Claudia Jordan in NIKOLAKI/Nick Verreos for "Butterfly" Photoshoot

Fabulous ClaudiaPink Butterfly: Claudia Jordan in NIKOLAKI silk cowl-draped asymmetrical gown

Miss Universe 2009 co-host, Deal Or No Deal model, and Celebrity Apprentice contestant Claudia Jordan, recently had a photo shoot for the cover of a new upcoming novel, "Butterfly". One of my very good friends, stylist Art Conn, was working with her for the shoot and came by my showroom to see if there were some NIKOLAKI gowns that could work. Give Me a Look: Claudia Jordan in NIKOLAKI gown, "Butterfly" photo shoot

Art is a great stylist who has dressed many a celeb, including singer Jordin Sparks and styled most of the guys in last season's American Idol, including fashion "DIVA", finalist Adam Lambert.Claudia Jordan and stylist, Art Conn, on the set of the "Butterfly" photo shoot

Art recently sent me these behind-the-scenes photos (which he took) from Claudia's photo shoot, in which she wore one of my gowns, a bubblegum pink silk crepe-back asymmetrical gown with "Butterfly"cascade back ruffles. He said that she "shut it down" when she walked on the set. Love it! I think the color--and style--looks fab on her!

Xmas Party Nick Verreos Wrap Up--Part 1

Holiday Party Roundup: Project Runway's John Wade and Top Design's Wisit?The Joker and Thurston Howell? John Wade, Michael Rucker and Nick Verreos at the Magical Elves Holiday Party

It's Holiday party time! Last Saturday was a busy night for yours truly. I was invited to a couple of Holiday Parties, one a Birthday for a good friend and another the Magical Elves Holiday Party. The problem was that the day after, I had to get up at 5 AM to catch an early morning transcontinental flight to Miami. So what is a boy to do? Well, go out, naturally!

Art's Fashionable Birthday:Sexy 'Stache: Marc Jacobs' John Wade and birthday boy, Art Conn, Benvenuto Cafe, West Hollywood

I enlisted the go-out aid of my buddy, Season 2 Project Runway designer and Marc Jacobs West Coast "head honcho", John Wade. John was featuring his long hair (I know, it has grown a lot!), giving you a sort of Heath Leger-as-the-Joker vibe. He was also sportin' the very UBER hip moustache which he has had for a while now. Note to Brad Pitt: You were not the first...
My deadline to get home was MIDNITE. I began my night at 8 PM (early for me) and headed to West Hollywood to Benvenuto Restaurant and Cafe' to celebrate my friend Art Conn's Birthday. Art is a successful Hollywood stylist and has worked on projects ranging from American Idol to Vogue Italia shoots with Arianne Phillips (Madonna's stylist and costume designer). Birthday Thriller: Elissa Buchter of Bridge and Tunnel PR, stylist Will Clark and TMZ's Johnny Lopez, sporting his "Thriller" red jacket and deep V t-shirt

Every year, he holds his Birthday at Benvenuto and this year was the same. Why break with tradition? (maybe by now, he gets an "Art Birthday Discount" to use the space!)
Soon after greeting the Birthday Boy, we enjoyed cocktails and munched on meatballs, pizza and chicken skewer hors d'oeuvres (I ate, John did not!) and mingled with other guests, including my other good friend, TMZ writer and fellow UsWeekly Fashion Police commentator, Johnny Lopez, looking very Michael Jackson in "Thriller"...But time was ticking for my Midnight deadline and so we continued on...

Magical Elves Holiday Bash:
TimeBandits Boy: Nick Verreos with TimeBandits Watches designer, Jonathan Stephens and his festive and beautiful wife (love the sequins huney!)

Next stop: The Magical Elves Holiday Bash. After I dropped off my unwrapped toy (it was the necessary get-into-the-party ticket), we instantly said hello to the party's hosts, Jane Lipsitz and Dan Cutforth, the reality gurus behind such shows as Top Chef, Project Runway and Step It Up And Dance. The party was in full swing when we arrived at around 10:30 PM, with faux snow blasting from snowman-shaped machines, a photo booth, and an entire backyard pool covered in Plexiglas and turned into a dance floor. This is how you do a Party!

We immediately ran into Magical Elves "Centerfold", producer extraordinaire Michael Rucker, who was working a tartan "smoking jacket" and matching bow tie, along with his accessory du jour: A pipe. He was a sexy yet odd combination of Hugh Hefner meets Thurston Howell III. I also saw Jerrel of Season 5 Project Runway and Kit Pistol from Season 4 as well as a couple of former Top Chef contestants, but that was it, in terms of Bravo "talent"...except...Top Design Meets Project Runway: Season 2 Top Design contestant, Wisit, his partner Nick, Nick Verreos, and John "sexy" Wade, Magical Elves Holiday Party

Soon afterwards, a guy tapped me on the shoulder and said "I'm a big fan...my boyfriend is Wisit from Top Design...Would you like to meet him?" We'll, I almost wanted to do a La Boheme aria right then and there! Of course, I am fan of Top Design and of Wisit. He was reserved yet very friendly as we bonded over the fact that we are both instructors (Wisit also teaches fashion design at a local design school). He told me that he gets asked to sing opera almost as much as I get told "Nick, you should have been a Finalist...and What are you doing NOOOOOWWWWWW??"
John and I danced a while and realized that it was probably way past my bedtime. It was 1 AM and I had to go home to get my 4 hours of discombobulated sleep in order to be somewhat coherent to board my American Airlines flight to Miami the next morning...Bye for now.

Non-Skinny Skinnies: Nick Verreos at H & M Comme Des Garcons Preview Event!!!

Does This Come In a Size LARGE????
Last week, my good friend , stylist Art Conn, invited me to come along and take a peek at the latest "Designer Collaboration" between H & M and Comme Des Garcons. Of course, I had to come along and check it out. I loved the Victor & Rolf for H & M line they did several seasons back (and bought their tuxedo jacket and pants as well as various dress shirts) so I was curious to see what the famed Japanese Design House had cooked up.

The Guest List:Polka Dot Heaven: My friends show off the H & M Comme De Garcons Men's Line

Once there, at the Sunset Blvd. offices of H & M, I was joined by Art, as well as my other friends, including Johnny Lopez, a wonderful writer for TMZ, as well as fellow US Weekly Fashion Police Commentator. I also ran into E! Daily Ten/ Style Commentator, the beautiful Amanda Luttrell Garrigus (who is like 7 Months pregnant and looking fabulous) as well as Costume Designer and Stylist Extraordinaire, Arianne Phillips. We dished on the current Project Runway Season (Arianne is a BIG FAN!!!), and nibbled on hors d'oeuvres. I also noticed some other stylists and "LA Fashionistas"(I use the term LOOSELY) , but they were giving me dirty looks and staring at me as if I was an alien from Project Runway "Outer Space", so I won't discuss who they were...

The Collection:I am not the typical Comme Des Garcons customer (that's best suited for the Gallery Owner/Sundance Festival obscure French Actor) but was surprised at how many pieces I liked from the line. The women's stuff was great. There was a black fully lined fitted "Edwardian Coat" (see above) that our H & M "Greeter" wore, which had a lot of detail and ruffle accents, but somehow it worked. It was less than $300!!! Yes, for H & M that might be pricey but let me tell you, if I tried to make that jacket, my seamstress would have charged me $200 just to sew it! Of course, it was made in China (I checked).
One of my favorite pieces from the women's line were the "Hammer Pants" (I call them that!), they were more like Harem Pants (which are BIG for Spring 2009 Ladies!!!). If I was a size 4, and 5' 11" , and a GIRL, I would work those OVERTIME!!!!As for the Men's H & M Comme Des Garcons collection, my friends and I did like several of the pieces, including a black rumpled Pea Coat, a trench coat (I am buying that when it comes out!), and most of the colored dress shirts. We especially LOVED a blue striped asymmetrically button dress shirt. We were feeling adventuresome and went ahead and began to try some of the items on---just to see how they would look. We were basically the only ones doing this. We even voiced our opinion about how "H & M sizes run rather small" and how there was no way that WE--my friends and I---could even possibly fit into there extra small sample sizes.
Well, the following day, one of my friends that was with me at the Preview, sent me an article that came out on Racked Los Angeles about the H & M Event, and there was a line at the end of the article that seemed to be referring to us...
The quote was: "We did watch a couple guys try on jackets and heard some "runs small" murmurs from the non-skinny-skinnies..."
Yep, that was us---Next time, we should use our "Quiet Voice" Ladies....