Nick Verreos Appearance at FIDM 3 Days of Fashion 2010 Orange County and Los Angeles!

High School Fashionistas: Bring It!!!OC Style: Nick Verreos and the audience at FIDM Orange County Campus' 3 Days of Fashion

This week was the beginning of the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising/FIDM 3 Days of Fashion. It's when high school (and above) students from all over the country come to see what FIDM is all about and check it out as a possible school to attend for those interested in the Fashion Industry. As many of you may know, FIDM is where I attended and got my Fashion Design Degree from, and it is also where I am an Instructor (and it's where Project Runway Season 6 was filmed!!!). I always love being invited to the 3 Days of Fashion and making special appearances at all the campuses.

First Up: FIDM Orange County: Nick Verreos and Amanda Fields pose with 3 Days of Fashion OC attendee

For 2010, I decided to bring my Nikolaki gowns and "star" models such as the fabulous Amanda Fields, who, besides being a muse and "House Model" of mine, she was also on Project Runway Season 3. We had a fantastic time in the OC (as I always do!). I even brought my "son", Benny. Yes, Benny made a "special appearance" and even did a quick catwalk down the FIDM OC 3 Days of Fashion Runway!

FIDM Los Angeles:
Work The Crowd: Nick Verreos and 400+ attendees, FIDM Los Angeles 3 Days of Fashion

Over 400 High School students (and their parents) came to the final day of FIDM Los Angeles' 3 Days of Fashion, and I was the "Grand Finale"(yeaaayyyy!!!). Again, I brought model Amanda Fields and some of my Nikolaki gowns for everyone to see and enjoy.
Flamenco Queen: Model Amanda Fields in Nikolaki black silk taffeta tiered-ruffle and sequined feathered gown

Miss Amanda WORKED the runway--and crowd--wearing a black silk taffeta "Flamenco" styled tulip-shaped gown. She looked UNBELIEVABLE in it and you could tell from the "ooohs" and "aaahs" from the audience.
Print Goddess: Model Amanda Fields in Nikolaki silk chiffon gown

I also brought one of my favorite gowns, a "Hibiscus"-print silk chiffon high-neck gown which has over 30 yards of fabric. Again, the crowd went "wild" when she sauntered onto the FIDM LA 3 Days of Fashion stage/runway and showed all the kids what a model in COUTURE should look like!
Say FASHION: Nick Verreos and Amanda Fields pose with FIDM LA 3 Days of Fashion attendees

After my speaking appearance and mini-Nikolaki Fashion Show, both Amanda and I spent over an hour taking photos and signing autographs (as we did in the OC!) with all the attendees. I hope everyone had a blast, enjoyed my talk (sorry I went overtime!) and best of all, were inspired.

Click BELOW for Video of both the OC and Los Angeles 2010 FIDM 3 Days of Fashion:

Nick Verreos and Chantal Jones in the OC!

FIDM Orange County Three Days Of Fashion...Bring on the Pink!Pink Pink and More Pink! Nick Verreos and his dog, Benny, pose in the entrance of FIDM Orange County

My "Three Days Of Fashion" California Tour ended with a visit to the Orange County Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising/FIDM campus located in sunny Irvine. The O.C. campus is located right near the St. John headquarters and very near the famed shopping mecca of South Coast Plaza. And my favorite part: the entrance and lobby is BRIGHT BUBBLEGUM PINK!!! Barbie Pink!!! And speaking of Barbie, of course, my trusty confidante/model (and muse to my 50Th Anniversary Malibu Barbie Gown) the lovely Chantal Jones, drove down to the campus to meet me in all the fun.Say Cheese: Model Chantal Jones and Nick Verreos pose with a high school student attending the FIDM O.C. "3 Days of Fashion"

As it has become a tradition when I visit the FIDM O.C. Campus, I brought my dog Benny with me. All the staff loves him and he is always very well behaved--thank God! They make fun of me, because I always walk in with him in a Swarovski Crystal-encrusted dog bag. Very Paris Hilton. The "Three Days of Fashion" high school kids, who came from all over the country to attend this event, had gone shopping to South Coast Plaza and were returning for the "grand finale": My appearance and a mini NIKOLAKI fashion show. But before then, host Blaine Vedros, had a fun cell-phone fashion quiz game, in which the kids had to call ME (yes I know) with the correct answers to those fashion questions. We Love You Blaine: Model Chantal Jones and Nick Verreos kiss host Blaine Vedros

It was a lot of fun. Afterwards, we brought Miss Chantal out and she modeled my gowns beautifully, as she has done in all the other FIDM Three Days of Fashion and stayed afterward to sign many autographs and take all the Facebook and MySpace photos the kids wanted. We also had to do a final "Kiss Pose" with our cutie host, Blaine, who was very happy to get a "Goodbye and Thank You" kiss from both Chantal and I.

Nick Verreos Does San Francisco !!!

A fashion show contest, NIKOLAKI gowns, Heidi Klum's Dress, and a Prom Date...

My ten hours in San Francisco!!!Photo Op: Nick Verreos at the FIDM SF "3 Days of Fashion"

Yesterday, at 10 AM, I boarded a United Airlines plane from LAX and arrived an hour later in one of my favorite cities in the world: San Francisco!! I was there for my whirlwind stop-and-go visit to the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising/FIDM San Francisco. I was there to do their "Three Days of Fashion". I grew up in the Bay Area, just fifteen miles south of San Francisco, so that city has always had a special place in my heart. It really is the city that "fed" my love for fashion. I remember all the times my mom would take me to I. Magnin for an Oscar de la Renta in-store appearance or trunk show, my once-a-month Union Square shopping trips to the Men's Store at Macy's, seeing an Yves Saint Laurent Tribute Fashion Show at the War Memorial Opera House...My other Sister: Nick Verreos with Didi Simon, FIDM SF "3 Days of Fashion"

Needless to say, I always love coming to San Francisco. One of my dearest of friends, Didi Simon, whom I've known for over 20 years (I know!), picked me up and was with me the entire day. I absolutely adore her! After a quick delicious brunch at JoAnn's Cafe in South San Francisco, we headed straight to "The City" and the FIDM Campus.Divas and Newspaper Couture: Barbara Cupper and Trudy Noren pose with one of the FIDM Discarded to Divine creations

I was immediately greeted by the incomparable Trudy Noren, FIDM College Representative and Coordinator of the Three Days Of Fashion, San Francisco and Barbara Cupper, Director of FIDM San Francisco. They both looked tres chic in their fitted shift dresses-- so chic, that I had to get a photo! They posed in front of one of the fabulous"Newspaper Dresses" made by FIDM San Francisco Visual Communications Department students for the 4th Annual San Francisco Discarded To Divine fashion show and auction.
Give me a Look: model Rachael Sitz poses as we fit my NIKOLAKI gowns backstage

Soon, I was introduced to "my SF Model", the gorgeous Rachael Sitz, from the Look Modeling Agency. I brought some of my NIKOLAKI gowns from LA, just for the SF "Three Days Of Fashion" (in case you're wondering, the FAA security did ask me if I was doing a Drag Performance when they inspected the garment bag!!).
Work It! The winner of the SF "Three Days Of Fashion" fashion show/styling contest (look at my reaction to his FIERCE walk!)

After a brief Project Runway-inspired FIDM Three Days Of Fashion fashion show and contest--where students styled other students and we all picked the best "ensemble" and model, I spoke to all the high school students about my "fashion" experience, including how I ended up on Project Runway, as well as gave them a little bit of sound advice (I hope). The highlight of my visit, however, was the mini NIKOLAKI fashion show, of course. Heidi=Rachael: SF Model Rachael Sitz models the "Heidi Dress", SF "3 Days of Fashion"

Rachael modeled four of my gowns--including the "Heidi Klum Dress" (which she wore on the Conan O'Brien Show)-- to the sheer delight of the students. She was absolutely a DREAM! I had never met her but, she not only fit perfectly into all my Gowns and dresses, she modeled them with the serene grace and professionalism of any top Supermodel! Turquoise Rachael: Nick Verreos and model Rachael Sitz in NIKOLAKI gown

To cap my time in SF, I signed lots of Three Days of Fashion diplomas and took lots of photos and, along with the entire FIDM SF Three Days of Fashion staff, I headed to the Four Seasons for some "Happy Hour" cocktails. Before I could say "I Love FIDM SF", I had to grab my dresses and get Didi to take me to SFO so I could make my 8 PM flight back to LA. Get In Line: Nick Verreos signing and taking photos in San Francisco

Thank you to everyone--especially Trudy and Courtney for taking all the great photos and Michelle, for being the best "wrangler" I could ever ask for. I can't wait to come back---and I hope that one of these high school students that I met had their own "Oscar de la Renta/I. Magnin moment" that I had when I was their age!
Click HERE for a great blog titled Le Garcon Avec le Sourire, from Rhyan, a fabulous fashionista to end all seventeen year old fashionistas--I even promised him a "prom date"! (he's the guy with the black hat in the photo above)