Nick Verreos and David Paul, designers of NIKOLAKI, at W San Diego Fashion Show, Spring 2008 Less than two weeks (and counting) and I will be flying to The Bahamas to debut my Spring NIKOLAKI 2009 Collection, along with my partner, David Paul at the first ever Islands Of the World Fashion Week. The once-in-a-lifetime-event will showcase the designs of 39 designers from all over the world, including fellow Los Angeles designer Kevan Hall. The event will also honor Kenneth Cole, for his amazing contribution to the fashion world as well as to all that he has done for AIDS awareness. I will also be judging, so I am getting my Michael Kors/Nina Garcia judging cap on!
Next week, I will divulge the Theme and Inspiration, but for now, I will just give you a "peek" via a sketch (see above) . Don't worry, there will be more where that came from...
Heidi Klum in NIKOLAKI by Nick Verreos, David Paul
Actress Marlee Matlin in NIKOLAKI by Nick Verreos, David Paul, 2008 Academy AwardsI have dressed women as diverse as Supermodel Heidi Klum, Academy Award Winning Actress Marlee Matlin, and Kathy Griffin, so it would come as no surprise that my collection might have a "little bit" of "Red Carpet" in it, in terms of DIVA style.
Comedianne Kathy Griffin in NIKOLAKI by Nick Verreos, Bravo A-List AwardsFor the last 5 months, we have been working OVERTIME on creating an amazing collection: First, David and I spent weeks working on the designs of the collection and edited it down to the amount we wanted to show. Subsequently, after we decided on the designs, I draped EVERY SINGLE PIECE and did the patterns for it (not many designers can say that!), David had his executive "touch" on every muslin and every fitting and then our unbelievable seamstresses did their "magic"!
We have had 14 hour days of madness for the last three months especially--ordering fabric from India, Italy and Japan that has been late in arrival--or still has not arrived at all!! But that's "business as usual" for any designer. As Tim Gunn famously states: You have to "Make It Work". Let's just say we haven't slept much lately...
Stay tuned.
Click HERE for a video from the President of the Islands Of the World Fashion Week.