that it went together from head to toe, even the gloves matched the gradient. When she moved on the floor, it all felt so unified, I'm so glad she placed because she totally deserved it.
There are so many things that go into the creation of these costumes. Designers have to keep in mind the aerodynamics of the outfits. They also need to design the costumes in a way that doesn’t interfere with the skater’s range of motion. It makes a lot of sense to me that there are penalties for parts of costumes falling off. Costume parts on the ice can be a hazard for the skaters. Each costume is unique to the skater and the piece they are performing it shows who they are and accentuates the aspects of the routine that the choreographer, performer, and costume designer want to bring to the forefront. One thing that I have seen all over the internet is the outfit worn by the on ice cameraman, he has a fancy white suit that he wears because it helps him blend into the background while also looking professional when he is caught on other camera views.
I love that there is always a part of something that you never think of but is incredibly vital to the work that someone is doing. For figure skating that thing for me what the strength and durability of the costumes. Whenever I have watched figure skating it is always accompanied with beautiful costumes and dresses that flow and twirl with the performer. However, the costume has to be able to withstand an athlete’s movements and sport. Being both elegant and durable seems to be a hard combination to pull off and I commend anyone who can. I appreciated some of the description of the process that costume designers take. There is a lot of consideration and repetition of the original material so that they understand the concept and feel of what they are designing for. I also found the discussion of weight fascinating. Another thing that you will not think of unless it is mentioned. I think this is a really interesting parameter for a designer to work with and will produce some interesting designs.
In today’s digital age, all current popular trends are governed by social media and the agenda that they push, for better or worse. In this case, for the better. With the growing popularity of Alysa Liu, Team USA Olympic Skater, the art of figure skating has really gained traction and support over the course of the past few weeks. This is good for the sport and those who take part in it because they are being recognized and appreciated in a deeper way for all of the work that goes into these performances. One of these now celebrated groups is costume designers. Just like in theatre, the design process behind the production is important. While not discounting the work of the incredibly talented performers, we can appreciate the costumes, which really bring out certain movements and skills within the skater. It brings attention to their movements while also making an artistic statement attributed to their identity. It is so beautiful to see how a piece of someone’s soul is visible in the art that they are wearing, and how all of that plays into a magical performance.
I always love seeing ice skating costumes; they’re always so beautiful and the way they flow while the person in question skates is gorgeous and graceful. I’ve always wondered how they work, as when you think of the circumstances, the requirements and process seem like they must be tough. Thus the article really intrigued me. It really caught my attention that the costume designer - after knowing which song the skater will skate to - will design while listening to the song. I can connect with this, as when I design, whether it be a character, outfit, light, etc, I do try to listen to music associated with it. This has resulted in many, multiple hour character playlists that I sit down to design to and think up ideas to. Alongside that, it feel very reminiscent to a process in animation that I have also participated in, in which the animator will be animating along with a song and thus listening to it over and over again to make sure they get the right mental images or thoughts for what to put in the animation at certain points. I suppose a link can be drawn back to skating from there, since the costume really does animate and bring the skater to life even more so.
It is interesting that I have watched figure skating at the winder Olympics many times, but I have never thought about or considered the costume design for the outfits that the figure skaters are wearing. The outfits displayed in this article, and the designers sketches that went along with them really embodies the elegance that is showcased in figure skating. Seeing the designers sketches really shows me the similarities that exist between theater and any other live performance that is presented for an audience. The only things that I wish this article contained was the price for materials for these costumes, as well as the time that it takes to build them. I do also wonder if there are standards for materials when it comes to figure skating outfits. Due to the fact that the outfits need to look good and also be suitable for a high speed sporting event.
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