Olympic figure skating fashion: Behind the costume designs - 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. The range of designs, whether Lady Gaga — or Madonna-inspired, an extraterrestrial being or a national landmark, must also have full mobility and function.

A costume can elevate or undermine a program, and skaters risk penalties if any part of their outfit falls off during the routine. However delicate they look, skating costumes are engineering feats draped in spandex and chiffon. They must endure gravity-defying jumps and, in pairs or ice dancing, strong grips and holds. ESPN spoke with designers, skaters and choreographers to uncover costume secrets and stories. As women's figure skating wraps up at the 2026 Olympics, check out interesting information on dazzling designs below:

Costume design typically starts as a collaboration between the designer, skater and choreographer. «The process is a little bit different for each skater because they're different people,» McKinnon says. McKinnon encounters a range of approaches. Sometimes, the skater and choreographer arrive with a color in mind; other times, conversations begin more open-ended. «Usually, I get a quick rundown on the program. What the vibe is. Is there a message with this program? What's the style?» McKinnon says. «I take that in. I sit down with my iPad, listen to the music on repeat and just start sketching.»

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