Yuzuru Hanyu Japan's Ice Prince Revolutionized Men's Figure Skating Costume Asiana Times

Earlier this year in July, two-time Olympic gold medalist Yuzuru Hanyu announced his retirement from competitive figure skating.

Widely regarded as the G.O.A.T (greatest of all time) of figure skating by fans, Hanyu now continues as a professional figure skater.

Yuzuru Hanyu made history by winning back-to-back Olympic gold medals in men’s competitive figure skating at Sochi and PyeongChang in 2014 and 2018. He was the first skater to break through the 100-point mark in a short programme, 200 in free skate and 300 combined point mark in figure skating.

Yuzuru Hanyu also holds an unmatched 19 world records in figure skating and also has a Super Slam to his name, which is the feat of achieving wins in all major figure skating events at the junior and senior levels.

JAPAN’S ICE PRINCE REVOLUTIONISED MEN’S FIGURE SKATING COSTUME FASHION: A Throwback to Yuzuru Hanyu’s most iconic programme looks - Asiana Times — Source: USA Today

Yuzuru Hanyu has now embarked on the next chapter of an illustrious career. His first show as a professional figure skater, “Prologue” opened on 4th November 2022 in Yokohama, Japan where he performed a stunning ninety-minute programme consisting of six pieces. Hanyu also has a Youtube channel where he posts videos and lives of his practice sessions and much more.

There is no doubt that Hanyu has redefined the sport of figure skating. With his phenomenal talents, he has cemented his place as a legend on ice. While we appreciate his athleticism and spectacular mastery, the attention to detail that Hanyu puts in his performances must also be recognised. This has been reflected in his costume choices throughout the years.

Hanyu has worked closely with designers like Satomi Ito and has worn costumed carefully crafted to suit the tone and emotion of the performance. His costumes incorporate minute details that allude to the various elements of the performance.

For instance, Hanyu had requested changes in his Seimei costume to suit the more mature mood of the performance in his later renditions, replacing the brighter shades of green and purple with more sombre shades and incorporating more gold detail.

Hanyu’s artistry is well-known and well-respected. It is unsurprising that it extends to every element of the performance, including costume. Hanyu is the complete artist.