Couture on Ice: The Stunning Dress of Figure Skater Deanna Stellato-Dudek

Even if you’re not a sports enthusiast, get ready—this winter, sports will be one of the hottest topics of discussion. The Olympic Games in Milan are set to begin in early February, with figure skating capturing much of the attention. With Russian athletes participating in a significantly reduced capacity, the chances for other countries to win medals have greatly increased. While sports can be unpredictable, making predictions this time around is more exciting than ever.

The Rise of Deanna Stellato-Dudek

Last weekend, the Canadian National Figure Skating Championships took place. Among the pairs, Lia Pereira and Trent Michaud took first place. However, even their gold medals couldn’t overshadow the pair that secured second place—Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps. Deanna is a true star, having retired multiple times but always making a comeback. At 42, she still strikes fear into the hearts of her younger competitors. While her chances of winning the upcoming Olympics are slim, Deanna believes in the best and even manifests victory through her new dress.

The Dress That Stole the Show

After the Canadian Championships, everyone started talking about Stellato-Dudek because of her new dress. In her program set to the magnificent music of Carmina Burana, she appeared in a golden outfit made of countless delicate, shimmering petals. This dress is a true work of art, and for good reason. The renowned American fashion house Oscar de la Renta worked for several months to create this masterpiece specifically for the figure skater, marking the brand’s first foray into designing costumes for figure skating.

The dress, valued at $100,000, makes Deanna Stellato-Dudek look stunning. However, it hasn’t been without criticism. Many of her fans believe that her previous red-and-black dress was a better fit for her program, arguing that while the Oscar de la Renta creation is beautiful, it doesn’t capture the fatalistic image as well.

High Fashion Meets Figure Skating

This is Oscar de la Renta’s first experience working with renowned figure skaters, but high fashion and sports often intersect. For instance, designer Vera Wang loves dressing American figure skaters, having once been deeply involved in the sport herself. Wang began skating at the age of five and, as a pair skater with her partner, secured fifth place twice in the U.S. Championships.

Although Vera Wang didn’t achieve more significant victories and retired from competitive skating after not making the Olympic team, she continued to follow the sport passionately. In August 2025, she expressed her admiration on social media for Russian junior skater Sofia Dzepeka. Wang particularly enjoys designing for legends of American figure skating such as Michelle Kwan, Evan Lysacek, Nancy Kerrigan, and Nathan Chen. According to Wang, creating costumes for figure skaters is more challenging than designing dresses for the Oscars. She listens extensively to the skater’s program music and ensures the costume is comfortable for performing the most complex elements.

Legendary Collaborations

Christian Lacroix also has experience working with figure skaters. Before the Albertville Olympics, French skater Surya Bonaly approached him, and together they created a dress of incredible beauty. In the 1990s, Bonaly was a true star, being the first woman to perform two triple jump combinations and a quadruple jump in a free program. She also loved doing backflips on the ice. Although Bonaly never became an Olympic champion due to her high-risk approach, Christian Lacroix adored her and called her his muse.

Another iconic collaboration was between Italy’s top figure skater, Carolina Kostner, and Italy’s top fashion designer, Roberto Cavalli. They worked together for many years, with the designer initiating the partnership after seeing a figure skating competition on TV. He realized his dresses would look just as stunning on the ice as they did on the runway and red carpet. Kostner, with her statuesque and graceful presence, became a perfect muse for Cavalli and is still considered the epitome of women’s figure skating.

Russian designers have also shown an interest in figure skating. Olympic champion Andrey Bukin and his partner Natalia Bestemianova were once dressed by Vyacheslav Zaitsev. Bukin’s son, Ivan, and his partner Alexandra Stepanova turned to Valentina Yudashkina. Evgeni Plushenko won team gold in Sochi 2014 in a Yudashkina-designed outfit, and Russian champion Elena Radionova often collaborated with Alena Akhmadullina.

For more insights into the world of figure skating and fashion, you can explore this article.