Islands Of The World-- Nick Verreos' Fashion Week Recap!!

BAHAMA MOMMA! The Bahamas welcomes Nick Verreos and David Paul with a Junkanoo performer ( Bahamian New Year's Festival)

The Islands Of the World Fashion Week were not just about the NIKOLAKI show--although for us, that was a really important part, of course! The "week" encompassed four days worth of fashion shows from over 30 designers from the Caribbean (the Bahamas, Cuba, St. Vincent and The Grenadines, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Haiti, Jamaica, St. Lucia) Fiji, Indonesia and Madagascar, as well as featured designers, Danish-born Peter Ingwersen of NOIR Illuminati II, LA Designer-to-the-stars Kevan Hall, and myself. We ended each Fashion Week days' worth of shows with a "Premiere Show". Everyone Say Cheese: Islands Of The World Producers , Organizers, Judges, Designers: Tomas Frenes, Nick Verreos , Kevan Hall, Susan Stein, Owen Bethel, and David Paul

Featured Designers:

Peter Ingwersen opened the Fashion Week's festivities on Wednesday evening with his very modern take on sportswear, shown at the expansive Atlantis Resort Fashion Week runway stage. Gorgeous silky blouses, fitted jackets and ultra-skinny pants highlighted his show--all cut beautifully. My NIKOLAKI collection, was on Friday night at the "Old World" Colonial Hilton, and as I reported in my last posting, was a huge success (if I don't say so myself!) .NIKOLAKI Spring 2009 Collection Tableaux of Models

Kevan Hall then ended the week by showing last year's Spring '08 Collection, inspired by Africa and Safari back at the Atlantis Resort Ballroom Runway.

Judging:
Throughout the week, I was privileged enough to also be one of the judges of three special awards that would be later handed out at the Final Night's Festivities---the Sustainable Eco-Fashion, the Culture and Fashion Awards, and the Next-Gen Designer. My co-judges-in-fashion-crime were: Nole' Marin (of America's Next Top Model and judge of the new ABC show, True Beauty). He brought along his DIVA mom and friends and we immediately got along, like the kids from Gossip Girls!
And my newly discovered "Fairy Godmother", Susan Stein, fashion editor of Palm Springs Life Magazine, and producer/director of Fashion Week El Paseo in Palm Desert.

It was a tough challenge to chose just one designer who would eventually win each award. We really wanted the Sustainable Eco-Fashion Award to reflect the use of sustainable natural fabrics and the use of proper and fair practices in terms of dying, sewing, labour, etc. In terms of the Culture and Fashion Award, I was interested in how effective the designer showcased their island, it's uniqueness and especially, use of local materials. The first night, we spent several hours looking over the designers' creations and then had to vote immediately, as guests waited anxiously for our results. It got a bit crazy backstage with designers fighting over whether or not they received enough "judges" time. I suggest that next time, we do it Project Runway style, and have a whole separate day of "Judging", like what I have done for the shows' castings in Los Angeles and Chicago: The judges at a table and the eligible designers coming up to us showing us why they should get the awards. Can I be the Tim Gunn of the bunch?Eco-Goddesses: Models in 2 of the Finalists' creations for the Sustainable Eco-Fashion Award

The winners were announced on the Final night after a prodigious fashion show highlighting the Finalists. It was like a Miss Universe Parade Of Nations Costume show, with some of the most gorgeous models the islands has to offer. It was certainly one of the best parts of my entire week in the Bahamas!Designer Queen Esther from St. Lucia, a colorful and vibrant woman with stupendous design talent, won the Sustainable Eco-Fashion with her John Galliano-like gown (see above) St. Vincent and The Grenadines native, Tamiko Browne won the other two awards, the Culture and Fashion as well as the Next-Gen Designer awards, which I was honored to have presented to her. Tamiko's bathing suit line was clearly our favorite in terms of the most wearable, sellable collection, and one that we could all easily see in Swimsuit boutiques from Miami to Papeete, Tahiti. Each winner received a gorgeous engraved Waterford Crystal vase.Velvet Seeds: St. Vincent and The Grenadines Jewelry Designer Ingrid John of Natural Beats

There were so many great designers we saw, but some of my other favorites included St. Vincent jewelry designer, Ingrid John of Natural Beats. Her necklaces, earrings and bracelets were beautiful, infusing natural ingredients native to her island nation. I photographed some of her jewelry, including FISH SCALE earrings (yep, you read that right!), and a VELVET SEED necklace, which has seeds, uniquely found in the St. Vincent Botanical Gardens, one of the oldest in the Western Hemisphere!Hand-Sewn Pin Tucks: Close Up on the handwork of Cuban designer, Carmen Fiol

I also was amazed at the hand work of the dresses made by the octogenarian Cuban designer, Carmen Fiol. There was one dress with HUNDREDS of 1/8 of an inch pin tucks that she sewed BY HAND!!! I also enjoyed David Andre's Sea Sun and Sex (what a great name!) line. He hails from Haiti and we had a lot of fun discussing the FIERCE DIVA ex-wife of former Haiti dictator, Michelle Duvalier. Trust me, she will end up being the inspiration for one of my future collections...

Next post, the parties......check back soon!

Two Weeks and Counting: Islands Of the World Fashion Week Update!

In Two Weeks: Nick Verreos Will Debut ''09 Spring Collection at Islands of The World Fashion Week--The Bahamas
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 Awards

I 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 Awards

For 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.

Nick Verreos to Judge at Islands Of The World Fashion Week in The Bahamas!

Nick Verreos (sans Kathy Griffin) will Judge at the upcoming Islands Of The World Fashion Week in The Bahamas

As many of you know, I will be debuting (along with my design partner David Paul) my Spring 2009 Collection for my line NIKOLAKI, this upcoming November in the Bahamas, which will be held November 5-8th at the Colonial Hilton and Atlantis Resort, Paradise Island. Although it sounds like a fabulous "vacation", my days there will be jam-packed with fittings, model castings, make-up and hair meetings, as well lots of alterations and last-minute "Make It Work" moments. Plus of course showing my collection.
In addition, I have just found out that I will also form part of the illustrious (I use the term very loosely for me!) Judging Panel, where we will give awards in Sustainable Eco-Fashion, Culture & Fashion, and NextGen Designer Award (emerging designer award) Categories . Besides myself, the other judges include stylist and former America's Next Top Model Judge, Nole Marin, Paris-based designer, Alphadi, designer Peter Ingwersen , who was creative director for the Levi's Brand/Europe, and Susan Stein, who holds an extensive resume in the West Coast Fashion Industry.
I am looking forward to playing the part of "Michael Kors" during the judging---while Susan can be the "Nina Garcia" of the group.

Click HERE for the Press Release