Mirai Nagasu

I created this charcoal gray dress for Mirai Nagasu’s 2015 short program.

The music choice, Sam Tsui’s cover of Imagine Dragon’s song ‘It’s Where My Demons Hide’, had special significance for Mirai – and I think that is always an important element in the choice of music for a skater. It allows them to connect to the program on a deeper level.

The dress had to include design features that spoke to that issue of one’s demons, (after all, we all have our demons)  and where it would actually reside. The heart is often where we do those battles, and trying to contain the struggle to that area suggested a placement of darker colored stones. I chose a dark, blood red stone to portray the part of the heart that was visible.

The stoning pattern on the necklace and front of the dress included some of the darker red stones along with the regular crystal AB stones and a dark charcoal stone, hematite, bringing the attention up to her face.

As sometimes happens with a design, there are little ‘gifts’ that a designer only becomes aware of after the dress is made and is on the ice. The stoning that went up and over the shoulders, and down the back, gave the illusion of wings on her back. It was completely unintentional, but was absolutely perfect for her.

Mirai is a beautiful skater, and has such a bright inner light – it has been a joy to design for her. And she has a wonderful sense of humor, making me laugh out loud at least once a season.