Amanda Lepore and my friend YOZMIT/Miss Yo, in NY!!!

Miss YO Hits Amanda Lepore's Birthday in NY!!!

Cleavage Darling: Amanda Lepore and my friend, Miss Yo, at Amanda Lepore's Birthday Party

One of my oldest friends---and former FIDM school mate from AGES ago (I'm not tellin')---moved to the Big Apple about a year ago (after stints in Los Angeles and Paris) and has now become part of the fashionable NY nightlife "glitterati". I miss my Miss YO (as I affectionately call her but she goes by Yozmit, her stage name) and our going-out days. She was a muse and a source of inspiration during my "early days" when I was breaking into the Los Angeles fashion industry.

Vintage Nikolaki: Rita Verreos (in Nikolaki gold silk gown), Nick Verreos, and Miss Yo (in black veil and gold "crown"), and model in Nikolaki

In fact, she came to each and every one of my early fashion shows and even opened my Fall 2002 NIKOLAKI "Morocco" Collection with an incense-burning catwalk that people still remember to this day!

Yozmit is doing amazingly well, where she is known for her performance art and dance pieces she does for various organizations and putting on fabulous theatrical shows. In fact, several months ago, she even performed in front of Madonna and Justin Timberlake (I know!) at Madonna's VIP after party.

Beret Queen: Yozmit at Amanda Lepore's Birthday Party

Well, I was so jealous when she sent me these photos of her at Amanda Lepore's Birthday Party last week, celebrated, where else? New York City of course. I wasn't invited (I'm too old and far too not-so-fierce to be part of that "In" Crowd), but Yozmit was there, soaking it all in.

Lips and Bust: Yozmit, Birthday Girl and Amanda Lepore-- Amanda Lepore's Birthday Party NY

Yozmit wore a fitted khaki jacket with Edwardian sleeves, a gold sequined beret, denim mini skirt, a tie-front striped blouse and a fur coat (or was it part of her purse?). Miss Lepore, on the other hand, was giving you CLEAVAGE darling (quelle surprise) in a very fitted silver and black PLUNGING neckline dress. Those nails look DEADLY Miss Amanda! Love them! Hope she didn't scratch my little Miss Yo.

Nick Verreos Celebrates with Lily Collins and Mary Norton

A Purse Love Story: Nick Verreos and Lily CollinsIn Pursuit of a Bag: Nick Verreos and Lily Collins pose in the Mary Norton Boutique

Last week, I had the pleasure of joining one of my favorite gals--the one and only Miss Lily Collins--to celebrate the launch of the Lily Bag and Jane Ballet Flat at the elegant Mary Norton Boutique located on Melrose Place. Both items were designed by Lily and will be carried exclusively at the Mary Norton Boutique, naturally.
Months ago, I filmed a pilot with the beautiful Lily Collins for a Nickelodeon show and had the most amazing time and I had not seen Lily in awhile so I was ready for some "Lily and Nick" bonding!The Lady In Red? Or Dark Pink? Lily Collins posing next to her designs (you can spot her Mom, Jill in the background)

Both of us had just returned to Los Angeles from a bit of traveling---I had just arrived from doing an event in San Diego---and Lily, well, she had barely unpacked from her recent trip to Madrid, where she won the "International Model " Award at a Glamour Magazine Event there. Yeah, let's recap this: Lily goes to Spain, Nick goes to San Diego. Purse and Shoe Diva: Mary Norton and Nick Verreos, at her chic boutique

The Mary Norton boutique is located on what is fast becoming the mini Rodeo Drive of Los Angeles, right near Marc Jacobs and Oscar de la Renta, as well as one of my favorite spas, Kate Somerville. I had just arrived in the store when Miss Lily spotted me and we started jumping up and down like 19 year old girls (oh wait, SHE IS 19 years old so what's my excuse?). She looked so pretty in a Temperley strapless dress as she proceeded to show me the fabulous bag (love the tassel and chain as well as the textured "flap") and the Jane Ballet Flat. So cute! And you know what's even cuter: The fact that proceeds from every sale goes to benefit the Maple Counseling Center. Click HERE for more information. Go USC: Lily Collins poses with her College friends who came out to support her at the launch of her Lily Bag and Jane Ballet Flat

I had a really fun time with Lily and her UBER stylish mom, Jill (you know how much I love the Mommies), who was sporting ivory palazzo pants and a black knit (cashmere?) top. Oh and did I mention the red crocodile (or was it Python?) skin Loewe bag? I love me some Loewe, the "Hermes" of Spain, in case you didn't know kiddies. Goyard who? It's all about Loewe. I also got to meet Lily's best friends from college. They were so cute and we dished a lot about Project Runway (they're fans!). Even though they all attend USC (I'm a UCLA Bruin myself), I still liked them!

Nick Verreos' Sears Grant A Wish Commercial

I Wish for a Sewing Machine!
I am very proud to announce that I just finished filming the 2008 Holiday Commercial and Ad Campaign for Sears. I was approached over a month ago to be part of this AMAZING ad campaign that would be based on WISHES. The executives told me that, along with rapper and entertainment mogul, LL Cool J, High School Musical's Vanessa Hudgens and Ty Pennington from ABC's Extreme Makeover, they wanted me to be part of this upcoming ad campaign. I told them how my Mom had given me my Mamaita's (grandmother) Singer Sewing Machine when I was young and how that must have inspired me and many, MANY YEARS, later, influenced me and inspired me to be the designer that I am today...
And to top it off, the sewing machine was actually from SEARS!!! ( I am not even kidding!) Well, as I have said before "Done and D0ne". They loved it and felt, "There's Our Commercial".

The ad was filmed "confessional style" with no script and at one point, I became rather emotional (figures!), it was like my exit interview for Project Runway ALL OVER AGAIN!!! Part of me was like "Not again!" They even used some of my gowns in the shoot--from past and current collections. Hope everyone's wishes come through during the Holidays and maybe, just maybe, there's a young boy or girl somewhere in America whose parents might notice this special talent of drawing clothes and decide to get him a sewing machine from Sears. Who knows? The best gifts are the ones in which the giver REALLY gives it a lot of thought. I know my Mommie did. She somehow knew....
Click below for the commercial which will begin running next week and try not to laugh at my "baby photos". Don't you just love the fact that I couldn't find any COLOR photos of myself when I was young---now THAT really makes me feel OLD!!!!!!
Happy Thanksgiving and Happy Holiday (shopping)!
xoxo Nick

Nick Verreos at FIDM San Diego Campus Re-Opening--Wednesday Night!

New FIDM San Diego Campus!

Come and Celebrate the Grand Opening of the new San Diego Campus! Designed by the world-renowned architect Clive Wilkinson, the new Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising/ FIDM San Diego Campus is ready for its ribbon-cutting ceremony (or is it spaghetti bias-cut silk satin ribbon cutting?) It is located right near the immense Petco Park and adjacent to the UBER-hip San Diego Gaslamp District. I have been invited to attend the opening Wednesday night and will be showing some of my newest NIKOLAKI gowns for all the VIP special guests to see!
Click HERE or call 1.800 624.1200 for more info.
See you there!

Islands Of The World-- Nick Verreos' Fashion Week Recap!!

BAHAMA MOMMA! The Bahamas welcomes Nick Verreos and David Paul with a Junkanoo performer ( Bahamian New Year's Festival)

The Islands Of the World Fashion Week were not just about the NIKOLAKI show--although for us, that was a really important part, of course! The "week" encompassed four days worth of fashion shows from over 30 designers from the Caribbean (the Bahamas, Cuba, St. Vincent and The Grenadines, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Haiti, Jamaica, St. Lucia) Fiji, Indonesia and Madagascar, as well as featured designers, Danish-born Peter Ingwersen of NOIR Illuminati II, LA Designer-to-the-stars Kevan Hall, and myself. We ended each Fashion Week days' worth of shows with a "Premiere Show". Everyone Say Cheese: Islands Of The World Producers , Organizers, Judges, Designers: Tomas Frenes, Nick Verreos , Kevan Hall, Susan Stein, Owen Bethel, and David Paul

Featured Designers:

Peter Ingwersen opened the Fashion Week's festivities on Wednesday evening with his very modern take on sportswear, shown at the expansive Atlantis Resort Fashion Week runway stage. Gorgeous silky blouses, fitted jackets and ultra-skinny pants highlighted his show--all cut beautifully. My NIKOLAKI collection, was on Friday night at the "Old World" Colonial Hilton, and as I reported in my last posting, was a huge success (if I don't say so myself!) .NIKOLAKI Spring 2009 Collection Tableaux of Models

Kevan Hall then ended the week by showing last year's Spring '08 Collection, inspired by Africa and Safari back at the Atlantis Resort Ballroom Runway.

Judging:
Throughout the week, I was privileged enough to also be one of the judges of three special awards that would be later handed out at the Final Night's Festivities---the Sustainable Eco-Fashion, the Culture and Fashion Awards, and the Next-Gen Designer. My co-judges-in-fashion-crime were: Nole' Marin (of America's Next Top Model and judge of the new ABC show, True Beauty). He brought along his DIVA mom and friends and we immediately got along, like the kids from Gossip Girls!
And my newly discovered "Fairy Godmother", Susan Stein, fashion editor of Palm Springs Life Magazine, and producer/director of Fashion Week El Paseo in Palm Desert.

It was a tough challenge to chose just one designer who would eventually win each award. We really wanted the Sustainable Eco-Fashion Award to reflect the use of sustainable natural fabrics and the use of proper and fair practices in terms of dying, sewing, labour, etc. In terms of the Culture and Fashion Award, I was interested in how effective the designer showcased their island, it's uniqueness and especially, use of local materials. The first night, we spent several hours looking over the designers' creations and then had to vote immediately, as guests waited anxiously for our results. It got a bit crazy backstage with designers fighting over whether or not they received enough "judges" time. I suggest that next time, we do it Project Runway style, and have a whole separate day of "Judging", like what I have done for the shows' castings in Los Angeles and Chicago: The judges at a table and the eligible designers coming up to us showing us why they should get the awards. Can I be the Tim Gunn of the bunch?Eco-Goddesses: Models in 2 of the Finalists' creations for the Sustainable Eco-Fashion Award

The winners were announced on the Final night after a prodigious fashion show highlighting the Finalists. It was like a Miss Universe Parade Of Nations Costume show, with some of the most gorgeous models the islands has to offer. It was certainly one of the best parts of my entire week in the Bahamas!Designer Queen Esther from St. Lucia, a colorful and vibrant woman with stupendous design talent, won the Sustainable Eco-Fashion with her John Galliano-like gown (see above) St. Vincent and The Grenadines native, Tamiko Browne won the other two awards, the Culture and Fashion as well as the Next-Gen Designer awards, which I was honored to have presented to her. Tamiko's bathing suit line was clearly our favorite in terms of the most wearable, sellable collection, and one that we could all easily see in Swimsuit boutiques from Miami to Papeete, Tahiti. Each winner received a gorgeous engraved Waterford Crystal vase.Velvet Seeds: St. Vincent and The Grenadines Jewelry Designer Ingrid John of Natural Beats

There were so many great designers we saw, but some of my other favorites included St. Vincent jewelry designer, Ingrid John of Natural Beats. Her necklaces, earrings and bracelets were beautiful, infusing natural ingredients native to her island nation. I photographed some of her jewelry, including FISH SCALE earrings (yep, you read that right!), and a VELVET SEED necklace, which has seeds, uniquely found in the St. Vincent Botanical Gardens, one of the oldest in the Western Hemisphere!Hand-Sewn Pin Tucks: Close Up on the handwork of Cuban designer, Carmen Fiol

I also was amazed at the hand work of the dresses made by the octogenarian Cuban designer, Carmen Fiol. There was one dress with HUNDREDS of 1/8 of an inch pin tucks that she sewed BY HAND!!! I also enjoyed David Andre's Sea Sun and Sex (what a great name!) line. He hails from Haiti and we had a lot of fun discussing the FIERCE DIVA ex-wife of former Haiti dictator, Michelle Duvalier. Trust me, she will end up being the inspiration for one of my future collections...

Next post, the parties......check back soon!

NIKOLAKI Spring 2009 at Bahamas Islands Of The World Fashion Week-Part One

Couture In The Islands

NIKOLAKI GLAMAZONS: Model Line Up right before the show: All the Models used were either from The Bahamas or elsewhere in the Caribbean, including Trinidad and Tobago

I'm BACK! Yes, last week I finally returned to Los Angeles from debuting my Spring 2009 Collection. Of course, I did not just show my collection (along with my design partner, David Paul) but I had a whole week's worth of activities, official welcoming parties, judging duties (for Next Gen and EcoFashion Awards), hours of fittings and alterations, and somehow got to sneak in some "fun time" in the Caribbean sun--but more on that in a separate post.

Cover Girl: Bahamian Supermodel Kamela in NIKOLAKI gown, on the cover of the latest California Apparel News

I was invited by Mode Iles Ltd./The Montague Group, producers of the first ever Islands Of The World Fashion Week, to show my line, NIKOLAKI, in Nassau, The Bahamas. David and I began the process of designing the line over 6 months ago. Just Friday, after getting back to LA, we received the wonderful news that our collection (or one of the gowns from it) made the cover of the California Apparel News publication, THE West Coast fashion industry "bible". I guess that we must have done something good....

Inspiration:

Spanish-born Movie Goddess Sara Montiel and Sonora, Mexico-born Diva Actress, Maria Felix

My starting point of reference was "The Golden Era Of Mexican Cinema". Why? You might ask. Both David and I remembered thinking about our maternal Grandmothers and how they both loved watching those old black and white movies from the 50's and 60's, the era usually associated as "La Epoca de Oro" of Mexican Cinema. It was very glamorous then.

All I kept imagining were images of Divas like Maria Feliz and Sarita Montiel in their couture gowns, furs, Cartier diamonds...They were truly women with innate (and individual) style. They had no stylists picking those Dior gowns for them back then; they flew to the Parisian Ateliers and ordered them themselves. I wanted to give a nod to how fabulous they were but at the same time, bring it to 2009. We knew we were going to do a "Red Carpet" collection of mostly gowns and cocktail dresses and the theme seemed ideal.

Make-Up and Hair:

I wanted every detail to be perfect. I even sketched out my ideal for what the make-up and hair should be for the show, which we sent weeks in advance to the YSL Beaute professionals who would be doing their artistic magic on the fabulous models. Spring Colors: Models in their NIKOLAKI gowns, posing right before the show, Islands Of The World Fashion Week

Speaking of models, the day after we arrived, we had our official fittings and saw over 20 beautiful models, mostly from the Bahamas or neighboring Caribbean islands. I don't know what it is about the Caribbean but there must be something in the water that breeds over 6 feet tall girls!!! We also used models from Brazil and the US, that were brought in from a top Miami modeling agency.

Golden NIKOLAKI Statue: Trinidad and Tobago 16 year old Supermodel, Micheline, in a bias-cut gold silk lurex one shoulder gown with Swarovski vintage brooches
(photo courtesy of Islands of The World)

Fabrics: The Collection:

We concentrated on glorious colorful silks: Red and golden Zibeline, canary yellow silk crepe back satin, raw silks with Lurex, as well as as fluid liquid jerseys (also in silk). We split the collection into two "sections": One based on the use of stiffer fabrics (such as the Japanese Zibeline), creating defined silhouettes through the preciseness of architectural shapes and construction. And one based on my love of draping and the "Grecian Goddess" silk jersey gowns we also love to do, since we felt a "sense" that these would be a continued trend for Spring 2009.Give 'Em Back Girl: Back view of Golden Beige Silk Zibeline strapless gown with cascade detail

Vintage Brooch: Detail shot of NIKOLAKI gown with Swarovski jeweled and crystal George Wittels brooch (photo courtesy of Islands of The World)

Couture Touches:
We added special Couture-like touches , such as Vintage George Wittels Swarovski pins and brooches, which we attached with several of the dresses. David even hand-sewed hundreds of Swarovski paillettes and sequins (two 6 inch straps took 18 hours to finish!).

The "Marylin Monroe" Gown: Bahamian beauty Vanessa Pritchard, modeling NIKOLAKI bias-cut hand-sewn paillette silk chiffon Goddess Gown (photo courtesy of Islands of The World)

Along with the glorious silks, for Spring '09, we decided to "turn it up a couple notches" on the "red carpet" luxe level, by using some fabrics we deemed as our "Novelty Fabrics", including some hand-beaded sequined silks from India, as seen in the gown above which is completely made of hand-beaded sequin paillettes sewn over bias-cut silk chiffon with an attached Zibeline strapless corset. The gown weighed over a ton! (sorry Vanessa).

Shoes:In terms of accessories, we were privileged enough to have used these divine shoes provided by the fabulous Michael Antonio Footwear Group. We used their higher-end line from Michael Antonio Studio, which also had jeweled and crystal detail and embellishment, which coordinated perfectly with our gowns.

Who's The Diva Now? Kamela in crimson red backless silk crepe back satin NIKOLAKI gown (photo courtesy of Islands of The World)

In the end, I was very happy to debut my Spring 2009 NIKOLAKI Collection at the first ever Islands Of The World Fashion Week and proud of the hard work David, myself and my amazing "petite main" of seamstresses had painstakingly put into it. According to the last press reports we had read (it has been only a week after all) the collection was well received and I can't wait to return to this wonderful Paradise to show my collection next year.
Click HERE to view more photos of the collection.

Nick Verreos and the Juicy Couture Girls!!!

Juicy FIDM: Celebrating the Unveiling of the JUICY COUTURE Dedication Wall Juicy Gals: Juicy Couture Designers and Founders, Pamela Skaist-Levy and Gela Nash-Taylor at their FIDM Dedication Wall (photo courtesy of berlinerstudio.com)

Two nights ago, I arrived back in Los Angeles from my week-long trip to the Bahamas, and my so-called social (and work) calendar was up-and-running. Of course, I immediately returned to teaching my "kids" at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising/FIDM and last night, right after class, I was invited to the special VIP party at the LA Campus for the unveiling of the Juicy Couture Dedication Wall. Pamela Skaist-Levy, one of the founders and co-designer of Juicy Couture, is a FIDM alumna and therefore it was fitting that the school would dedicate a wall to her and her fabulous design company.Fur and Plaid: Juicy Couture Designers' fabulous backs, as they entered the party/receptionShould Have Worn My Juicy Tracksuit: Nick Verreos posing with Juicy Couture Designers and Founders Pamela and Gela

Pamela and her design partner, Gela Nash-Taylor arrived in style , donning some "out of control" fur stoles (didn't venture to ask whether or not they were real or faux, but they were still fabulous and I wanted one!). Immediately, we were treated to a posh reception, which included a fully-stocked open bar (the "Pink" Sparkling Wine was perfect for quenching my thirst), and delicious hor d'oeuvres ranging from mini beef taco salads, cheese ravioli, Mediterranean salad and three-cheese stuffed egg-plant. Doris Raymond, the stylish owner of "The Way We Wore" boutique

Juicy Threesome: Nick Verreos posing with guests, including Stephanie Marovich of Shiseido (FIDM Alumna)

Guests included FIDM President Tonian Hohberg, Fashion PR Diva, Margaret Schell of SPR, Stephanie Marovich of Shiseido, TV producer/reporter Patricia Edwards and the uber-stylish Doris Raymond, owner of "The Way We Wore" Vintage Couture Boutique. Pamela and Gela, were brought up to the podium to give a mini-speech and City Congresswoman Jan Perry read a "special proclamation" dedicating November 12 as "Juicy Couture Day". How fabulous is that? I want a proclamation for "Nick Verreos/Nikolaki Day". That day, everyone can drink as many Cadillac Margaritas as they want, and will get free make-overs and shopping sprees.
After the proclamation, all of us were led to the Third Floor of FIDM's main campus for the official unveiling of the Juicy Couture Wall.
The dedication wall pays tribute to Pamela and Gela and their Juicy Couture Empire. Lots of fanciful symbols and diverse elements such as a life-size suit of armour, Baroque-like graphics (similar to those ubiquitous Juicy Ads and stores), a mounted faux animal and, of course, several surfboards (it's LA after all), fill the 32 foot long wall (see above photos).
It was my first time meeting Pamela Skaist-Levy and GelaNash-Taylor. We chatted and posed for photos. They were both extremely sweet, in fact Pamela made a comment about how great that people like myself were at FIDM to inspire the students and the designers of tomorrow. She said something to the effect of "I wish I had teachers like you..." Ahhhh, I just about clutched my Juicy Pearls....

Click Below for a video I captured of the Juicy Couture Designers giving Thanks for the Dedication Ceremony:

Welcome to the Bahamas! Nick Verreos and Islands Of The World Fashion Week!

Islands Of The World Fashion Week: Here we come!!!

The day has arrived. After months and months of design, ordering fabric, draping, pattern making, muslin sample sewing, subsequent fixing of patterns, creating the final runway samples, designing runway make-up and hair ideas, runway-music mixing, model fittings, and many custom government delivery forms later, we are here.
Today, David Paul and I, depart for Nassau, The Bahamas to debut our NIKOLAKI Spring 2009 Collection. Over 6 months ago, I was invited to partake in the first ever Islands Of the World Fashion Week and showcase my newest collection---as well as make special appearances as part of the festivities, and ultimately judge the Fashion Week's Collections designed by over 30 designers from all over the world.
Above and below are some one-of-a-kind special illustrations I sketched to commemorate the occasion, and to give a "sneak peak" of what NIKOLAKI Spring 2009 will look like (save the Bahamas Carnival Costume!)

My collection will be about "Cinematic Glamour"--but a particular kind of cinematic glamour (more on that later!); decadent, elegant yet sexy, lots of Red Carpet-worthy designs. Hopefully, my readers can make it to the Bahamas--and if not, I will make sure to take lots of photos!!!
Wish me Luck and Bon Voyage!