Blending with the set design of Crystal, the overall look of the costumes is one of frivolity laced with surrealism in a fantastical world of ice. In the Home Swing scene, as an example, Crystal is seeing her world from above. So some of the characters wear clouds or houses on their heads to represent Crystal's surreal inner world. In a scene that evokes the rigidity of everyday life at the office, business men wear a very clean cut navy blue business suits while businesswomen feature an intricate pattern made of standard typewriter letters, including typewriter shapes on their chests. Angular crystal and origami effects are used throughout the costumes as a unifying component. 3D paper effects were a prism pattern creating volume on the sleeves during the Big City and Poles acts.

The costumes were designed to withstand the rigors of ice, and keep the artists safe. In acrobatic numbers where catchers are involved, special padding on their shoulders, as well as gloves made of Kevlar equipped with polymer cuffs, absorb shock and protect their forearms from the razor-sharp skate blades. For those artists who slide on the ice, their costumes are created out of water-resistant, non-absorbent materials that preserve the gliding properties of the costume. And for those acts that involve high-level floor acrobatics, such as Banquine and hand-to-hand, which require stability on the ice, acrobatic shoes and gloves have been developed incorporating a combination of small metal spikes and crampons into the soles to enable them to walk, slide, run, and so many other things that are normally not possible on ice.

Artists wear three to four different outfits during the show, which means a quick-change is necessary between scenes. Cirque du Soleil costume creators equipped many of the costumes with ankle-to-ankle zippers to allow skaters to change without removing their stakes (which saves a lot of time!) Cirque has also employed magnets to enable even quicker changes for the acrobats. And of course, all types of skates are used in the show, including figure skates, ice dance, and hockey skates. Those used by figure skaters have toe picks for control and flatter blades while hockey skate blades are curved for maneuverability and speed. To achieve the look, Cirque created covers that zip on and off and painted the covers so they have the same look as the shoes.

All of these costume choices are blended together to create an array of characters.

Crystal Crystal is an eccentric young woman with a charming quirkiness and a restless imagination. Feeling misunderstood in her everyday life, she ultimately finds her footing and turns her quirks into a creative force, radically changing her own narrative through her writing. With her flamboyant red hair, Crystal is clad in a vintage plaid skirt in blue, a light turquoise cardigan-style shirt and a red scarf that echoes her quirky creativity and unpretentious nature. Crystal's Reflection This character is Crystal’s shadow self – a dark yet helpful side of her personality that enables her to access her strengths and creativity. The shadow Crystal carries inside her – which usually appears as a separate, distinct entity in the underwater world – is more mischievous and headstrong than she is, encouraging her to take control of her life. Crystal's reflection wears a darker version of the same outfit, but with shiny wave patterns evoking the underwater world. Her costume is the mirror image of Crystal’s where everything is reversed. The Shadows The Shadows represent the forces within her subconscious mind that pull all the strings of her life, either helping her along or hindering her progress. The Shadows’ costumes transition from black to white and suggest washed out ink spots and crystal patterns. Crystal's Entourage Crystal’s family – Crystal’s mother, father and brother are her warped version of a suburban family: impassive, stoical individuals mesmerized by the television. The school kids and the businessmen who appear in Crystal’s subconscious world all seem passionless and robotic to her. Spectators see Crystal’s family through her eyes in a warped version of reality. Her mother, father and brother wear whimsical, art-deco-inspired costumes with a sense of suburban nostalgia. Coral pink, mint greens and banana yellows are the chosen colors. Added to the front of their costumes is a simple appliqué representing a full-size, childlike drawing of each of them, as seen through Crystal’s eyes. Comic Character The Clown stalks Crystal’s subconscious world. He is Crystal’s imaginary friend, motivating her whenever she needs a friendly push.

{Crystal} {Crystal's Shadow} {The Shadows} {Her Entourage} {The Comic}