[2021.03.13] Quadruple Axel 2021 Season Climax

[yuzurujenn]

Info: https://www.amazon.co.jp/フィギュアスケート男子ファンブック-Quadruple-Axel-2021-シーズンクライマックス-ebook/dp/B08YJQ6B7D

 

This issue is the climax of the season for the men's singles magazine "Quadruple Axel." Close coverage of top skaters!

Content:

[Exclusive interview]
Yuzuru Hanyu: "Proof of an absolute champion"

[All Japan Championships report]
Yuzuru Hanyu: "Putting his heart into his program, he reclaimed the title in a spectacular fashion"

[Talking about Yuzuru Hanyu]
Jeffrey Buttle: "A gift from heaven"
Satomi Ito: "Shining on the ice"

Nobunari Oda: "Heaven, earth and God"
Shoichiro Tsuzuki: "Putting love into skating"

[Special contribution]
Reporter's eye: "Yuzuru Hanyu - the absolute champion, his 10-year journey"

[Close-up report]

Shoma Uno: "A performance of gratitude with a constant smile"

[Special interview]
Yuma Kagiyama: "Driven by a competitive spirit"
Shun Sato: "I will overcome this wall"

Kao Miura: "A premonition of a new revolution"
Tatsuki Hino: "Every day is irreplaceable"
Rika Kihira: "Straight to the stage of my dreams"
Kaori Sakamoto: "A season of innovation"
Mai Mihara: "A silver rink of gratitude"

[Special Conversation]
Tanaka Keiji x Miyahara Satoko "The Aesthetics of a Seeker"
Tomono Kazuki x Honda Taichi "A Final Talk of Tears and Laughter"
Yamamoto Sota x Sumoto Mitsuki "Childhood Friends and Rivals"
Shimada Koshiro x Nishiyama Mako "Towards Their Own Dreams"

[Special Feature]
Nakaniwa Kensuke "The Challenge of a Young Leader"

[Series]
"The Power of Choreographers to Develop Individuality" #10 Ernesto Martinez

[Popular Series]
Suzuki Jun "In My Life - The Encouragement of Duality in Literature and Dance"
Machida Tatsuki "A Letter to a Young Skater"

[Competition Report]
89th All Japan Championships

[Photo Gallery]
Nagoya Figure Skating Festival
Medalist on Ice

[yuzurujenn]

*Machine translation. Inaccuracies exist*

 

Source: Quadruple Axel 2021 Season Climax, pg 28-33

 

"A Gift From Heaven"

<Talking about Yuzuru Hanyu>

Special Guest: Jeffrey Buttle

 

 

[yuzurujenn]

*Machine translation. Inaccuracies exist*

 

Source: Quadruple Axel 2021 Season Climax, pg 34-36

 

"Shining on the Ice"

<Talking about Yuzuru Hanyu>

Special Guest: Satomi Ito

 

Satomi Ito, who designs costumes for top skaters both in Japan and overseas, including Yuzuru Hanyu. Her costumes, which express the world of each program through artistic use of color and beautiful decoration, are highly acclaimed not only by skaters but also by many figure skating fans. We spoke with Ms. Ito about the behind-the-scenes stories of the costume production for Yuzuru Hanyu's programs this season, "Let Me Entertain You" and "Ten to Chi to (Heaven and Earth)". Interview/Text: Junko Kuroo

 

Spoiler

—Today, I’d like to talk with you about the costume design. How long have you been designing costumes for Yuzuru Hanyu?

 

Ito: The first time I received a request was for the exhibition number "The Final Time Traveler" (2014–2015 EX). After that, I also started making his competitive costumes, starting with “Phantom of the Opera” (2014–15 FS), and it’s continued ever since. When I received the offer and met Hanyu for the first time, I was extremely nervous. He is globally popular and attracts a lot of attention, so I felt a lot of pressure not to create a strange costume. But at the same time, I also felt very happy that a costume I had poured time and care into was receiving attention.

 

—Are there any specific things Hanyu is particular about with his costumes, or requests like “this point is non-negotiable”?

 

Ito: From Hanyu’s side, there are always requests like “please make it light” and “make it easy to move in.” So I try to choose materials that are as light and flexible as possible. As for the design, it depends on the program. Sometimes I receive a rough image of what they want, and other times the request is simply, “Make something that suits the program,” in which case I propose a variety of ideas.

 

—What's the recommended weight?

 

Ito: In my mind, anything over 800g is heavy.
When I made the costume for "Notte Stellata" (2016–2017 EX and others), I initially attached four or five large rhinestones to the ends of the sleeves, but apparently he felt that the weight on the sleeves made it hard to jump. I heard that once the rhinestones were removed, he was able to jump again, and this really taught me how delicate the sensation of jumping is. Even during fittings, Hanyu moves his entire upper and lower body, even spinning on the spot, checking every detail meticulously, noting things like, "This part is a little tight" or "This part bothers me a little." I think that kind of thoroughness is amazing. It really shows how strict he is about every single aspect of figure skating.

 

—Costume production involves many steps, including design, pattern-making, sewing, and decoration. Which parts are you directly involved in?

 

Ito:  I always handle anything related to the appearance: design, choosing materials, dyeing fabrics, and decoration. I outsource the pattern-making and sewing, but depending on the schedule and progress, I sometimes do the entire process myself. It’s rare, though.

 

—This season, you were in charge of the costumes for Hanyu’s short program “Let Me Entertain You” and free skate “Ten to Chi to”. When did you receive the order?

 

Ito: Around May to June of last year, I received a message saying, “The music has been decided,” and I think I actually began the work around July or August. The final revisions were completed and delivered in November for the free program. As for the short program, it was quite tough. I worked on it right up until just before the All Japan Championships.

 

—So you had to revise it that many times?

 

Ito: Yes. For the free program, there were about two or three rounds. But for the short program, we exchanged the actual costume by mail for revisions four or five times.

 

—That’s a surprising amount of time and effort. Let’s start with the short program. Can you walk us through the process of how it was created?

 

Ito: For the short program, the order came with a fairly clear concept: “A rider’s jacket style, three-quarter sleeves, and preferably in black tones.” Since Hanyu had previously skated the exhibition number “Hello, I Love You” (2012–2013 EX), I asked, “Do you mean a similar vibe to that costume?” He replied, “Yes, I think that kind of mood fits well,” so I designed it in that direction. At that time, Hanyu’s team also said, “We think the material used for the pants in that program would be good,” so I looked for a similar glossy fabric and started making it. However, compared to the velour fabric with good stretch I’d often used for pants until then, this fabric was a bit less elastic. There was also a request to “please don’t make it too tight,” so I left a bit of space to maintain flexibility.

 

—I thought the choice of an all-black costume was unusual, but I see there was a strong image behind it.

 

Ito: Yes. I also proposed a gold costume in the design sketches, but he chose the black design. So I think that was the image he had in mind.

 

—The black jacket looked very cool. What kind of material was used?

 

Ito: Making the jacket lightweight was quite a challenge. We couldn’t use real leather, of course, but in my mind, using something like stretch faux leather would give it a more rock-inspired, edgy look. The problem is that those materials are usually thick and don’t meet the requirement of being “light and easy to move in.” So I used a two-way stretch fabric (which stretches both vertically and horizontally), which is often used in costumes. To create a rock feel, I added stud-shaped decorations.

 

—The gloves that go with the jacket also looked cool.

 

Ito: This was also made at a request from Hanyu's side, who said,“I want gloves.” These gloves are quite detailed. If you look closely, you’ll see that the fabric extends all the way to the beige fingertips. The request was, "My fingers hurt when they touch the ice, so I want the fabric to extend all the way to the fingertips," so I used beige material to make them look like fingerless gloves. It was my first time getting that kind of request. I think it also has the effect of emphasizing the length of his fingers and making his movements look sharper.

 

—What about the belt?

 

Ito: While exchanging design sketches, I was asked to “add a buckle,” so I incorporated that into the design.

 

—There’s so much attention to detail. On the other hand, what were some of the challenges?

 

Ito: The hardest part was figuring out the jacket length, the overall width, and how the T-shirt underneath would peek out from the jacket. Also, since the pants fabric didn’t stretch as much as usual, we had to actually have him try moving in them to make sure they were okay, and it took time to find that balance between visual design and functionality. I thought about how to create something that matched the image within the weight constraints, but even so, the short program costume was a bit heavy, weighing in at around 800g.

 

—Due to the pandemic, I imagine costume production was handled differently this season.

 

Ito: Yes. We couldn’t meet in person at all, so all communication was through email. Hanyu’s body shape doesn’t change much, so we were able to use measurements from two years ago. Still, not being able to do fittings in person was tough. We mailed a mock-up costume and asked things like, “How’s the chest width?” and “How’s the length balance?” But as a designer, it was difficult not being able to actually see, touch, and make small adjustments with pins down to the centimeter or millimeter.

 

—So even costume-making was affected by the pandemic. Next, could you tell us about the free skate costume for “Ten to Chi to”?

 

Ito: When he sent me the music, he said, “It’s themed around Uesugi Kenshin, but please interpret it freely.” There was a request for a kimono shape and the color “blue-green.” Based on that, I made proposals for the material, decorations, and details.

 

—The embroidery of birds and flowers on the kimono was beautiful, and shows how much thought went into it. I feel like the back is a focal point. Could you tell us more about that decoration?

 

Ito: I felt that gold was an essential color for Hanyu’s costumes. And then, I had been thinking that I wanted to use the Uesugi family crest, “sparrows in bamboo,” as a motif. Just at that time, I happened to have a beautiful gold embroidery I had just sourced from overseas, and since it featured a bird motif, I thought, “This fits the program perfectly,” and applied it to the back. Also, since figure skating is viewed from afar, I wanted it to have a three-dimensional feel, so I added cherry blossoms and petals here and there to add depth and elegance. The overall color scheme was soft, so I used a darker blue for the obi (sash) and gloves to tighten the look.

 

—Since it’s a Japanese-themed program, is there any connection to the costume for SEIMEI?

 

Ito: Both are Japanese-style costumes, but SEIMEI was modeled after a kariginu (a traditional hunting robe), while Ten to Chi to is a kimono, so I think they’re quite different. This was actually the first time I designed a kimono for Hanyu, and for this costume, I used a lighter material. SEIMEI was about 750g, and Ten to Chi to was about 710g, so it’s quite a bit lighter.

 

—You mentioned earlier that you prepared several design sketches for the short. How about for the free skate?

 

Ito: I prepared several as well, but since the color and basic shape were already decided, the only difference was that I made small variations in the decorative details.

 

—When you saw him actually performing in those costumes at the All-Japan Championships, how did you feel?

 

Ito: The atmosphere changes completely between the short and the free, so I thought that was really interesting. Watching the performance for the first time at Nationals, I was surprised like, "Oh, so that's how he moves." I always design costumes with the thought, “I want them to look the most beautiful on the ice,” so I was happy to see Hanyu looked so beautiful in them. t's been a while since I've seen him in a cool costume like the one he wore in the short program, so that felt especially refreshing.

 

—The costume for 'Haru yo, Koi' at Medalist on Ice was also stunning.

 

Ito: For exhibition costumes, he often tells me, “Please design something that fits the mood of the music,” and leaves it to me. So I create them based on the image of the music. When I heard the title Haru yo, Koi (Come, Spring), the image that came to mind was, “Spring hasn’t arrived yet. Hanyu is the one bringing spring.” That’s why I wanted to add fluttering elements like a celestial robe (hagoromo) to the costume. Rather than simply adding cherry blossoms just because it’s spring, I wanted to evoke spring through color alone, so instead of flowers, I used airbrushing to dye the fabric in soft pink tones.

 

—The way the fluttering pieces move with him looks so beautiful.

 

Ito: The fluttering parts attached to the sleeves and waist are made from organza, a thin and translucent material. 
I chose it because I wanted Hanyu to look even more beautiful and to make the entire program feel dreamlike. At first, I was a little worried that Hanyu might dislike the frills, but during the fitting he said, “If it’s this length, it’s fine,” so I was relieved.

 

—So you were concerned that the frills would interfere with the performance. Compared to competitive costumes, exhibition costumes must have fewer restrictions. Does that mean you have more freedom in design?

 

Ito: As a designer, having more freedom means I can propose many different ideas. In figure skating, the music comes first, and the costume is only one part of how that music is expressed. So I think my job is to consider what can be done and do my best within the parameters of what's expected, such as the color and shape. For someone like Hanyu who can pull off anything, I'm overflowing with ideas like, "This would look good on him," or "I’d love to see him in something like this, too." (laughs) There really aren’t many people who can pull off such a wide range of costumes, from edgy to soft styles, so as a designer, I truly look forward to to see him wear even more diverse outfits.

 

— Your work features delicate color combinations, almost like paintings. Have you been influenced by anything in particular?

 

Ito: I was originally a fan of Mao Asada, and even before I started working in figure skating, I used to attend competitions. During that time, I’d often pay close attention to costumes, thinking things like “This one is lovely” or “This color scheme really fits the program’s worldview.” I think that might’ve influenced me. Figure skating is unique in that it is a sport, but at the same time it demands artistry. I found it really appealing how it incorporates music from classical, ballet, and musicals. My interest in costumes that align with that kind of art is one reason I wanted to design figure skating costumes.

 

—Since you began designing figure skating costumes, I feel like both skaters and fans have become more conscious of costumes than ever before.

 

Ito: There are many wonderful costume designers out there, so it’s not just my influence. But I’m aware that I was probably the first in Japan to actively share on social media. By doing that, I hope people became more interested in figure skating and costumes, and if even just a little, fans end up talking to each other like, “Wow, that skater’s costume was made like this,” then I’d be happy.

 

—Thank you for the wonderful stories. Finally, please give a message of support to Hanyu.

 

Ito: Please take care to avoid injuries, and keep staying true to your beliefs. Do your best!

 

 

Profile

Costume designer. After studying at the fashion vocational school Esmod Japon, she studied abroad at Nottingham Trent University in the UK. After returning to Japan, she worked at a costume company before becoming independent, and is now engaged in costume production for figure skaters both in Japan and overseas. Her meticulously crafted costumes, with attention to every detail, are often described as works of art.