FIDM's Three Days Of Fashion

Vitamin Water: Check. Throat Lozenges: Check. Outfit to wear in front of High School Students: Check. It's FIDM's Three Days Of Fashion!

Last month, I got the chance to visit all of the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising's California campuses in a flourish of activities that the school plans out during Summer Break. Traditionally, FIDM plans out an event called the Three Days Of Fashion for high school students throughout the country who are thinking of coming to fashion school or going into careers in fashion. As FIDM's spokesperson and as an alumni and an instructor, I was asked to make special appearances at all their campus--all within a span of two weeks. Let's just say, I got to know airports and the Southern California freeways very well! Lest you think it's all "flossy flossy", I flew Coach and drove myself to these events!

I began my appearances in a rather "dazed and confused" state. My first, San Francisco event was set for the same day I was flying back from New York City filming my MSN "Dress Like You Mean It" fashion segments. And I had to be in San Francisco by noon. I left NY at 5 AM , arrived in SF at 10 AM and drove straight to FIDM SF. No sleep and not enough Vitamin Water to keep me going. But somehow I did it! One of my oldest of friends, whom I consider like a sister, Didi Simon, greeted me at the airport and then took me to a much needed power breakfast before heading into the city. Love me some Didi!! Since I spent my adolescence in the Bay Area, I always love returning to the City by the Bay. After I was greeted by the energetic FIDM SF staff, I took a look at their window displays of original student designs of garments they made from hospital smocks. Yes, you read it right: Hospital smocks! They were great by the way. Note to future Project Runway segment writers: This is a challenge worth doing. I then spoke to the over 150 high school students about school, FIDM, and of course, Project Runway. I also signed autographs and posed for lots of My Space photos.

Next stop was home base, Los Angeles. At this Three Days of Fashion, I brought along a surprise "guest star", model Amanda Fields, who was on Season Three of the show (designer Kayne Gillespie's model). She models here in Los Angeles now, and I thought it would be a fun addition to the appearance to bring her along to model some of my dresses. Needless to say, the kids loved it--and you know Amanda was eatin' it up too!! The FIDM grand ball room, as I call it, was filled to capacity with eager students wanting to know more about fashion, designers and , again, my experience on the little ol' show.

A couple of days of rest, and I was in my car , taking a sweet ride down to San Diego, for my next stop in my "Nick FIDM World Tour" : San Diego. Because of the infamous Southern California traffic, I almost did not make it on time. But, once I did, I was whisked right into the event, and all that nasty traffic was forgotten once I got to meet and greet all those wonderful students who had shown up to do the San Diego FIDM Three Days of Fashion. The staff had decorated the room I would be speaking in to make it look like a Moroccan souk! With an added runway( you KNOW I had to do my runway walk!). It was so much to meet all of these future fashion designers and to see their excited faces once they meet me and want to take photos with me, it makes it all worth it. So many of them told me "You have inspired me to be a designer..." Boys and girls alike. As an instructor, I always feel that if I can inspire just a couple of my students for doing better and wanting to succeed, then my job has been done.

My final stop was the OC! Land of Laguna Beach and MTV's The Hills. This was my first time visiting the campus and was eager to see was it looked like. First of all, the FIDM Orange County campus is FABUUUULOUS!!! The building itself is very modern and all one story. Then you walk in and its got bright bubblegum pink floors. Love it! I felt right at home. There were over 200 high school students--and their moms--waiting for me to make my appearance. I was told that they had already spent the morning and early part of the afternoon taking draping classes and putting together story boards, as well as illustrating. My appearance was supposed to be a surprise but I guess word got out. Once I walked out, I was greeted by the same amount of applause and screams I think Lauren Conrad of "The Hills" gets (OK, maybe not so much, but indulge me in a bit of fantasizing). I had a great time speaking to the students and then afterwards meetin' and greetin'. After it was all over, I had such a great time doing all the Three Days of Fashion and look forward to the next round. Maybe next time, I'll pack lots of Vitamin Water and throat lozenges--and try to upgrade to a better airplane seat, or a better car for my driving.

TV Guide's "Jeer Of The Week"

Last week, I got a call from my Mommy (yes, I still call her Mommy!) and she said "Neeeeeck...go pick up the TV Guide Magazine with the 'Lost' cast on the cover...there's a little photo of you". Of course, as a result of all my traveling (Chicago, Orlando and Phoenix in three weeks!), I had not gotten around to going to a newsstand. Finally when I realized I could just check one out at the airport terminals, I was a week too late! Thankfully Good Ol' Mommy saved hers and sent it to me.

In last week's edition, in their infamous "Jeers and Cheers" section, the writers decided to headline a photo of me while appearing on an episode of MTV's "The Hills" as their "Freeze Frame" Jeer of the Week. They were miffed that the viewers were only teased with my blink-and
-you-miss-it moment and my somewhat unexplained appearance on this popular show. I love TV Guide for even noticing that 2 second moment when I appeared on the TV screen. At least I did not end up on the cutting room floor. I remember telling the director, half-jokingly, "You are filming 8 weeks of my class, and I am sure you're only going to use 2 seconds!" Someone once said (I think): Be careful of what you say or wish for, because it might just come true.

Prom Dress Mania!

Lots of news on the Prom Dress front!
First off, if you haven't checked out the dresses I designed for Windsor click HERE. And after you've finished picking out your favorite head on over to PromAdvice.com to WIN your very own Nick Verreos Prom Dress and a slew of other goodies worth $1,000!

I will also be appearing in Windsor Stores every weekend in March. I will give complete details in a few days. But so far it looks like I will be at two stores in Illinois, Ft. Lauderdale, FL., Arizona, Glendale, CA., Cerritos, CA. and Riverside, CA.

And keeping in the spirit of the Prom, I recently attended the Hollywood Prom Party thrown by Niki Shadrow with "The Hills" Audrina Patridge being crowned Prom Queen. Click HERE to read all about it.

Instructing "The Hills"-Part Deux

Before the Fall Quarter began late last year, I was called into "the Principal's office" at FIDM. My stomach quivered, thinking that I had done something wrong. I almost felt as if I was fifteen years old and back in Junior High School, having been called in for that pen I stole from Suzy. OK, of course I lie. I don't think I was ever called in to any Principal's office back in my adolescent years and I did not know anyone named Suzy and no, there is no "real" Principal's office for the Instructor's at FIDM. But you get the picture! I was called in by one of the Department head's of the school who informed me that Lauren Conrad "LC", from MTV's hit show, "The Hills" was returning to FIDM to take some classes, one of which was a Fundamentals of Sketching course that I, in fact, teach. Would I mind , a) Being filmed while teaching for "The Hills", and b) Be Lauren's instructor.

Of course I said "Yes", as long as the filming did not disrupt the environment of the class and the student's. Having had a bit of prior experience with "Reality Shows" and production, this was not going to be, as I famously said "My first time at the Rodeo". I also knew that they would not show much of me on the show, since I know that "The Hills" is more about Lauren and her day-to-day interaction with her girlfriends and paramours, as opposed to concentrating on her attending school and the classes she was taking at FIDM.

The class she took is one in which I teach students in the Product Development Major, how to sketch flat/technical sketching--a very important skill to have under your belt. Since approximately 98 % of the sketching one will do in the "real" world of fashion involves flat/technical sketching as opposed to stylized fashion illustration. For ten weeks , I show students the basics of how to learn this skill and eventually know how to sketch technically by hand. Afterwards they take another class to learn how to to this through the aid of a computer.
It is not a difficult course, per se. I always joke with my students that "this isn't Rocket Science kids!", but some students just cannot grasp the fundamentals of eye-to-hand coordination and have a difficult time progressing from crooked stick figures. Lauren was exceptionally good, however. I asked her if she had taken some classes in drawing or art, and she told me she had. Well, you could tell. She had a great sense of proportion and caught on pretty quickly in terms of the work. It is interesting to watch the show, since I did not discuss with her anything beyond school work and did not get into her private life. Obviously she had a lot going on besides school, but then again, so does everyone. That is what life is about, managing it all and somehow making it all work.

Nick and LC

Watch for me on tonights episode of The Hills. But don't turn away from the TV for too long or you'll miss me! It is a very brief appearance. I was Lauren Conrad's Instructor for a class she took this quarter at FIDM and they asked me to be a part of the show. I will do a more in depth posting on how this all came about and a little behind-the-scenes take on the whole experience!

If you miss it don't worry you can see the whole episode HERE.