The Staples Center: FIDM 2009 Graduation Ceremony Last Saturday, my alma mater, the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising/FIDM had their 2009 Graduation Ceremony---at the massive Staples Center!!!! I was invited to sit on stage--along with the President of the school, Tonian Hohberg, and other notables, such as all the Chairpersons of Education, Advanced Study Programs, Interior Design, Digital Media, Apparel Manufacturing and of course, Fashion Design. On that note, Dawn Marie Forsyth, the Chairperson of the Fashion Design Program asked me to give the Fashion Design Award for this year's ceremony, which of course, I was very honored to do. The Staples Center was filled with almost 20,000 people--graduating students and their families--so it was very daunting to even sit on stage, much less give a speech and present an award. But somehow I did it!
...And the Award to the Best Re-Design of a Graduation Robe Goes To: Valedictorian Susan Tran and Designer, FIDM Alumn and Instructor, Nick VerreosIt was a great experience, which naturally, brought back memories of my FIDM Graduation many many years ago (don't even THINK about Googling what year that was!). One of my highlights was meeting this year's Valedictorian, Class of December 2008 Graduate, Susan Tran. Susan was wearing a chic black dress with metal copper zippers swirled around in various folds and drapes of her dress. I would have BET money that she was wearing Versace (since for Spring '09, Versace Designer Donatella Versace had designed a collection using swirling metal zippers as a detail catalyst). In closer inspection--and after Susan confessed---I realized that it was a GRADUATION ROBE! Susan had transformed and custom re-designed her black Graduation Robe into a fabulous LBD, inspired by that Versace collection, using folds, and drapes, and long copper zippers. I secretly gave her my "Nick Verreos Best Transformation of a Graduation Robe for 2009".
Congratulations to all the 2009 FIDM Graduates!