ll eyes are on Madison Hubbell and Zach Donohue as they skate toward the center of the ice at the 2011 Hil-ton HHonors Skate America. Many

are curious to see how the new team will perform at their first major competition together. One thing is certain — Hubbell and Donohue make a striking pair. For their samba and rhumba short dance, Hubbell wears a leopard-print dress, with the skirt accented by bright colors like fuchsia and azure. Donohue chooses a simpler ensemble — black pants and shirt with a deep “V”— letting his partner garner the attention. The team not only skates well and impresses the audience, but

also receives high marks from the critics for its costume choices.  “I think a great costume makes you feel like your character,” Hubbell said. “It should make you feel confident and be fun to wear.” Donohue’s feelings matched his outfit. “Overly theatrical costumes (for men) are a no-no,” he said. Figure skating costumes are the subject of much debate. What an athlete chooses to wear can create just as much discussion as the techni-cal content of the program or where the skater ends up in the results. But what makes a great costume? It’s not just one characteristic, but sev-eral that need to come together to create a truly memorable (in a positive sense) look. Of course, the design is part of the overall story the athletes try to tell. “The costume should project the intent and character of the programs,” two-time U.S. cham-pion Jeremy Abbott said. “It should enhance the

performance, not distract or overpower.” Abbott opted to work with designer Elise

Fife to create his costumes this season. Fife’s clientele includes mu-

sicians, singers and dancers, so working with the figure skater was a new experience. Abbott want-ed something he could wear outside as functional clothing, and Fife’s background in menswear helped to bring his ideas into fruition. “I wanted to highlight his body but in a sil-houette rooted in vintage winter sportswear,” Fife said of creating his free skate outfit. Masculine, powerful and glamorous were my keywords in creating this look.”     Zhanna Kens of Tampa Bay, Fla., has de-signed costumes for several top skaters, includ-ing 2010 Olympian and U.S. pairs champion Caydee Denney. It’s a delicate balance of com-bining aesthetics and performance wear, when it comes to creating costumes, she said. “A designer must consider skating as a sport that is mixed with the art of dancing,” Kens said. “The lines of the dress must flow with the mu-sic and choreography of the dance, allowing the skater to better interpret the music.” In addition, it’s important not to forget the original purpose of the outfit. “A skating costume is about function and flexibility,” she said. “It must fit comfortably and be one with the body.” Like many other parents in figure skating, Susan Hubbell has created costumes for daughter Madison, as well as her son Keiffer, since they be-gan competing. She draws upon her background (Hubbell studied design at Michigan State Uni-versity and works as an interior designer) to craft one-of-a-kind pieces. Susan Hubbell agrees with Kens that fit and function are essential when creating competitive wear. “You have to balance the visual choices for a program with the functional elements necessary for extreme athletics,” Susan Hubbell said. “The garment has to fit in every possible posture. It does not fit the same way when you are standing up as when you are bending completely back-ward with your foot behind your head.” Sometimes less is not only “more,” but also

WHAT MAKES COSTUMES GO FROM GOOD TO GREATby KAMA KORVELA

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Danielle Gamelin and Alexander Gamelin perform in their costumes by Tania Bass.

Former U.S. champion pairs skater Caydee Denney performs in a creation by Zhanna Kens.

Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue grab the crowd’s attention with their free dance and Hubbell’s costume.

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intentional. Tania Bass, a New York City‒based designer who has worked with numerous world-class skaters, including Olympic champion Sar-ah Hughes and two-time World champion Miki Ando, revealed that designers and skaters must hold back at times. “As excited as I can get about adding that extra ruffle or fishnet or gigantic flowers, I con-tain myself and remember that the skater is sup-posed to show fluidity and beautiful, unencum-bered lines,” Bass said. The visual aesthetics are another issue to contend with. The choice of color must be care-fully considered. “Color is one of the strongest elements on immediate impression,” Hubbell said. “But it’s subjective as well. It can be affected by what is around it, as well as what your competition is wearing.” Another challenge that figure skaters face is creating a look that is pleasing both close-up and far away. “I think competitive skating is unlike any other performing art where costumes are uti-lized,” Susan Hubbell said. “The athletes are on a very large stage. They must project 360 de-grees because they’re constantly being viewed from every angle. You have to be so much larger than life to even begin to fill the space.” For Fife, the combination of different fab-rics and other details can look very pleasing on the ice.

“I thoroughly enjoy experimenting with marrying a variety of textiles and trimmings to create a sumptuous vi-sual experience,” she said. The key to taking a costume from good to great comes down to one thing according to Bass. “The skater should come with an open mind to the recommendations of an ex-pert,” she said. “It’s similar to going to a jump coach or a choreographer. It’s an empowering feeling and a joyful experience when a skater and designer realize they are actually creating the costume together as a team.” And no matter the de-sign, a costume will always look better on a confident skater, Susan Hubbell said. “It is something they project themselves, something from with-in.”   For a look at some of the work of the designers mentioned in this story, click on the following websites:www.ZhannaKens.comwww.TaniaBass.comwww.Dripbook.com/elise_fife

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Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue heat up the ice with their short dance to samba and rhumba rhythms. Hubbell’s mother, Susan, designs all her daughter’s costumes.

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