Last week was the official kick-off to the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising/FIDM DEBUT 2010. To start everything off, FIDM held it's annual--and most popular Fashion Club Debut Pre-Party--in a HUGE tent adjacent to the Santa Monica Barker Hanger, site of the FIDM Debut 2010 Runway Show. 
Nick Meet Betsy: Nick Verreos flanked by Betsy Bloomingdale's Haute Couture Collection, Barker Hanger FoyerLast year, if you remember it was a PINK Barbie Party, but this year's theme was a hint to the popular "Twilight" Movie craze. Think lots of moody black and purple decor and mock chandeliers, as if you were in a fun Transylvania castle.
Fashion Club Gals: Nick Verreos poses at the "Celebrity Corner" with Fashion Club Debut Pre-Party guestsThe party is annually held for high school students from California and beyond (Arizona, Washington, Utah, Nevada) who are fans of fashion design, members of the popular FashionClub.com site and are possibly thinking of attending FIDM after they graduate. There was a DJ spinning tunes, fun pink lemonade drinks with purple Jell-O ice cubes served in plastic Martini glasses!...
a chocolate fountain to dip your strawberries into (I had to keep away from that one!), as well as... 
a fabulous make-up corner so the girls (and some of the boys) could get GLAMMED UP, courtesy of Smashbox Cosmetics and their expert make-up artists. As an instructor and spokesperson for FIDM, I was invited to make a special appearance to the party. The organizers set up a "photo booth" in a corner of the tent for all the guests to come by, and take photos with, yes, yours truly. 
They called it the "Celebrity Corner" (wink wink!). So many students (and their teachers!) lined up to take photos, and almost instantaneously, they got a "keepsake photo" to take home. I made sure to wear my skinny purple tie so I could match the decor! 
Where's My Rose: Nick Verreos and ABC's "The Bachelor" Season 14's Tenley Molzahn, Fashion Club Debut Pre-PartyThe Bachelor Season 14 First Runner Up contestant, Tenley Molzahn--who works for FIDM Orange County in Admissions-- even came by to get her photo taken with me. Love her!
The party was followed by the first showing of the Debut Fashion Show where the Graduates of FIDM's Advanced Fashion Design and Theater Costume Design Departments got to show their first collections.
Work the Runway: Nick Verreos sashays onto the Barker Hanger Runway Stage, Debut 2010I ran from the Fashion Club Party and into the Barker Hanger stage, to do my "Nick Runway Walk" and to show the 3,000 guests a "preview" of my new NIKOLAKI Demi-Couture Fall 2010 Collection. I had a great time and can't wait for next year's Fashion Club Party. Hopefully next year, I will sneak in a chocolate covered strawberry...or two!