Nick Verreos and Jeffrey Sebelia at the Downtown LA Art Walk

De-Virginized...at the "Johnny Nicoloro LA Virgin" Photo Exhibit!Family Reunion: Artist Johnny Nicoloro bonds with his cousin, Project Runway Season 3 Winner, Jeffrey Sebelia while Cassandra Church (far left) and Nick Verreos look on

Recently, David and I decided to do the Downtown Los Angeles Art Walk. Our NIKOLAKI studio is in Downtown LA but we've never done it! Yes, we were Downtown LA Art Walk "virgins". In case you didn't know, the Downtown Los Angeles Art Walk is a free event held every second Thursday in and around the Historic Core's Gallery Row neighborhood. For this one night each month, Downtown LA returns to its historic pedestrian-based culture, a vibrant scene that is itself a draw for locals and tourists seeking an authentic urban experience. We were actually invited to one of our very best friend's Art Opening/Gallery at Lot44 (a coffee house/art gallery space). Johnny Nicoloro is a fantastic photographer whom David's known for about 20 years (I know, that's a lot of crazy!). Virgin Raspados: A Johnny Nicoloro photograph

He's shot several of our NIKOLAKI fashion shows, and even did my very first head shot back in the day (can we say Goatee and puka shells?). He was having an exhibition of his most recent photographs entitled Johnny Nicoloro's LA Virgin, where he mixes statues or images of the Virgin of Guadaloupe and Virgin Mary with iconic LA symbols, from the gritty streets of the Mexican barrio to the storefronts of Rodeo Drive. Artist and Designer Friends: Johnny Nicoloro and Nick Verreos (notice the Virgin Mary Meets Dior Photograph behind us)

A coincidental side story is that Johnny Nicoloro is a cousin of Project Runway Season 3 Winner, Jeffrey Sebelia. they grew up together and in fact, Johnny baby sat him (would have loved to have been a fly on the wall for that!). Jeffrey made a "special appearance" and actually came to the show/exhibition. He had not seen Johnny in over 25 years! Vintage NIKOLAKI: A Johnny Nicoloro photograph, from NIKOLAKI 2001 fashion show

So it became a mini-family reunion! He brought along his GORGEOUS girlfriend, Cassandra Church, lead singer of Sing Orpheus, the band which Jeffrey Sebelia is also a member of (he plays bass). Cassandra (wearing a "vintage" Jeffrey Sebelia dress), and I bonded over the fact that both her and I are half-Greek and barely speak any Greek, which is close to blasphemy in the Greek community! We had a great time and really enjoyed Johnny's fabulous photographs. So proud of him! The minute I buy my first home, one of those will be going up!

Nick Verreos Judges with Jeffrey Sebelia at the Donwtown L.A. Emerging Designers Competition

Emerging LA Designers get judged!The new Michael, Heidi, and Nina? Jeffrey Sebelia, Noni Tochterman and Nick Verreos

This week, I was invited to be one of the "esteemed" judges for the Downtown Los Angeles Fashion Week Emerging Designers Launch and Runway Show, a "Search for the Next Great LA Designer" contest which is being organized in conjunction with City of Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Program. Along with Leanna Lewis and Barbara Graff of the Downtown L.A. Fashion Week Committee, D.C.A. Olga Garay was on hand to welcome us to the "Judging Day". Leanna Lewis of Downtown LA Fashion Week

My co-judges included Project Runway Season 3 Winner Jeffrey Sebelia, Nony Tochterman of Petro Zillia (looking UBER fabulous, as always!), Louis Verdad, designer and red carpet host, Randolph Duke (a FIDM Alumn), and event designer and contestant from the new "Launch My Line" reality show, Vanessa Gonzalez. Hundreds of Southern California designers submitted their designs, portfolios and press kits and then they were narrowed down to about ten and then it was our job, as the Final Judges, to select our favorite "Top Three".Vanessa Gonzalez (far left), Randolph Duke and his pr agent, Diana Bianchini, enjoying the ceviche hors d'oeuvres at Provecho Restaurant

The Official Judging Day began with a DELICIOUS lunch at Provecho Restaurant in Downtown LA. We began with appetizers from the "Raw Bar" menu with such delights as halibut with black truffle (amazing!), spicy tuna tostadas, and marinated rock shrimp ceviche. In addition to this, we were also served shredded chicken, fish and al pastor beef soft tacos and Fideo con Queso with jalapenos (it's like a mac-and-cheese on Ecstasy!). And if that wasn't enough, we finished with the most incredible Churros! Note to self: Will have to come back to Provecho Restaurant and have dinner--and put in an extra hour on the tread mill!
Petro Zillia Harem: Designer and founder of Petro Zillia, Nony Tochterman strikes a pose (love her harem pants--she told me she has them in like ten colorways!)

After all that, we all needed a Siesta, but instead we had to get down to "business": We headed to the adjacent Remedy Lounge nightclub to begin our judging. Young "emerging" Ford models modeled the designer's clothes as we surveyed their portfolios and filled out our judges' scorecards. There were definitely some designers that got our attention and we scored them accordingly!
Gucci Love: Close up of Nony Tochterman's necklaces, which included a vintage Gucci perfume mini pendant (which I wanted to steal from her!)

The Emerging Designer Winners will show their collections during Downtown Los Angeles Fashion Week, which will take place at the Geffen Contemporary MOCA, Oct 13-15TH. I am looking forward to their shows and hope you can join us too. If you love fashion and want to support LA fashion designers, this will be a must-see event. Hope to see you there--and hope you liked who we chose!

Sweet Redemption plus More-Episode 3 Recap

HOLA!

I just returned from spending three wonderful days in San Francisco where I was asked to host a fashion show/event (more on that in a later post) and literally dropped my suitcase and turned on the TV to watch this third episode of Season 4 Project Runway. Thank God for TiVo, since I got home after the episode aired and therefore could not have my weekly "Viewing Party" with Andrae, lots of champagne and cookies. For this particular episode, I decided to just put down several "thoughts". Hope you enjoy it and would love to read your feedback and thoughts on this episode.

1) Sweet Redemption:
While the episode unfolded--along with all the drama and frustrations--the words sweet redemption kept cropping up in my head, like little "Pop Up Video" bubbles. Now, let me preface my explanation by saying that I have had nothing but amazing opportunities as well as feel blessed by everything that has occurred in my life and my business as a result of being on the show. However, as you may remember, I was voted off Season 2 for making Daniel Vosovic a suit that was deemed "too feminine", as well as for a lack of pockets and jacket button/closures.

Yet, after seeing some of the creations in this episode, I could not help but feel a bit redeemed. Especially, since I remember at the time reading a lot of viewer comments saying something to the effect of "How could Nick not put buttons or pockets?" But somehow, I got to finish a fully lined jacket, a collared dress shirt, a silk scarf and skinny pants with a waistband and zip-fly in the SAME AMOUNT OF TIME as these designers. Go figure. Several of this season's designers could barely finish TWO pieces. It ain't that easy kids. Therefore, again, I have to ask the question I asked in my first recap: Are these really the most talented group of designers ever? (as Tim and Heidi proudly announced in the premiere episode).


Chloe Dao, the winner of Season 2, made a fabulous--and Challenge-winning--three-piece outfit for me, which included hand sewn buttonholes , mitered stripes and a fully lined vest. Season 3 winner, Jeffrey Sebelia made a great "Rock Star" outfit, which was (as far as I remember) fully finished also. So why couldn't these designers, who are supposed be more talented and have far more expertise than us, just finish a shirt or close the lining of a jacket? Just saying...

Now, back to the best and worst of the lot. Like the judges, I also had a difficult time trying to decide which outfit was the worst: Ricky's safety-pinned concoction, Sweet Pea's askew dress shirt or Carmen's 1920's Golf caddie go-go boy. In the end, Carmen 's badly fitting crotch was the one to go.

I did have a couple of favorites, most notably, Rami's, which looked straight out of the third floor at Saks Fifth Avenue Men's Store: Elegant, stylish and very Italian-looking. I also liked Kit's cardigan-like creation. He looked like a sexy "Mr. Rodgers". But the judges chose Jack's safe,well cut shirt and pants. It looked very much like it came from the Macy's I.N.C. brand.


2) Where did all those Men's Forms come from?
If I remember correctly , we didn't even have men's forms when we did our challenge. I actually had to fit it on one of the ladies forms in the room. Daniel Vosovic was a woman's 4, in case you are wondering, without the breasts of course! But, all of a sudden, when they return from the NBC Today Studios, there are a dozen men's forms at the Parsons Workroom. No explanation. Unfair and a bit bizarre.

3) Jack: It's called "Knocking Off"
Congratulations for winning this challenge, Jack. We loved your outfit as well as seeing your GINORMOUS pecs every other second, but there was no need to actually ruin your shorts and cut them to get the pattern. It's on page 535 of "Patternmaking for Fashion Design" by Helen Joseph-Armstrong, and is usually taught to every second year fashion design student. So, next time, no need to cut, just get that old tracing wheel out and some tissue paper and you are ready to go...

4) Speaking of GINORMOUS pecs...
Did a Bravo executive just write a big yellow "Post It" to the show's editors and say More Male Nude Skin? (I'm speaking to you Andy Cohen!!) What was going on? There was so much gratuitous display of male skin, I thought I was standing in front of an Abrecrombie and Fitch store! First, Jack was half naked through the entire episode. Then, after the constant parade of male models with their .00005 % fat content showcasing their taut bodies, I had to check my remote to see if the channel had changed to LOGO. But the sight of "I have the whitest teeth in all the United States of America", Tiki Barber (whom I admit I had no idea who he was) reassured me otherwise. Bravo knows its market demographic: It not only wants to make the gays and their girlfriends happy, but also the girlfriend's beer-drinking, football-watching husbands.
And finally:

5) Open Letter To Carmen:
Dear Carmen: There is a light at the end of the Project Runway Menswear Challenge Tunnel. I guarantee you will get a request (or two) to make your auf'ed ensemble for someone. Proof: Just ONE WEEK AGO, I received the following letter on my website regarding my "way too feminine suit" that I created for Daniel Vosovic TWO YEARS AGO, in which I was booted off the show for:


Dear Mr. Verreos, I actually just saw one of the episodes of Project Runway, and I am very interested in a suit that you constructed for another contestant, Daniel. I have been looking for a suit exactly like that forever. Do you still design men's suits, or is there someplace where you sell suits in that same style? If not, would you be interested in creating one? Please let me know.