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“Maybe we need to work on your image?” Otabek’s coach and publicist says. At Otabek furrowed brow, an issue of Vogue was tossed his way, open to a fashion spread featuring three familiar faces.
“Your current image is so grungy and tough... all the leather, and grey and black! Your image on ice is so… wholesome! We need to spruce up your wardrobe! The sponsors will love it.” His coach claps in excitement as Otabek scrutinizes the magazine.
A few of Otabek’s sponsorship contracts were ending soon and he knew he needed to win over new contacts. His coach seemed to think an image makeover would do the trick. According to his coach, Otabek’s non-skating hobbies of motorcycles and DJing were not compatible images for several coveted squeaky-clean sponsorships. He came off as too much of a bad boy, as though wearing a leather biker jacket and playing music at clubs was the pinnacle of bad boy-ness. Otabek had stopped trying to wrap his head around that one.
In the magazine, Yuuri Katsuki stares back from the glossy page dressed in an orange plaid Valentino overcoat, wearing his glasses, hair pushed away from his face. He’s glancing shyly up at the camera, all traces of his now usual on-ice confidence gone. Otabek personally thinks Yuuri looks even nerdier than usual, but the brand stylists liked it, so whatever. Otabek doesn't understand fashion shoots, apparently.
“I think you could pull that off.” The coach muses from Otabek’s side. “We could get you some oxfords, button down shirts, plaids. You already wear scarves, we can… Otabek zones out. He and his coach have different tastes in many things, including fashion sense.
Otabek didn’t really have an interest in fashion, he’s a firm believer in function follows form. Riding a motorcycle in flimsy, whimsical scraps of cloth is utterly stupid and equally dangerous. Otabek is a huge fan of workout gear for the same practicality, you can’t easily strangle yourself on gym equipment in a tank and joggers. He just didn’t do many things that warranted impractical designer clothing to be worn on the daily.
The next image that catches his eye is of Victor Nikiforov. He honestly looks pretty classy. Dressed in an Armani suit, with a velvet jacket draped over his shoulders, he oozes sophistication. But Victor could probably manage to look sophisticated in a monokini. Victor is tall and dignified, with an ethereal beauty that makes whatever he wears look good.
"That's just not you." His coach quips. Otabek shrugs indifferently. At least they agree on something. He's come to terms with fact that he's probably not getting any taller, so he feels that sweeping jackets and gloves with look like a skating costume, at very best, and a child playing dress up, at the worst. On top of that, Otabek could definitely appreciate the finer things in life, but such grandeur just wasn’t him.
Finally, Otabek finds Yuri Plisetsky's page. Ouch, Yuuri Katsuki definitely pulled the short stick on this one. Sexy is only way Otabek can think to describe Yuri's photo. A black Saint Laurent ensemble with a plunging neckline shows off Yuri’s lightly muscled chest and slender frame. A Chanel belt, and chain and script necklace top off the monochromatic look. One hand idly musses his hair, while the other hand shows off black nail polish, nails reminiscent of a cat’s claws. What Otabek would do to see this on Yuri in person…
“Do you like that one? I didn’t take you for wanting to show so much skin. Not that there's anything wrong with that. But wow, and Plisetsky's so young!” Otabek can see the gears turning in his coach’s head at the prospect recreating Yuri’s look. On Otabek. With that neckline. Otabek can hear Yuri’s laughter already. It’s time to intervene.
Otabek takes a deep breath. “Look, I’m pretty content and comfotable with my image, if you’ll give me this year to prove I don’t need to change my style in order to get sponsored, I’ll compromise? I'll wear more sweaters and less leather. If I fail, we can do whatever you want.”
“Ok.” The coach sighs dejectedly. “I was rather looking forward to a makeover… Oh, I know! What if your season theme this year is dark and edgy? Think of the sponsors you could appeal to with that?”
Otabek can’t stop his groan.