Last Saturday was my first Macy's Fashion Director Appearance as part of my "Macy's Mini Tour" across the country. And we started with a "Fashion Bang!" at the gorgeous Macy's in the Galleria Shopping Center. First, I was "escorted" by my wonderful Season 2 Project Runway Winner, designer Chloe Dao (who lives in Houston) and drove me to the Galleria.
Who Wants to Take The Fashion Challenge: Nick Verreos hosts the Macy's Houston Fashion Director eventThat mall is CRAZY HUGE! Thank goodness she was with me, otherwise I would have gotten lost and ended up in the indoors ice-skating rink. You know I was minutes away from doing a Johnny Weir step-sequence if I hadn't found my appearance location! Upon arriving, I met up with my Macy's Special Events ladies, Susan Trotter and Lilliana Michel, who took me into the "Green Room" to get set up and "powdered" for my hosting duties.
Proud Parents: My Dad (wearing a white Guayabera) and Mom (waiving) at Macy's Houston eventThe stage, runway, chairs, clothing racks and tables were all set up as shoppers were awaiting the beginning of the show. As the audience started filling up every seat, I was ecstatic to see 2 very special attendees: My Mom and Dad! They drove THREE hours, all the way from San Antonio, to see their little boy (not so little any more!) host today. How much do I love them!
Standing Room Only: A full audience at my Macy's Houston eventThe event is a way to introduce Macy's shoppers to the Macy's Fashion Director Campaign, showcase Spring 2010 trends, and more importantly, get shoppers involved, take the Macy's Fashion Challenge and win a Gift Card worth A LOT of money! There were Three Challenges: How To Dress For Your Dream Job; What To Wear To meet Martha Stewart; and What Would You Wear to the Hottest Dining Spot in Town.
Why Did You Choose This Dress: Nick Verreos speaks with a contestantI randomly chose 2 audience members per challenge and with the help of fabulous Lenny Matuszewski--my Houston Stylist extraordinaire--they had TWO minutes to dress a model in their chosen garments and then the models would show off their looks to the entire audience.
Best Dress: Best Outfit for a Dinner at the Hottest Spot in Town, and winning audience memberThe audience would then vote on the best outfit. It got to be crazy during those two minutes as the entire audience got involved, shouting and giving "yay" or "nay" in terms of what the fledgling stylist/contestants were picking from the rack and accessory tables. It was very Project Runway, right before the "Runway Show" portion.
No, Don't Pick THAT: Audience member struggles to chose her accessories, Macy's Houston GalleriaModels strutted their ensembles and the audience voted (by cheers) on their favorites. At times, it got quite difficult since the cheers coming for both contestants sounded THE SAME!!
In between the Challenges, I also gave "Nick Fashion Tips", from what silhouettes work best for different size women to how to alter jeans that are too long without ruining the "washed" hem effect of the original jean (see photo above). To cap the entire event, we ended with a Spring 2010 Trend Fashion Show, where I showed the audience what the top trends were as models sashayed down the red carpet runway.
Macy's Spring Tableaux: Models flank Nick Verreos ending the Macy's Houston Fashion Director eventI had a blast at the Macy's Houston doing my first Hosting Duties and I thank EVERYONE for coming out, especially for the contestants for taking the Macy's Fashion Challenge! No ice-skating at the Houston Galleria this time, but maybe one day when I return.
Next Stop: Orlando Florida...