“Costumes are important not only for a good performance but also to boost motivation. When people around you say ‘that looks great,’ it lifts your spirits.” Designer Taketoshi Hara who created costumes for Takahashi, Lambiel, Hanyu and Sakamoto
Interview with costume designer Taketoshi Hara who created costumes for Daisuke Takahashi, Stephane Lambiel, Yuzuru Hanyu, Kaori Sakamoto, Rinka Watanabe and Kao Miura.
source: jbpress.osmedia.jp dd. 17th August 2023 by Takaomi Matsubara
Now, in the world of figure skating costumes, Taketoshi Hara has established a distinct presence.
Taketoshi Hara is involved in creating costumes for numerous skaters and ice shows.
In the previous season, he designed costumes for all the programs of Kana Murakami & Daisuke Takahashi, including the rhythm dance “Conga,” free dance “The Phantom of the Opera,” and exhibition “Love Goes.” He also designed costumes for programs such as Kaori Sakamoto’s short program “Rock with U/Feedback,” Rinka Watanabe’s free program “JIN,” and Kao Miura’s short program “Michelangelo 70” and free program “Beauty and the Beast.”
In ice shows, Taketoshi Hara takes on various roles. For “Fantasy on Ice,” he designs costumes for the opening and finale of all participating skaters, and for “Notte stellata,” he’s involved in group numbers. He’s also responsible for the collaboration program “Conquest of Paradise,” performed by Yuzuru Hanyu and Kohei Uchimura.
As for Hara himself, he explains: “There are various approaches to costume design, and my type might be relatively rare in Japan.”
Indeed, Taketoshi Hara, who designs for figure skating, has a surprising background. In Japan, most individuals in this field have typically studied at specialized fashion schools or worked for companies in the fashion industry, where they would engage in design or work independently in design and production.
However, Taketoshi Hara never pursued education in those fields through schools or similar avenues.
Originally, he lived in the world of music as a guitarist and continues to have one foot in the music realm.
“I started seriously getting into music around the age of 16 or 17. In my teens, I had my own band, but from my early twenties, I leaned more towards being a session musician, doing recordings, teaching students, and touring as a backing musician. That’s how I worked.”
Hara’s connection to figure skating began when he encountered Minako Orihara, who has long been active in figure skating costume design and production.
“I was aware that Ms. Orihara was involved in designing costumes for ‘Fantasy on Ice’ and for Daisuke Takahashi,” Hara explains. Through his interactions with her, Hara gradually became more involved in the world of figure skating. He occasionally received requests from skaters for help with their music selection and editing.
As time went on, Hara naturally began to offer more substantial advice to Orihara regarding costume design.
“Figure skating always revolves around music. It’s not only about the skater’s skills but also the performance, the choreographer’s personality and creativity, and the music – these three aspects are crucial. However, it’s often challenging to understand how to interpret music from a creative direction standpoint. In essence, it’s about how to translate the musical perspective into design, how to create a concept. This led me to become involved in costume design by assisting in these areas.”
The underlying reason for his involvement in an advisory capacity was a sense of discomfort I felt.
“From the era dominated by live performances of rock and traditional physical bands, the landscape of music culture shifted in the late 2000s and onwards. Genres like club music and hip-hop took center stage. As a result, young skaters of that generation naturally listened to and incorporated these styles into their routines. In such cases, there was a sense that the traditional figure skating costumes originating from Russian ballet, for instance, might not match well. I felt that for a particular type of music, choreography, and presentation, certain costumes might not be suitable. I had a notion that there could be a mismatch or disconnect, and I pondered how to adjust for such discrepancies.”
As opportunities increased to watch competitions on television and attend ice shows, Hara carried this feeling. While living in the world of music and applying the knowledge, sensitivity, and experience he cultivated there to consulting and gradually began to engage in actual costume design.
On the other hand, he hasn’t had formal education in fashion or related fields. How did he create designs within that context?
“In my case, I don’t often start by imagining and sketching out costume designs. It’s true that many designers generate multiple design sketches and then select one to proceed with – that’s a common approach. However, in my case, there are tasks I need to accomplish before creating those design sketches.
With a long history as a guitarist and without formal education in fashion, originality has been maintained in how Taketoshi Hara approaches costume design.
He displayed an image on a tablet, illustrating the process behind the costume design for the collaboration “Conquest of Paradise” performed by Yuzuru Hanyu and Kohei Uchimura in the ice show “Notte Stellata.”
“This is a comprehensive view, showcasing how the design is eventually incorporated. It includes mood boards and everything in a single image.”
Mood boards are commonly used in fields like fashion and interior design to consolidate ideas and concepts on paper or a screen.
In that image, there is a structured flow from top to bottom, with images and text organized in sequence. At the very top, there’s a passage about the composer Vangelis and the song. Below that, a series of images focusing on various fashion aspects and materials are lined up… eventually leading to the bottom where costume design sketches are featured.
“It all starts with the music. So, at the top, I write about the artist Vangelis. He’s from Athens, Greece, and has composed Olympic theme songs in the past and even worked on music for the film ‘Chariots of Fire,’ which has strong connections to athletics. Basically, I explain the strong ties to the Olympic spirit. Now, what about the composition itself? This song is from a movie soundtrack, but it’s based on the European dance form ‘Folia’ and its arrangement as a foundation.”
That becomes the core of the concept.
“In addition, when figuring out how to approach these two athletes, we generally create mood boards based on existing collections. We want to convey a certain mood as a pattern, express a sense of fabric that relates to Greek or Olympus-era clothing styles, propose materials, and the sketches come in last. This time, I prepared three design options for Hanyu-san and two for Kohei-san, and we finalized the choices from those.”
He explains the reason for developing this process:
“This song has reasons and foundations for its creation, information about the artist’s nationality, birth era, and the historical context. There’s a timeline for that era and another for the fashion trends of the time, and they intersect. So, incorporating arrangements and lyrics, we propose designs that suit the song. The most significant effect is that when creating the costumes, there’s no deviation from the creative direction we’re aiming for. This reduces confusion for everyone involved, including the skaters themselves.”
The approach is consistent with other skaters. When considering the design, he points out the key aspects in this way:
“For example, in the case of Sakamoto Kaori’s short program from last season, which was a medley of Janet Jackson songs, the key point was how to reflect the 90s vibe and the essence of black diva music in the costume design.”
“Watanabe Rika’s free skate ‘JIN’ is a program that revolves around the period from the end of the Edo period to the Meiji era. That era was characterized by a fusion of Japanese and Western cultures. Taking inspiration from other creative works set in the same era, such as movies, manga, and games, I aimed to strike a balance between a traditional Japanese style and a European flavor. Based on this concept, I analyzed the music itself, including its arrangement and the instruments used, to guide the design.”
In addition to the artist and the music, he also emphasize the skater’s own personality.
“The skater brings a certain mood, body balance, personality, and aura which are all important factors. This aspect is more in the realm of styling, but I consider both the music-centered concept and whether it suits the individual. It’s important to balance these two aspects.”
While he meticulously researches and establishes concepts, he isn’t overly fixated on personally handling aspects like pattern-making and cutting. Instead, he holds the stance of entrusting those tasks to skilled individuals. While he might not have studied at a fashion school, he holds the following belief.
“In the past, when Daisuke Takahashi appeared in an Earth Jet commercial, I designed the costumes and concepts for it. At that time, I realized that commercials often have creative directors. When you have conversations, you find common ground. While I’m a costume designer, my vector is more towards the realm of creative direction rather than being solely a fashion designer. In commercials, stage productions, and films, there are professionals whose job is to conceptualize costumes. However, in Japan, this aspect isn’t widely recognized, so in that sense, I think my stance is a bit unique. So, in a more appropriate context, I would be considered a ‘Concept Director,’ I believe.”
He had a turning point where he gained confidence in this stance and his approach. It was when he designed costumes for two skaters.
“The biggest turning point was Stephane,” he said.
Stephane refers to Stephane Lambiel. Even after retiring from his active career, he remains a well-known figure in the figure skating world due to his achievements and influence.
Hara got to know Lambiel while being involved as an advisor in “Fantasy on Ice.”
At one point, the costume designer in charge of “Fantasy on Ice,” Minako Orihara, received a request from Lambiel. He wanted something different from what he had done before, and he wanted to have costumes made more seriously.
“But apparently, she thought she couldn’t do it herself. She also knew how delicate and sensitive his senses were.”
So, Hara received a direct request from Lambiel and took on the task.
“At that time, the request was for costumes for a program he would skate in the show ‘Art on Ice’ held in Switzerland.”
Upon learning that, Hara felt the pressure.
“I learned that ‘Art on Ice’ is one of the top three ice shows in the world. Moreover, Stephane is a hero in Switzerland, and there was talk that it would be the grand finale program of the show. It was terrifying. I thought if I messed up, everything would be over. So, I had direct communication with him through emails and other means, deciding on the design and materials carefully, and proceeded step by step.”
With the costume he created, the program received high praise at the time.
“He really liked the costume as well, and he continued to skate with that program in ice shows in Japan afterward. That whole experience made me realize that maybe my methodology could work in this world, and that was the moment when my belief turned into conviction.”
“Afterwards, I started working on costume design in earnest and began participating as a designer in my advisory role for ‘Fantasy on Ice.’ My relationships with skaters like Yuzuru Hanyu and Johnny Weir began to develop. That was also significant.”
Building those relationships with the skaters became important for later endeavors such as receiving design requests.
Another turning point is related to the 2018-2019 season when Daisuke Takahashi made a comeback to competitive skating. During that season, Hara designed the costumes for his short program ‘The Sheltering Sky’ and free program ‘Pale Green Ghosts.’
“Daisuke Takahashi, like Stephane Lambiel, possesses a keen sensitivity and awareness. He has a sense. I started with the consideration of whether my presentation would work for that person or not.”
Takahashi’s coaches and staff also mentioned that ‘Daisuke is quite hard regarding costumes.’ His dedication to the costumes was evident in this aspect as well.
However, when it came to proposing the designs, an unexpected response was received.
‘It’s good. No problem.’ Hearing that, the process proceeded smoothly. The atmosphere and approach were quite different from the time before his initial retirement. Wanting to transform the atmosphere and expression into something completely different, I presented my ideas and it was really gratifying to receive his satisfaction.”
And he continued:
“What was impressive was how surprised people around me were at how smoothly things went (laughs)’
Afterwards, Takahashi took on ice dance challenges alongside Kana Muramoto. For the duo, Hara provided costume designs, and in the previous season, he took charge of their rhythm dance, free dance, and exhibition programs.
Although Takahashi announced his retirement in May this year, he still plans to entrust Hara with the costume design for the new programs he’s preparing for ice shows.
Having established a solid foundation, Haru speaks as follows:
“In my case, I haven’t attended a fashion school, and I haven’t really been taught by anyone. I’ve only built up what I know through my own experiences and practical work. In that regard, what has truly nurtured my growth is working with exceptional individuals. Observing what those people are looking at, what they value, and simultaneously recognizing what challenges they face – in those moments, I’ve experienced personal growth. This applies to Stephane, Takahashi-san, and Hanyu-san as well. I think that by engaging with such individuals, there’s a sort of accelerated accumulation of experience that occurs at crucial junctures.”
“What do you value in design?” When asked this, Hara answered:
“The most important thing is when inspiration strikes, those moments when you think something interesting could happen, like a spark that ignites. Ultimately, that spark is the correct path. But in the course of doing the work, you sometimes need to restrain it, or you might end up giving up – it’s that kind of job. Still, it’s important not to forget or lose sight of that initial spark, that ignition point. To believe in it yourself. I think that’s necessary. I want to maintain the high purity of that initial spark when producing the output. In my case, it’s the costumes for Stephane or Takahashi-san’s ‘Pale Green Ghosts.’ The collaborative costume of Hanyu-san and Uchimura-san, ‘Conquest of Paradise,’ to me, represents a singular milestone, a sort of completed form.”
As he navigates through busy days preparing for the upcoming season, Hara says:
“Costumes are important not only for a good performance but also to boost motivation. When people around you say ‘that looks great,’ it lifts your spirits. I want to design costumes that have that effect.”
For skaters to shine on the ice. With that sentiment in mind, he engages with his designs.
Related topics: Daisuke Takahashi, Kaori Sakamoto, Rinka Watanabe, Stephane Lambiel, Yuzuru Hanyu
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