



1 / 11 Chevron Chevron Photos: Yannis Vlamos/Indigital.tv; Getty Images Gucci Fall 2018, Elizabet Tursynbaeva

Few performance outfits come accessorized with crystals, but then again, few sports are as artistically nuanced as figure skating. In the Winter Olympics that just concluded in Pyeongchang, South Korea, star skaters like Alina Zagitova and Tessa Virtue swooshed by on the ice in form-hugging, sparkling costumes in shades of electric teal, pale pink, and lilac ombré. Sound familiar?

Those of us paying attention to the Fall 2018 collections in New York, London, Milan, and Paris will realize that the mainstay styles of figure skating costumes have infiltrated fashion. There, at Sies Marjan and Roberto Cavalli, is Olympian ombré! Over at Area and Attico, you’ll find gold medal–worthy glimmer. Adam Selman’s got a second-skin animal print, and Christopher Kane has risen to the challenge of creating an itty-bitty dress simply smothered by Swarovski crystals.

Why the skating mania, now? Think of it this way: In fashion, athleisure is still the dominant mood, with comfort and ease prized next to godliness in a garment. Figure skating costumes have all the performance capabilities of yoga leggings or a sports bra, hidden under the guise of glamour. To look as strong as a figure skater—and to have garments that reflect that strength—you don’t have to give up a love of crystals, sequins, or the color pink. You don’t have to give up feeling good in your clothes, either. When fashion shows in America and abroad are questioning how a modern woman should look and what the idea of a modern woman is, the visually powerful and technically innovative costumes of the ice-borne set provide a 10-point worthy solution.

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