NICK APPEARANCES.....STYLE WEEK OC 2015: Fashion Island Collection + Celebrity Cruises Design Competition

Style Week OC Begins! Images from last Saturday's Style Week OC Fashion Island 

STYLE WEEK OC 2015 officially began last Thursday with runway shows, fashion parties and in-store events happening at the three top fashion/retail destinations in Orange County: Fashion Island, The Market Place and Irvine Spectrum Center. This past Saturday, I hosted my first Style Week OC event at the gorgeous Fashion Island...

Nick Verreos hosting "Style Week OC 2015" last Saturday night at Fashion Island Newport Beach

On the Style Week OC Fashion Island runway agenda were the Fashion Island Collections showcasing the latest Fall 2015 from Fashion Island retailers like Neiman Marcus, Bebe, Halston Heritage and many more. And finally there was the Project Runway-like "Celebrity Cruises Design Competition" where four FIDM students/graduates created designs for Celebrity Cruises onboard activities.

Fashion Island Tuxedo'ed: Nick Verreos at Fashion Island ready to host Style Week OC 2015 Fashion Island Newport Beach

VIP STYLE WEEK OC Fashion Island Pre-Party Pics:

The Scene: Beautiful flower table displays, Partida Tequila Bar as well as Celebrity Cruises Wine Tasting--Style Week OC Fashion Island Pre-Party Newport Beach

Mingling Chic: Nick Verreos with VIP Pre-Party guests including special guests from Mexico City (top photo) and "Celebrity Cruises" guests (lower photo)--Style Week OC Fashion Island Pre-Party Newport Beach

The Runway: Style Week OC 2015 Fashion Island runway stage and audience--Earlier in the day, it had rained and so as the afternoon progressed and showtime got closer and closer, thank goodness the Weather Gods and Goddesses were on our side and it was a perfect and rain-free sky!

Fashion Island Collection:

Nordstrom: Fall 2015 looks from Nordstom--Style Week OC Fashion Island Newport Beach

Bebe: Fall 2015 looks from Bebe--Style Week OC Fashion Island Newport Beach

Fall 2014 looks from Halston Heritage (left) and Elie Tahari (right)--Style Week OC Fashion Island Newport Beach

Bloomingdale's: Fall 2015 looks from Bloomingdale's--Style week OC Fashion Island Newport Beach

Garys Men's Clothing: Fall 2015 looks from Garys--Style Week OC Fashion Island Newport Beach

Neiman Marcus: Fall 2015 looks from Neiman Marcus--Style Week OC Fashion Island Newport Beach

Celebrity Cruises Design Competition--Fashion Island:

Judges Ready: (L to R) Nick Verreos; Julie Gallego, Orange Coast Magazine Style Editor; Marilys Ward, Team Manager LA/Palm Springs DMA Celebrity Cruises; Sung Cho-Rothe, Store Manager Nordstrom Fashion Island--Fashion Island Newport Beach

For STYLE WEEK OC 2015, Celebrity Cruises has TWO design competitions: the first was held at Fashion Island. Students and graduates of my Alma Mater, the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising/FIDM were challenged to create looks for "onboard cruise ship activities", for example: designing an outfit for shopping and dining at the ship's Qzine Restaurant; one inspired by the Celebrity Cruises' top-deck Green Lounge, another design inspired by the light source of the Cruises' Luminae Restaurant and finally, a design inspired by the ship's Liquid Lounge...

FIDM Designers Peivand Mirzaie (top) and Francesca Lake (lower) describe their "Celebrity Cruises" designs to the judges--Fashion Island Newport Beach

FIDM Designers Ali Jawad (top) and Lilit Markosyan (bottom) showing off their "Celebrity Cruises" designs to the judges--Fashion Island Newport Beach

Celebrity Cruises Design Competition Fab: Nick Verreos with (L to R) models Aleksandra, Nadya, Talesha Byrd and Lisa Malambri of L.A. Models in the FIDM designers' looks inspired by Celebrity Cruises onboard activities/restaurants/lounges--Style Week OC Fashion Island Newport Beach

Onboard Chic: Models on the STYLE WEEK OC Fashion Island runway showing the "Celebrity Cruises" designs--Clockwise from the top: Francesca Lake "Luminae Restaurant" inspired outfit; Ali Jawad "Liquid Lounge" under-the-sea inspired design; Peivand Mirzaie's chartreuse ensemble for onboard dining and shopping; and Lilit Markosyan's embroidered netting dress inspired by the ship's "Green Lounge"

And The Winner Is...

It was a very difficult decision since all the designs were so creative and impacting but the design which garnered the highest scores was...

FIDM designer Francesca Lake won the top prize of $2,000 for her "Celebrity Cruises" Luminae Restaurant-inspired ensemble which featured a reflective halter top with embroidered lace, pleated trousers and a detachable overskirt.

Post Show Meet-and-Greet Time:

Fashion Island Ladies: Nick Verreos with Style Week OC Fashion Island guests, including one of my co-judges Marilys Ward of Celebrity Cruises (second from right)--Style Week OC Fashion Island Newport Beach

Puppy Style: Nick Verreos with Style Week OC guests--and their super cute doggies--Style Week OC Fashion Island Newport Beach

Nick Verreos with FIDM "Celebrity Cruises" designers, models and guests--Style Week OC Fashion Island Newport Beach

Step-and-Repeat Dapper: Nick Verreos and David Paul of NIKOLAKI, Style Week OC Fashion                                                                          Island Newport Beach

**AND DON'T FORGET: I'll be HOSTING THIS SATURDAY NIGHT'S Style Week OC Irvine Spectrum Center on September 19th--including the Irvine Spectrum Collection runway show + the "Celebrity Cruises Design Competition: Irvine Spectrum"

It's OPEN TO THE PUBLIC and FREE!!!

For more info. Click HERE

and Stay tuned for that BLOG RECAP next week!