"The clothes make the man" is a phrase that has traversed centuries in the English language, ranging from Shakespeare to ads for the Lebow Brothers Clothing Company. In the case of Olympian, three-time U.S. champion, and costume designer Johnny Weir, the inverse is also true.

Throughout his career and into retirement, Weir designed costumes for his competitive programs, exhibition galas and other skaters, including two-time Olympic and two-time World champion Yuzuru Hanyu of Japan.

But although his designs have played a crucial role in multiple gold medals won throughout his career, his passion for costuming goes far beyond the tangible accolades he's received for his designs. For Weir, the grandeur of design remains a fundamental part of his love for skating.
 

"Combining the technique of Olympic sport with the pageantry of theatre and performance drew me to figure skating," he said. "It's rare that athletes are able to use their voices to truly express themselves. So I used my choreography, music, and costumes to help me. My costumes were an extension of my personal story, not just the story I was trying to tell on the ice."

Nothing exemplifies this more than his most famous costume: The Swan. Worn for his 2005-06 season short program, including the Torino Winter Olympics, it remains Weir's personal favorite costume to this day.

"My costumes are all a part of me, but [that] one sticks out," he said. "I wore an homage to the swan. Our goal was to make the swan come to life through my skating, down to the red glove I wore to represent the beak. I felt truly alive in the costume."

Although Weir's love for it is beautifully apparent, the figure skating world was more reluctant to embrace The Swan. TIME called it one of the 10 most outrageous figure skating costumes of all time. NPR said that his costumes "defied description." The New York Times dubbed his choices "flamboyant and quirky" ahead of his return to Olympic ice in Vancouver. That scrutiny wasn't limited to media coverage, either.

"That costume was my greatest rebellion during my time in competitive sport," Weir explained. "From the reveal of the costume as I took off my Team USA jacket at my first competition of that season, the federation and judges tried to get me to trash the costume. [They wanted] me to wear something less "flamboyant" or "showy," code words for gay at the time. They were worried my results would be poor if I wore something so 'theatrical'. [But] I refused to change my vision."

The process of designing a costume can be an intimate one, especially when a skater is as involved as Weir. He had a specific vision that he wanted to bring to life with The Swan, and he stood firm in that decision.

And if anyone has been vindicated by history, it's Weir. Since the 2006 Winter Games, the costume has been featured on ESPN, made the "Today Show's" list of all-time greatest figure skating costumes, and was highlighted on the official Olympics social channels as part of Milan Fashion Week. It even made its way to Hollywood.

"Later that year, I got a call from major producers that they were going to parody me and my costume in the film Blades of Glory," Weir said.

"To this day, that performance and costume are what people are most curious about and remember me the most for. I am proud that I was able to show the world who I was without caving to the pressure of those who would determine my future. In many ways, that costume — with all its feathers and the beak — is an expression of who I am inside. That's why it represents me."

It's a common thread among designers. Elie Saab spoke to fashion reporter Katia Dabghi about syncing his personality to his designs. Christian Dior stated that genuine elegance mandated an expression of the individual. Figure skating and fashion icon Vera Wang believed her designs were "where a woman's personality and sense of self are revealed."

For Weir, taking his psyche and transforming it into an audience-grabbing costume begins with a lifelong trusted partnership.

Consider his 2010 Winter Games short program costume, a black-and-pink corset number with ornamental shoulder tassels that will be displayed as part of the U.S. Figure Skating's upcoming fashion gallery event, Styling 2027. That dramatic and spectacular piece came to life, as all Weir's costumes do, in tandem with his longtime design partner Stephanie Handler.

"My costumes were definitely more theatrical than runway-ready. We built costumes that would entertain people," Weir said. "I worked with the same costumer, Stephanie Handler, from my first costume at age 12 until I retired from my skating career in 2023. She retired the same year I did. Stephanie and I paid a lot of attention to the details in a couture way, where we wanted to accentuate my body lines. We built [my] costumes instead of just sewing cloth together."

The beauty of his costumes is easily apparent to fans.

Less visible, and intentionally so, is the difficulty of making certain that they can withstand the grueling demands of an entire figure skating season. Fabric must be able to stretch enough to showcase Weir's iconic spin sequences and flexibility. Each costume needs to simultaneously connect to the music and story that he chooses to tell without compromising its nature as a piece of elite athletic wear. And, of course, costumes must be altered and re-tailored throughout the year, paralleling the season's demands on athletes' bodies.

"A funny story about The Swan: I had to have the costume taken in four times throughout the year! So Stephanie and I always paid a lot of attention to the details the way you might with couture," Weir noted.

"We built these costumes [for the skating season]; it's more than just sewing cloth together. In every way, my costumes were not only my suit of armor, but also a part of my soul."

Making that armor look effortless and graceful is a crucial component of competitive success in figure skating. It's one that Weir takes enormous pride in even after retirement.

"I designed almost all of my costumes to tell a story and to make me feel beautiful," he said. "And I think whether it's the clothes you put on your back every day or the ones you wear for special occasions, they show the world who you are. In our way, Stephanie and I showed everyone what we were about."

His costumes certainly accomplished that. In designs that he worked on with Handler, Weir became a two-time Olympian and won three U.S. titles, two Grand Prix bronze medals, and a World bronze medal.

But his designs also represent more than just a U.S. Figure Skating Hall of Fame career. They represent the red carpets that he's walked at the Academy Awards and the Kentucky Derby. They represent the costume and couture that Weir donned for designer Elise Øverland's New York Fashion week in 2011. They represent his career as a figure skating broadcaster with NBC.

Most importantly of all, they represent how Weir's authentic self-portrayal — and his refusal to appease others with them — have led to his lasting success. He gives the same unapologetic advice to everyone who wants to find themselves through skating, design, or both.

"Be yourself and be brave. Falling in love with anything in life is worth it. If you feel proud, live your life with sparkle."

Weir's 2010 Olympic Winter Games short program costume will be on display at View Boston for U.S. Figure Skating x Fashion: Styling 2027. Weir will serve as the event's honorary host, and guests will have a chance to look at his most iconic fashion moments as part of the evening's gallery exhibit. The event will take place from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. ET on Aug. 26. Learn more about the event here.