Prom Photos

Prom Memories...

I was so excited when I received an email from Mollie, a fan and a young lady with exquisite taste I might add. The email contained photos from her prom , in which she wore one of my fabulous Windsor dresses that I designed for Prom Season 2007. She had chosen the style appropriately titled "Summer", which was a bit of a hit with the girls when I did my in-store appearance tour of several Windsor Stores a couple of months back.

The dress was a version of the style I designed for the My Scene Barbie Challenge back in Season 2 of Project Runway. It was a light lemon yellow stretch satin, featuring ruching at the waist and midriff , twisted gathered bust and a high-low hem. Mollie said her friend loved it so much, she also bought it and wore it to her prom! Here are the photos. And if there are any more of you girls out there who wore one of my Windsor original designs for your prom and have photos, please send them to me and I will also post them up! Let everyone see how gorgeous you looked!!!

Nick in WWD

WWD is the ultimate newspaper for all things fashion. It is the industry standard and I always tell all my students to put down the Gossip rags and pick up the WWD's!
When I created my clothing line several years ago, I started subscribing and learned more from their articles than I had from any textbook!

Last week I grabbed a few days worth of newspapers (these things come everyday and they are hard to keep up with!) and I was excited to see an article on myself and my Prom Dress Line for Windsor. I met the writer, Khanh Tran, at the Fashion Show I did a few weeks back for my Nikolaki line and I was excited to tell her all the details about the collaboration. I was thrilled that she felt it worthy of printing! Although my Windsor Tour is complete, the dresses are still selling like crazy and the Justina and Ariel have been selling like Bagels (thanks Heidi)!!!
Click on the picture of the article to make it bigger to read.

Nick Verreos for Windsor All-Stars

Prom Season Y'all!!!!

My Windsor Tour of the US has concluded right here in Southern California, after brief, but fun stops in Chicago, Orlando, and Phoenix. Along the way, I met hundreds of young kids, their parents, their cousins, as well as "old folk" like me who took the time to come out and see me.

To celebrate my visits, I decided to make a "Windsor All-Stars" collage with some of my favorite and most memorable people who I met along the way. The first is a young designer-hopeful, Tito, who wrote in my blog the most heartwarming letter about how "I inspired him to break free of a motivation block " he had. After reading his letter, I had to post his photo with me as a "Thank You".

The next is an 11 year old girl, from Arizona, who loved watching "Project Runway" but didn't have other friends who watched the show, so she would come to school the next day and dish about the episode with her art teacher(the only other "Project Runway"-watcher she knew). I thought that was the cutest thing I have ever heard!

Also in Arizona, the cutest group of high school students (even though they looked as if they were in college!) had been waiting at the Windsor Store before I had even arrived. They were all dressed as if they walked out of the hippest boutique on Robertson Blvd. The boy in the group was wearing the fiercest Cavalli jeans with a saucy leopard-print. At this point , I have to say something about Chandler/Phoenix Arizona: It must be one of the fittest and best-looking populations in the US! It's as if all they do is rock climb and drink healthy Vitamin Water all day long! I saw so many 16 year old, 6 foot tall, size 4 future models, it was unreal! And the boys all looked like they came from an Abercrombie & Fitch billboard. If I was a model scout, I would get on the first plane to Chandler/Phoenix and do some scouting!

Next up, in the Riverside location, I was visited by a threesome of fans, who drove up from San Diego to see me. They were all led by my Official Nick Fan Stalker Extraordinaire, Brett (he is the Nicole Ritchie-skinny boy in the white thermal long-sleeve tee and super skinny jeans). I first met Brett at the FIDM Debut Pink Party last month where he officially declared himself my stalker! Another group of three (this time girls), also came to my appearance, and were searching for Prom Dresses. The Blonde girl in the Turquoise dress wanted a little bit extra up top. The dress she tried on has pads already attached inside the dress to give you that extra help! And the girl in the Champagne colored dress was worried about her tummy. I recommended the Ariel Dress (a top seller!) that is ruched across the stomach which is great for hiding any little flaws you might have.

At the last Southern California appearances, I met two fans, one of whom was dressed in the classic "Nick vest-and-tie outfit". So you know I had to get a photo with him! And to my surprise , they also brought their prized "My Scene Project Runway Barbie" for me to sign.




In the Glendale location, I reconnected with an uncle and HIS niece, seen here in black shirt and glasses, who were so incredible that they had already gone to one of my other previous appearances , where they took photos with me and now they were back to have me sign them! They get extra "Uncle Nick" points for that.

Finally, I almost broke into "Terms of Endearment" tears, when at two separate locations, standing in line to see me were two former co-workers of mine. Back when I was at UCLA and I was a political science major I worked part-time at a government agency in Westwood where I met these two great ladies!! This was way before I had aspirations of being a designer. I would draw all these fashion sketches at work for fun, and they would say to me "One of these days, you're going to be famous! And by the way, you need to graduate from UCLA already and go to fashion school!!" I had not seen them in over a decade!!! It was heartwarming to see Keshia (in green wrap dress) and Brenda(in Lacoste tracksuit). Brenda , in fact was my unofficial boss at the agency. Seeing them again just made my year!

A HUGE Thank You to everyone who came out to see me , and especially to those girls (and their mommies) who actually bought my Windsor dresses for their upcoming proms, formals or sweet sixteen parties. Sorry if you didn't "make the cut" for this collage, but it doesn't mean that I didn't love you also, it was mainly because of the limited space we had here. You can click HERE, and see the complete "Photo Album" from my Windsor Appearances and see your photos that we might have taken of you! A big "Congratulations" to the winners of the "Win a Nick Verreos Dress" contest. And a final "Hollah" to all the Windsor employees who made it so much fun for me.
Also, look out soon on the TV Guide Channel, in their Fashion and Style Show, because we filmed a special segments showcasing my dresses just in time for Prom Season 2007.

Prom Dress Tour of America--CHICAGO

As I type, I am in my hotel room in Orlando, Florida for my second stop of my Windsor Fashions Appearance mini tour. I will be at The Florida Mall Windsor Store making an appearance from noon-2 PM today , March 17Th. If you happen to be in the "neighborhood", please stop by , say "Hi" and take a look at my dresses!

Last weekend, I began my "Prom Dress Tour of the United States" for my just-released "Nick Verreos for Windsor Fashions" mini prom dress line. First stop was Chicago. I made two appearances in the "Windy City", one at the Chicago Ridge Mall, the other at the Windsor's Lombard location. This was my third time in Chicago (I was there for "Project Runway Season 3" casting/judging and for an ALMA Fashion Show Fundraiser Event) and I was excited to return and enjoy the sights and tastes of this fabulous city.

Three things I noticed about Chicago this time around:

1) Lots of Toll freeways!!(we spent over $10 in 2 days!);
2) Lots of condos, and
3) Some of the most expensive parking lots in the US!

On our way to the first location, David and I got lost and ended up in some forest with a frozen lake! I am not even kidding. After calling Mayra, the lovely--and helpful--manager of the Chicago Ridge store, we were re-routed to the correct destination (Note to self: Get the GPS Navigator option whenever renting a car!) Mayra had warned me to "hurry up" because of the line of people that had been waiting to meet me for over an hour! I hugged and greeted many moms and their daughters who had come to the Windsor store, to check out the line, plus to get a hug from "Uncle Nick". One mom even brought her "Project Runway My Scene Barbie" for me to sign. There was a raffle in which we gave away a free "Nick Verreos Windsor dress", which was won by the beautiful (and perfect size 3) Molly , shown here wearing one of the most popular styles, "The Justina". The gorgeous crew of the "Windsor gals" at the Chicago Ridge Mall store were the BEST! Not only were they all "working it" with their outfits, but they were the sweetest, most professional, most accommodating bunch of young ladies. Mayra and her girls ROCK!!!!

The next appearance at the Lombard location was just as fun. Not so many people came out but the ones who did got 110 % of me!!! There was a St. Patrick's Day Parade occurring that Sunday, which was where most people were. Nevertheless, I was just happy to see anyone who stopped by and wanted a photo, an autograph, and hopefully try on one of my dresses! Again, the Windsor gals at this store also were "working" their ensembles, with matching necklaces and earrings and shoes!

While in Chicago, we had one of the best dinners at WILDFIRE Restaurant , in the Oakbrook Center. Casey, the restaurant's manager,is my new BOYFRIEND!!!! I know that if he reads this ,he will be so teased by his buddies , the staff of the restaurant, plus half of Chicago population who might know him BUT, Casey and his staff were extraordinarily gracious, helpful and treated us like Chicago royalty! He even brought us a delicious lunch THE NEXT DAY, at my second appearance! That's when I almost proposed to have him move in with me!

Subsequently, I ended my weekend in Chicago hanging out with my friend Drew, a stylist, who took us to several places on Halstead Street, plus the JBar at the stylish James Hotel in Downtown Chicago. Thanks Drew!

Come Out and Meet Me!

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.

My Super Sweet Sixteen!

Last Friday, Windsor Stores held their annual Corporate Meeting at the fabulous Hyatt on Sunset Strip. The day-long affair was basically filled with business objectives, introducing new styles for Prom Season 2007, and giving direction to Windsor's store managers for their 39 stores in 12 States across the USA. The highlight of the meeting was the introduction of my "Nick Verreos for Windsor" dresses integrating them into the Windsor "family". There was a mini fashion show, where all the ten styles were modeled by young women--who were actual sales associates from the stores.

Just the reaction (High-yelling "woo-hoos" ) from the audience as well as the giddy emotions from some of the 16-year old teen models made me assured that these were the right dresses for this market! The whole theme for Windsor this season is a return to the luxurious, lady-like look. Glamour is back--slutty is out! I wanted to design sexy, fashionable dresses perfect for a Winter Formal, as well as a wedding reception or a "cocktail" event, and make them affordable.
I combined two main themes, already seen on recent Award Show Red Carpets, including "Grecian-Goddess" draping and shirring, as well as a 1950's/1960's retro look(as witnessed by the shorter cocktail styles).

In conjunction with the fashion show, it was also announced that I will be traveling all across the US to various Windsor Stores to make appearances at various trunk show events. Not all the cities are known as of now, but a little birdie tells me I will be traveling to Illinois, Arizona and Florida, amongst other States. I will keep my readers posted on the exact locations as well dates.

I had a great time meeting and taking photos with all the Windsor "girls"--and one boy (manager). TheTexas girls at my table were especially a hoot! I hope they went to the "Saddleback Ranch" nearby and got to ride that infamous mechanical bull! They seemed to be genuinely excited by my line for their stores, as well as by my surprise attendance. We ended the day with a glamourous dinner at the penthouse/rooftop ballroom of the hotel, overlooking all of Hollywood. It was a gorgeous and clear evening and you could almost see all the way to the beach.

Prom Dresses Anyone?

Happy New Year!!
I just returned from spending my holiday break in Texas and New York City. While spending time in several airport layovers, I sauntered over to the magazine newstands. To my great delight, I discovered that the ads for my One-Time Only Exclusive line of Cocktail and Prom Dresses , "Nick Verreos for Windsor", were in several Prom Magazines, such as "Seventeen Prom" and "Teen Prom ".
Be the first to order the dresses online now at windsorstore.com. Next month, they will all be available at all Windsor flagship stores across the nation as well as on the website. I can't tell you how excited I am about this and hope that all my fans love the dress styles I have designed.

Windsor and Project Runway's Verreos Head to the Prom

PLEASE BUY MY CHICLE....at Windsor!!
Almost a year ago since I appeared on the show, I have received hundreds, if not thousands of emails and requests by fans of the show wanting me to either make them a "Custom" dress for their prom, a pageant gown, or just a cocktail dress for a fancy event they might be going to. Because of my crazy schedule--designing my line, Nikolaki, teaching almost full-time at FIDM, plus flying out to various diffent cities across the US to make appearances and give seminars, I barely have time to sleep!! I do design custom gowns for private, and celebrity clientele, obviously, but usually the prices ($2000 and up) are out of reach for most women.

Not long ago, Windsor Fashions, approached me to design a line of 10 cocktail dresses and gowns for the 2007 Prom Season. Well, of course I jumped at the chance , since this would be the way to reach the "masses" and allow that 16 year girl, or that future "Miss Teen USA" contestant, or the 35 year old mom, or that fabulous Drag Queen, to get a piece of "Uncle Nick". The label will say "Nick Verreos for Windsor".

The dresses will debut in January and I have designed a variety of 50's inspired taffeta backless dresses, plus Grecian-goddess ones, featuring the draping, asymmetrical hemming and yes, some fishtails that are a staple of the "Nikolaki" look.

California Apparel News, the well-respected Industry newspaper for the California apparel industry, just got the exclusive on the news and below is the article. I have also added some exclusive photos from the recent shoot I was part of for the Ad and Print/catalogue campaign.

Windsor and Project Runway’s Verreos Head to the Prom
By Alison A. Nieder
Executive Editor

Los Angeles–based young contemporary retailer Windsor will unveil a collection of dresses in January under the Nick Verreos for Windsor label. The new collection is designed by Nick Verreos, co-designer of contemporary label Nikolaki and veteran of the second season of Bravo TV’s hit fashion reality show “Project Runway.” The collection, which will be in stores in January, will include 10 styles in cocktail and gown lengths ranging in retail price from $99 to $149. The styles will feature many of Verreos’ signature details such as fishtail and high-low hems and asymmetrical necklines. The dresses will be produced domestically to allow for rapid reordering throughout the prom season, according to Ike Zekaria, Windsor’s president of merchandising.The idea behind the Verreos collection for Windsor was Zekaria’s, although the retailer only recently began watching “Project Runway” regularly. Zekaria first became aware of the popularity of the reality show after meeting with a group of students attending a fashion design camp. The students were on a field trip to a Windsor store when Zekaria had a chance to talk to them. They were a relatively quiet group, Zekaria recalled, until the subject of “Project Runway” came up. “These girls started screaming and I thought, ‘Interesting …,’” Zekaria said. The retailer had a chance to meet Verreos when they both were presenting scholarship awards at a graduation ceremony for the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising in Los Angeles, where Verreos teaches fashion classes. At the mention of Verreos’ name, the crowd erupted in applause. “I saw his work on “Project Runway” and thought he really understands our market, our girl,” Zekaria said. Plus, “He’s got this magnetic personality.” Still, the retailer wasn’t sure whether the partnership would work until Verreos sketched a few ideas. “In the end, it’s his designs that sold it,” Zekaria said. Verreos was confident that he could tap into the Windsor market. “I don’t think they realized what a perfect match we are, that I can translate the Nikolaki look for the upscale junior,” he said. Prom promotions and retail rolloutThe line will hit Windsor stores in time for the retailer’s peak prom season. To promote the line and the connection with Verreos, Zekaria said the retailer is planning to advertise the collection in prom-focused publications such as Seventeen and Teen Prom. Verreos will also be appearing at a few Windsor stores throughout the year, according to Zekaria. The retail chain is on a growth tack now with several new stores in the works. A store in the Dos Lagos mall in Corona, Calif., opened on Oct. 6. Three more stores are planned within the next month, one in the Arrowhead Towne Center Mall in Phoenix, set to open later in October. Windsor will also open its first Florida stores, one in the Westfield Brandon Mall in Tampa and one in the Florida Mall in Orlando, in November. By the end of 2006, the retailer will have 40 stores nationwide. And it has more stores planned for 2007, including a location at the upscale Westfield Topanga mall in Thousand Oaks, Calif. Capturing the Windsor look Zekaria and Verreos got their first glimpse of the collection as a whole when the retailer shot its upcoming Spring ’07 catalog and e-tail campaign on Oct. 3. The theme this year is “A Glamourous Affair.” Shot by Larry Bartholomew at the romantic La Boheme restaurant in West Hollywood, Calif., the campaign will feature Verreos and his designs. For Verreos, the deal with Windsor is a long-hoped-for opportunity. “Early on, I would say, ‘I wish a manufacturer would approach me to do a prom dress line because I think there is a viable market here,’” the designer said, adding, “I’ve been working in this industry for 15 years. I’ve learned how to translate a $2,000 gown from the runway in order to sell it for $200.”Verreos’ line Nikolaki, which he co-designs with partner David Paul, is a contemporary sportswear collection, although the designers also create one-of-a-kind red carpet gowns for celebrities such as Eva Longoria, Patricia Arquette, Brenda Strong and Nancy O’Dell. And while there is an age and income difference between the Nikolaki customer and the typical Windsor customer, Verreos sees an added benefit down the road. “The Windsor customer will be the Nikolaki customer in 10 years,” he said. But it was after appearing on “Project Runway” that Verreos realized how many fans he has in the junior to young contemporary age range. “I can go to Bergdorf’s and not many people will stop me,” he said. But I walk into an H&M and it’s like [“American Idol” finalist] Clay Aiken walked in. My partner David said to me, ‘This is your market.’”Since season two aired, Verreos has also received an avalanche of fan mail, much of it from teenage girls who became fans of his glamorous designs from watching the show. “I get so many e-mails from girls saying, ‘Can you make my prom dress?’” he recalled. “It’s sweet but it’s a bit naïve. I would love to make every dress, but I can’t. So now I can say, ‘Go to Windsor.’”