A Quebec costume designer is stepping into the global spotlight at the 2026 Winter Olympics, dressing some of the world’s top figure skaters as they compete on the sport’s biggest stage.

Mathieu Caron, a former ballroom dancer from Quebec, has been creating elaborate costumes for more than a decade. He says his fascination with glittering fabrics and dramatic designs began early.

“I was very fascinated by the costumes, all the bling-bling and the fabrics. So I decided to go to fashion school,” Caron told Global News.

After studying fashion at LaSalle College in Montreal, Caron launched his company designing clothing for ballroom dancers. His work soon expanded into the figure skating and ice dancing world.

By 2018, his creations had reached the Olympic podium. Caron designed the costumes worn by Canadian ice dancers Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir during their gold medal-winning performance set to Moulin Rouge.

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Now in Milan for the 2026 Winter Games, Caron says 28 athletes from 10 countries are wearing his designs. Among them are American ice dancers Madison Chock and Evan Bates, as well as Japanese skater Ami Nakai.

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Caron says each costume can take up to 150 hours to complete, from the first sketch to the final rhinestone. Caron says the process involves close collaboration with athletes, coaches and choreographers to ensure the design complements the music and enhances movement on the ice.

“We have meetings with athletes, but also with the coaches, choreographers. We talk about the music and the vision of the program,” he said.

His studio team includes other designers, cutters, seamstresses, pattern makers, and painters — all working to bring the garments to life.

The price reflects the labour involved. Caron says costumes typically range from $3,500 to $8,000, depending on the hours required and the complexity of the design.

While figure skating remains a central focus, the designer said he hopes to expand into other creative fields, including Broadway musicals and designing full looks for touring artists.

For now, Caron says he feels fortunate to see his creations glide across Olympic ice, and in some cases, onto the podium.

For the full story, watch the video above.

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U.S. figure skater Isabeau Levito joked that “you can’t evict me” after living it up in the Olympic Village at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Games.

During an interview with NBC New York, Levito gushed over her experience in the Italian Alps ahead of her Winter Olympics debut in the women’s figure skating short program on Tuesday.

“I’ve spent every night in the village,” Levito,18, said. “It’s been everything and more. And you can’t evict me. … I don’t think there’s anything not to enjoy.

“I haven’t even gotten to compete yet and I feel like my experience is already complete — Not complete, but just, I’m having a blast, the best time.

“… I feel like I’m exactly where I want to be and I’m so glad that things have aligned and worked out for me to be here. And I’m excited for the opportunity to compete.”

Levito, who was born in Philadelphia, and raised in Mount Holly, New Jersey, is the 2024 world silver medalist and 2023 U.S. national champion.

“You can take isabeau out of the village, but you cannot take the village out of isabeau,” her TikTok bio states.

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2026 WINTER OLYMPICS

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Levito is known for her smooth transitions and her technical ability with musical interpretation.

Her skating style has drawn comparisons to legends, Michelle Kwan and Sasha Cohen.

Levito and her U.S. teammates, figure skaters Alysa Liu and Amber Glenn — nicknamed the “Blade Angels” — will skate in the fifth and final group of six of the short program, beginning at 12:45 p.m. ET on Tuesday.

The Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics witnessed a major controversy after France’s Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron were awarded figure skating ice dance gold over USA’s Madison Chock and Evan Bates, the reigning three-time world champions who had produced a “flawless, gold-medal performance” on Wednesday.

Fournier Beaudry and Cizeron had triumphed over Chock and Bates by the barest of margins – just 1.43 points ahead after finishing with a tally of 225.82 compared to 224.39 for the American pair. Canada’s Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier won bronze with a final score of 217.74.

Un duo en OR 🥇🇫🇷

Guillaume Cizeron & Laurence Fournier Beaudry 🫶#JeuxOlympiques | #MilanoCortina2026 pic.twitter.com/7ajAl0WZEf

— Jeux Olympiques (@jeuxolympiques) February 11, 2026

French judge in spotlight over figure skating controversy

The spotlight, however, would soon fall on judge French judge Jezabel Dabouis, who faces accusations of rigging in order to help his compatriots stand on top of the podium.

Dabouis, after all, had awarded 137.45 points to Fournier Beaudry and Cizeron in the free dance event, nearly eight points higher than what she had awarded to Chock and Bates (129.74). She was, in fact, the only judge to award the Americans less than 130 points in this event.

It was a similar story in the rhythm dance event earlier this week with Dabouis awarding the French pair 93.34 points, nearly six points more than what she had awarded to Chock and Bates (87.6).

The 2026 Winter Olympics figure skating ⛸️ free dance was scored by 9 judges

The French judge gave Beaudry & Cizeron 🇫🇷 a 137.45 but only gave Chock & Bates 🇺🇸 a 129.74

All other judges were relatively close in their two scores 🤔

Judge No. 4 was just in a bad mood overall pic.twitter.com/1HkDHY5vuo

— Lev Akabas (@LevAkabas) February 12, 2026

Five of the nine judges had placed the Americans on top in the free dance event, with the remaining members of the panel – including Dabouis – awarding that position to the French pair.

And it’s not just the perceived biased judging in the ongoing Winter Olympics that has tainted Fournier Beaudry and Cizeron’s gold. They had, after all, formed their partnership less than a year ago, with Dabouis judging six of their events. And Fournier Beaudry and Cizeron, interestingly won five of these six events.

Why Fournier Beaudry and Cizeron are such a controversial pair

Canadian-born Fournier Beaudry also faces scrutiny for defending former skating partner and long-time boyfriend Nikolaj Sørensen, who had been slapped with a minimum six-year ban in 2024 after being accused of sexually assaulting an American figure skating coach and former skater in 2012.

The suspension was later overturned in June last year, with Fournier Beaudry lamenting the impact that it had on Sørensen’s career in the Netflix docuseries Glitter and Gold.

Cizeron, meanwhile, has been accused of being controlling and demanding by his former on-ice partner Gabriella Papadakis, who added that she did not want to be left alone with him. The 31-year-old, however, has rejected the accusations, labeling them a “smear campaign”.

“There is some sinister energy around the partnership,” former American figure-skater Adam Rippon had said in the Netflix docuseries.