Niko Cohen has combined a background in theatrical costume design, and their passion for skating as an adult competer, to found Lavender Threads, a figure skating costume business. They have made costumes for team USA skaters like Max Naumov and Jimmy Ma. Niko is the 2024 national silver medalist in the US Adult Silver Women’s category - and they are determined to take the title next year! As a trans and agender person, Niko has advocated for inclusion and policy change within their figure skating club and national federation. We had a great conversation about navigating the skating world as someone who doesn’t fit into binary gender categories, what makes for a sucessful figure skating costume, the inspirational power of Yuri on Ice and Satomi Ito, and lots more…
Follow Lavender Thread on Instagram @lavenderthreadco and Niko's skating @ Nikonikoforov
You can reach me with comments or suggestions for topics and people I should talk to, by email at fsfuturepodcast@gmail.com or on Instagram and Twitter @futurefspodcast
Thanks to Ivan Danilyuk for editing and video production
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