Olympic figure skating fashion: Behind the costume designs

""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. As U.S. skaters dazzle at the Milan Cortina Olympics, earning gold in the team event, ESPN spoke with designers, skaters and choreographers to uncover costume secrets and stories.""

""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.""

Figure skating costumes gleam with thousands of sequins and crystals, often Swarovski, creating wearable art while allowing full mobility. Designers craft a wide range of looks — from pop-culture tributes to extraterrestrial or landmark references — that must function during twizzles, lifts and lutz jumps. Costumes can elevate or undermine programs and risk penalties if pieces fall. They are engineering feats in spandex and chiffon, built to withstand gravity-defying jumps and strong grips in pairs and ice dance. Design starts as collaboration among designer, skater and choreographer, often guided by music, vibe and program message.

Read at ESPN.com