PROJECT RUNWAY.....Project Runway Season 11 Finale NYC Fashion Week Show

"Project Style 2012" Winner Attends Project Runway Season 11 Finale Fashion Show at NY Fashion Week--with ME!

 Nick Verreos and April Yang, Project Style 2012 Winner--Mercedes-Benz New York Fashion Week Fall 2013 Lincoln Center

Hello Kids!! I'm back from my travels (Finally! And well, for now!). In the past two weeks, I've been to NYC to shoot the Look Book for my new dress line "NV Nick Verreos", attend NY Fashion Week shows, parties and yes, the Project Runway Season 11 Finale. Then I returned home to LA for a couple of days (long enough to shake off the snow from the blizzard of 2013!) and I was off again on plane, to do an event in New Hampshire (yep-back to snow country!) so...I apologize for the delay in posting this wonderful Photo Pictorial Recap of my time in NY Fashion Week and attending the Project Runway Season 11 Finale Fashion Show with the winner of Project Style 2012. So, without further ado...

As you may now (if you've been keeping up on all things NICKVERREOS.COM, I was the Official Spokesperson--along with the fab Jeannie Mai of Style Network's "How Do I Look?", of this fun Style Contest "Project Style: Seeking Top Trendsetters". The contest, sponsored by Forest City Malls, is an online style competition that featured young stylistas putting together outfits using gift cards from various Forest City Shopping Centers, They they created fun videos featuring their outfits and put them on YouTube. The public voted, and the finalists of the local contests then went head-to-head (or peplum to skinny jean!) in Project Style "Style-Off's" in their local malls, with some of them hosted by moi!

 April Yang, Project Style 2012 National Winner

Then, all the winners of the local "Style-Off's" competed to win the grand prize trip to the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York City plus a shopping trip in Soho with me! The National Project Style Winner was April Yang, a 19 years old, from Murrieta California. I had the pleasure of hosting her local "crowning" at the Project Style "Style Off" in the Promenade Temecula Mall.

Her grand prize was to attend a NY Fashion Week show and I pulled some strings and got her a ticket to attend THE Project Runway Season 11 Finale Fashion Show at Mercedes-Benz New York Fashion Week in Lincoln Center.

 Snow City: A view of Central Park, post-Blizzard

As you may remember a couple of weeks ago, the weather in NYC--and the East Coast--turned a bit KRAZEE--as a BLIZZARD happened! And yes, it began to take effect the DAY of the fashion show--on Friday. I remember waking up in my hotel, pulling the blinds and seeing the snow falling heavily outside my windows. I though "Uh Oh!". But no snow, blizzard or 20 degree Fahrenheit freezing weather could keep us from attending a fashion show at NY Fashion Week.

Scene at Mercedes-Benz New York Fashion Week Fall 2013 Lincoln Center

We arrived at Lincoln Center slushing through the ice and snow covered entrance (and blowing freezing winds). The Project Runway fashion show didn't begin until about 10 AM and we made sure to get there early to take in the scene...

 Nick Verreos and April Yang, Project Style 2012 Winner--Maybelline Section, Mercedes-Benz New York Fashion Week Fall 2013 Lincoln Center

After making our way through the Lincoln Center main tent and all the various sections--I spotted some Project Runway Alumni--and naturally, I made April pose and take some pre-fashion show photos with them (PS: she was SOOOO excited--just look at her big smiles in every photo!):

 Project Style 2012 Winner April Yang with Project Runway All Stars Season 1 Winner Mondo Guerra--Mercedes-Benz New York Fashion Week Fall 2013 Lincoln Center

 (Left to right): Nick Verreos, Project Style 2012 Winner April Yang, Project Runway Season 1 Winner Jay McCarroll--Mercedes Benz New York Fashion Week Fall 2013 Lincoln Center

 (Left to right): Project Runway Season 1 Winner Jay McCarroll, Season 10 designer Kooan Kosuke, Project Style 2012 Winner April Yang, and Nick Verreos--Mercedes Benz New York Fashion Week Fall 2013 Lincoln Center

 (Left to right): Project Runway Season 8 and All Stars Season 1 designer Michael Costello, Project Style 2012 Winner April Yang and Season 7 Winner Seth Aaron Henderson--Mercedes Benz New York Fashion Week Fall 2013 Lincoln Center

 (Left to right): Project Runway Season 10 designers Christopher Palu, Fabio Costa, Project Style 2012 Winner April Yang, Nick Verreos--Mercedes Benz New York Fashion Week Fall 2013 Lincoln Center

(Left to right): Project Runway Season 6 Winner Irina Shabayeva and Project Style 2012 Winner April Yang--Mercedes Benz New York Fashion Week Fall 2013 Lincoln Center

I also got to take some photos as well (naturally!):

 The Original: Nick Verreos and Project Runway Season 1 Winner Jay McCarroll--Mercedes-Benz New York Fashion Week Fall 2013 Lincoln Center

 Shady Boys: Project Runway Season 8 and All Stars Season 1 designer Michael Costello, Nick Verreos, Season 7 Winner Seth Aaron Henderson--Mercedes Benz New York Fashion Week Fall 2013 Lincoln Center

 Happy Alumn: Project Runway Season 10 designers Christopher Palu, Sonjia Williams, Project Runway Season 3 Finalist and All Stars Season 2 Finalist Uli Herzner, Nick Verreos--Mercedes Benz New York Fashion Week Fall 2013 Project Runway Season 11 Finale Fashion Show, Lincoln Center

 Louis Girl: Project Runway Season 6 Winner Irina Shabayeva--Mercedes Benz New York Fashion Week Fall 2013 Project Runway Season 11 Finale Fashion Show, Lincoln Center

The Fashion Show:

 Project Runway Season 11 Finale Judges: (left to right) Zac Posen, Heidi Klum, Michael Kors, Nina Garcia--Mercedes Benz New York Fashion Week Fall 2013 Lincoln Center Project Runway Season 11 Finale Fashion Show

I had a great time attending the show and watching the eight designers' collections from this current season who showed. There are twelve designers on the show--TV-wise, as I type this. To be honest, there was ONE great collection out of all the ones I saw,  but we'll see what really happened later this season on Lifetime and on Project Runway Season 11. 

 Tim and Heidi bring out all 16 of the Season 11 Project Runway designers: Mercedes-Benz New York Fashion Week Fall 2013 Lincoln Center Project Runway Season 11 Finale Fashion Show

None of the designers came out after each of their respective collections, so it was up to the savvy audience to figure out who was who. All sixteen of the Season 11 designers/contestants took a bow with Heidi and Tim at the end. Oh, and yes, the Finale Special Guest Judge was Michael Kors. He opted out of being a judge this entire season and designer Zac Posen took over for him. But he decided to come back for the Finale.

OVER it: Look at Patrica and Cindy's (second and third from the middle row, right) faces---Heidi, Tim (bottom row) and the Season 11 Designers--Mercedes Benz New York Fashion Week Fall 2013 Lincoln Center Project Runway Season 11 Finale Fashion Show

After the show...I got some photos of April--the Project Style 2012 Winner--on the runway. She had THE BEST time. I was so happy that she got to experience the fabulousness of attending a NY Fashion Week show--especially the very coveted Project Runway Finale Fashion Show--and being my VIP guest. That's what the Winner of Project Style should get!

  Post Show Smile: April Yang, Project Style 2012 Winner--Mercedes Benz New York Fashion Week Fall 2013 Lincoln Center Project Runway Season 11 Finale Fashion Show

  (Left to right): April Yang, Project Style 2012 Winner and Nick Verreos--Mercedes Benz New York Fashion Week Fall 2013 Lincoln Center Project Runway Season 11 Finale Fashion Show

 April Yang, Project Style 2012 Winner--Mercedes Benz New York Fashion Week Fall 2013 Lincoln Center Project Runway Season 11 Finale Fashion Show

After the show, we enjoyed a lovely lunch in Soho and then, I took her shopping--yes, IN THE NYC BLIZZARD! I took her to several MAJAH fashionista stores including UK-based Topshop and Japan's Uniqlo:

 Uniqlo Stylistas: (left to right) Nick Verreos and April Yang, Project Style 2012 Winner--Soho Shopping Trip, Uniqlo Store Soho

Congrats to April!!! I had a BLAST and I have a feeling she did too! 

**Up Next: Recap Photo Gallery of the Project Runway HP Designer Reunion Party!