Nick Verreos Attends LA Gay & Lesbian Center's LifeWorks 6th Annual Life Out Loud Event at Paramount Studios

Happy Pride...at the Paramount Lot:

Nick Verreos, LifeWorks Life Out Loud Event Paramount Backlot

Last night, as part of Los Angeles Pride 2011 Festivities, my dear friends Colin and John invited me to a great fundraiser event/party. It was the 6th Annual LA Gay & Lesbian Center's Life Out Loud benefiting LifeWorks, the center's youth development and mentoring program.

Where Are My Keys: Nick Verreos poses next to a new and shiny Lexus, LifeWorks Life Out Loud Event, Paramount Backlot

Platinum/Presenting Sponsors included Barbie Collector (more on that later--read on) as well as Lexus. This year's honorees were Mike C. Manning, Human Rights Activist, also known from being on "MTV's Real World D.C.", as well as Zach Wahls, famous for his address to the Iowan State Legislature in support of his two moms and Gay Marriage.

The festive cocktail party, held at the Paramount Studios Backlot "New York Street", featured music--very Hed Kandi-esque "Beach House", delicious hors d'oeuvres (sliders, desserts, crudites)...

Absolut cocktails (naturally!) as well as a FABULOUS Silent Auction. For the Silent Auction, there were long tables set up on the Backlot, displaying an extensive array of items such as a BookMarc by Marc Jacobs Package, a HUGE book on the famed Italian fashion house of Pucci (a Must-Have for any Fashionista-coffee-table!), a doggie bed with doggie toys, Diesel leather bag (my friend bid on this and won!), as well as many many others.

Cher Heaven: Cher poster/canopy, Barbie Collector Tent, LifeWorks Life Out Loud Event

Now, adjacent to the Silent Auction, cocktail bars and hors d'oeuvres table--there was something that made me almost trip on my YSL Johnny Boots: There was a Barbie Collector tent set up with Super-Sized canopies and posters featuring some of the most ICONIC Barbie Collector dolls--especially for the Gays. There was Cher in all her "If I Can Turn Back Time" ensemble--no wrinkles in sight--

As well as Barbra Streisand (above) in her Sailor outfit which she wore at her Coconut Grove and Hollywood Bowl concerts in the early 60's--Miss Streisand actually designed this famous ensemble--with the help of Hollywood Costume Designer Donfeld.

Another poster/canopy in the Barbie Collector tent that caught my eye, was the "Krystle and Alexis" Dynasty Barbies (above). Two of my absolute favorites. Gosh, I just love those 80's Barbies! Look at the hair (notice Krystle's darker "under" hair color), the diamonds, the gowns!! To that note, as part of the Silent Auction, Barbie Collector put together some AMAZING baskets for guests to bid on. I was going to bid on one but alas, time ran out and I missed it! (insert SAD FACE)

Project Runway Smiles: Nick Verreos and Jack Mackenroth

After spending WAAAY too much time at the "Barbie Collector" tent, my friends finally pried me away so I could actually enjoy some nibblings and cocktails and spend time with friends--new and old. I ran into fellow Project Runway alumn, hottie muscle boy Jack Mackenroth who was in town visiting from the East Coast...

Cutie Brit: British-born singer actor, composer (and new party/event buddy!) Tom Lowe

English actor and singer (you may recognize him from his stint on the sixth season of "American Idol") and composer Tom Lowe was also at the Life Out Loud Fundraiser. He's an acquaintance of the boys I came with and was such a HOOT to hang out with. We were bonding to no end on the Hed Kandi-like house music tunes being played (we were singing them really loud much to our bystanders dismay) as well as he was giving me some traveling tips on my upcoming trip to Europe--and London especially...

Blazers Required: My good friend--and one half of my "Dates"--Colin Murphy

Finally, I had to bid Adieu to such a great event--and get back home and be depressed at the fact that I didn't get to bid--or win--any Barbie's from that amazing Silent Auction so I leave you with this Bob Mackie Circus Barbie Doll that was encased in glass (of course it was!) in the Barbie Collector Tent:

Just FAB-u-LOUS!!!!

Sweet Redemption plus More-Episode 3 Recap

HOLA!

I just returned from spending three wonderful days in San Francisco where I was asked to host a fashion show/event (more on that in a later post) and literally dropped my suitcase and turned on the TV to watch this third episode of Season 4 Project Runway. Thank God for TiVo, since I got home after the episode aired and therefore could not have my weekly "Viewing Party" with Andrae, lots of champagne and cookies. For this particular episode, I decided to just put down several "thoughts". Hope you enjoy it and would love to read your feedback and thoughts on this episode.

1) Sweet Redemption:
While the episode unfolded--along with all the drama and frustrations--the words sweet redemption kept cropping up in my head, like little "Pop Up Video" bubbles. Now, let me preface my explanation by saying that I have had nothing but amazing opportunities as well as feel blessed by everything that has occurred in my life and my business as a result of being on the show. However, as you may remember, I was voted off Season 2 for making Daniel Vosovic a suit that was deemed "too feminine", as well as for a lack of pockets and jacket button/closures.

Yet, after seeing some of the creations in this episode, I could not help but feel a bit redeemed. Especially, since I remember at the time reading a lot of viewer comments saying something to the effect of "How could Nick not put buttons or pockets?" But somehow, I got to finish a fully lined jacket, a collared dress shirt, a silk scarf and skinny pants with a waistband and zip-fly in the SAME AMOUNT OF TIME as these designers. Go figure. Several of this season's designers could barely finish TWO pieces. It ain't that easy kids. Therefore, again, I have to ask the question I asked in my first recap: Are these really the most talented group of designers ever? (as Tim and Heidi proudly announced in the premiere episode).


Chloe Dao, the winner of Season 2, made a fabulous--and Challenge-winning--three-piece outfit for me, which included hand sewn buttonholes , mitered stripes and a fully lined vest. Season 3 winner, Jeffrey Sebelia made a great "Rock Star" outfit, which was (as far as I remember) fully finished also. So why couldn't these designers, who are supposed be more talented and have far more expertise than us, just finish a shirt or close the lining of a jacket? Just saying...

Now, back to the best and worst of the lot. Like the judges, I also had a difficult time trying to decide which outfit was the worst: Ricky's safety-pinned concoction, Sweet Pea's askew dress shirt or Carmen's 1920's Golf caddie go-go boy. In the end, Carmen 's badly fitting crotch was the one to go.

I did have a couple of favorites, most notably, Rami's, which looked straight out of the third floor at Saks Fifth Avenue Men's Store: Elegant, stylish and very Italian-looking. I also liked Kit's cardigan-like creation. He looked like a sexy "Mr. Rodgers". But the judges chose Jack's safe,well cut shirt and pants. It looked very much like it came from the Macy's I.N.C. brand.


2) Where did all those Men's Forms come from?
If I remember correctly , we didn't even have men's forms when we did our challenge. I actually had to fit it on one of the ladies forms in the room. Daniel Vosovic was a woman's 4, in case you are wondering, without the breasts of course! But, all of a sudden, when they return from the NBC Today Studios, there are a dozen men's forms at the Parsons Workroom. No explanation. Unfair and a bit bizarre.

3) Jack: It's called "Knocking Off"
Congratulations for winning this challenge, Jack. We loved your outfit as well as seeing your GINORMOUS pecs every other second, but there was no need to actually ruin your shorts and cut them to get the pattern. It's on page 535 of "Patternmaking for Fashion Design" by Helen Joseph-Armstrong, and is usually taught to every second year fashion design student. So, next time, no need to cut, just get that old tracing wheel out and some tissue paper and you are ready to go...

4) Speaking of GINORMOUS pecs...
Did a Bravo executive just write a big yellow "Post It" to the show's editors and say More Male Nude Skin? (I'm speaking to you Andy Cohen!!) What was going on? There was so much gratuitous display of male skin, I thought I was standing in front of an Abrecrombie and Fitch store! First, Jack was half naked through the entire episode. Then, after the constant parade of male models with their .00005 % fat content showcasing their taut bodies, I had to check my remote to see if the channel had changed to LOGO. But the sight of "I have the whitest teeth in all the United States of America", Tiki Barber (whom I admit I had no idea who he was) reassured me otherwise. Bravo knows its market demographic: It not only wants to make the gays and their girlfriends happy, but also the girlfriend's beer-drinking, football-watching husbands.
And finally:

5) Open Letter To Carmen:
Dear Carmen: There is a light at the end of the Project Runway Menswear Challenge Tunnel. I guarantee you will get a request (or two) to make your auf'ed ensemble for someone. Proof: Just ONE WEEK AGO, I received the following letter on my website regarding my "way too feminine suit" that I created for Daniel Vosovic TWO YEARS AGO, in which I was booted off the show for:


Dear Mr. Verreos, I actually just saw one of the episodes of Project Runway, and I am very interested in a suit that you constructed for another contestant, Daniel. I have been looking for a suit exactly like that forever. Do you still design men's suits, or is there someplace where you sell suits in that same style? If not, would you be interested in creating one? Please let me know.