California's Alyssa Campanella Wins Miss USA Title

Enjoy the pictures of Alyssa Campanella being crowned as Miss USA (June 19).

Photo Credit: Wenn.com

Miss Japan Becomes Miss Universe!

Congratulations Miss Japan!
Congratulations to Riyo Mori for winning the title of Miss Universe 2007. She looked chic and stylish in her Gucci Spring 2007 gown. I'm sure Nina Garcia approved of this dress! Nina looked stylish and elegant herself.

This video was very unfortunate. Rachael Smith never looked comfortable from the start of the contest. I think that the weeks of feeling unwelcome by the Mexican population was weighing on her and our sources tell us that besides being booed at the National Costume Parade and preliminary judging, the booing started from the moment she was introduced at the National Auditorium and reached it's climax when she answered her final question. The fall was unfortunate but what was even more regrettable was the unsportsmanlike attitude of the audience.

Miss CA places 3rd runner up in Nick Verreos Gown

Congratulations to Meagan for placing 3rd runner up at the Miss USA Pageant!

You looked amazing and made us all proud.

I will post more about the pageant and all the beautiful women that I dressed here and on BravoTV.com in the next few days.

And if you are in the Southern California area come out and see me at my Windsor Appearances in Brea, Cerritos and Glendale this weekend.

Miss USA--Almost

Along with the rest of the nation, I was absolutely enthralled by all the recent drama involving the rumored de-throning of the beautiful Tara Conner, "Miss USA 2006". All those fabulous TMZ.com articles and the headlines "MESS USA" and "Tara: The new Paris Hilton" had me and my pageant-loving friends hanging by the last rhinestone-studded thread! Remembering how pretty she looked in Kayne Gillespie's "Project Runway"-winning gown in the "Miss Universe" contest earlier this year, made me think if somehow if she was stripped of her title, would they take Kayne's gown too? Or would Kayne get to keep it and have it in a glass-encased window in his boutique.

News is that Donald Trump has given her a second chance and she will undergo "rehab". I wish only the best to Tara in these trying times. Maybe Kayne will design her "comeback" gown when she gives up her crown in a few months. I will be tuning in to see the drama conclude.

It was also nail-biting for another reason. It just happens to be that my sister, Rita Verreos, (on the left, in a red top) herself a former "Miss Venezuela" contestant, is a pageant coach, who actually trained Tamiko Nash, "Miss California " to prepare for the "Miss USA" contest. Tamiko went on to become First Runner Up, and two days ago was awaiting word of whether or not she would have to get on a plane to New York City.

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I met Tamiko through my sister, when we were all invited to attend the "Miss Universe" contest , held at the Shrine Auditorium here in Los Angeles. Here is a photo of myself and Tamiko, wearing one of my original designs, a canary yellow silk asymmetrical dress. Tamiko was an absolute dream when she came to my studio and tried on all these gowns and dresses, finally choosing this one. She already has starred in some programs and was one of the models in "Deal or No Deal" . It looks like Tamiko is doing great things despite the fact that she is not on a plane to New York to finish out the year as "Miss USA".

Nick and the Misses

CORONATION BALL

Here are some final photos from the "Miss Universe" Coronation Ball that occurred afterwards at the Shrine Auditorium. They had a grand buffet as well as several bars. Funny I did not really see the Misses eating. However , "Queer Eye For The Straight Guy" star, and commentator for the telecast, Carson Kressly, and myself, sure took advantage of the buffet. I went for seconds! Here we are with the 6 feet 2 inch-tall "Miss Ghana"(I mean, really what hormones are these beautiful women taking!!) and Scandinavian beauty "Miss Denmark". We also took a photo with the lovely "Miss Cayman Islands", who another six-footer. We were (almost) dressed the same and he commented that somewhere in some magazine there will be photo of us with the caption: "Bookends". Carson was telling me that he had just gotten back from Manila and was leaving for Hawaii to shoot a film. He told me that his "tour" of Manila, Philippines was incredible, complete with HUNDREDS of screaming fans at a local mall, and a bodyguard that had to SLEEP in his bedroom. Lucky him! It was fun mingling with all the titleholders from all over the world. Some had their sashes on, some did not(they were over it by then). Notably absent was "Miss Venezuela" who left in a hurry ,in casual day clothes, right after the the show ended. Venezuela has had a strong record in turning out beauty pageant winners, but their spotlight seems to be dimming. She did not make the top 20 Finalist and therefore when she returns to her country, she might have to be in hiding for a while--it's that serious. The "Miss Venezuela" pageant organizers might have to rethink what their vision of a "beauty queen" should look like.
I did get to take photos with my other compatriot, "Miss Greece", "Miss Sri Lanka", "Miss Bolivia" as well as the Caribbean stunner from "Trinidad and Tobago" and a former "Miss Puerto Rico" wearing
a"Marilyn Monroe-esque" black and white halter dress. Fear not Fishtail Hem/Train-haters--none of the dresses were mine and there were no fishtails in sight!
All in all , the "Coronation Ball" was loads of fun but David and I were tired and wanted to get back home so we could watch the show we TiVo'ed in the comfort of our home.

Miss Universe: Behind the Seams

Boy was my humble Los Feliz studio busy this week! After all it is not every day that the "Miss Universe Pageant" rolls into Los Angeles. It is usually held in some far-flung locale such as Thailand, Cancun, Cyprus or Manila. A week before the contest, I got a call from Nancy O'Dell's stylist, whom I have worked with before and is such a great friend. I proposed to design a gown that Nancy would wear at the live telecast of the pageant. ONE WEEK before the contest!!! David and I went on OVERDRIVE(as well as my faithful seamstresses!). Mind you, I had classes to teach, and had to fly to San Francisco to do a "Learning Annex" as well. Needless to say, I think I slept maybe a total of 4 hours last week. The gown , as seen here, turned out to be a "showstopper", complementing her figure and her skin color and showcasing my design aesthetic.
About a month prior to last night's pageant, I learned my friend Brook Lee would be attending as a former "Miss Universe" and the last "Miss USA" to win the prestigious title back in 1997. I designed her a fabulous gown of navy and cream flower-printed silk, featuring my "Angel-Wing" cascade-ruffle back and a tulip silhouette. I told her she looked like the beautiful mistress of a wealthy European sugar-plantation owner in Hawaii. All she needed was a fan (she had one!)
A day before the big night, Tamiko Nash , "Miss California 2006" and the First Runner Up to Miss USA, also came by my studio and she chose a one-shouldered canary-yellow asymmetrical silk charmeuse dress that looked glorious against her copper skin color. My beautiful sister, Rita Verreos, who is a former "Miss Venezuela" finalist and now trains the "Miss California USA" winners, also made a visit to round off my contingency of "Nick Verreos/Nikolaki" beauties of the world. She wore an emerald green silk gown featuring a criss-cross bust drape and (wait for it!) yes, my infamous FISHTAIL HEM!!!
You might have thought that I would be on "Cloud Nine" with so many stunning beauties wearing my dresses but all I kept thinking about was if the sweat (Ok, they do not sweat, they perspire) was staining the expensive silk under the 100 Degree humid weather that we were suffering Sunday afternoon in Los Angeles. All in all , I was ecstatic to have lived this great moment and did feel that I had gotten a "Coup D'Etat" of sorts, by having so many of my gowns worn on one night. At the "Coronation Ball", it was a unique experience hobnobbing with all the "Miss Universe" contestants and VIP guests. At one point judge and famed photographer, Patrick McMullan, approached a group of us because we were all in Black and White and started snapping away. This little surreal group included ,"Miss Ireland", Nancy O'Dell, her husband, Carson Kressley,"Miss Sri Lanka" and myself. It doesn't get much better than that!! After the contest, I also felt proud for fellow "Project Runway" designer, Kayne Gillespie, who basically got his "Barbie moment" and career zenith by winning the "Miss USA Challenge" and having Tara Conner wear his design for over 600 million viewers in 170 countries to see. Congrats to Kayne for getting that coup!

*And yes, if you look closely at the first picture, that IS the back of Donald Trump's head! David was sitting a few rows behind him. Good job Mr. Trump, no bald spot!!