This past weekend, I had the pleasure of flying to the Bay Area to be the Special Guest at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising/FIDM San Francisco Spring 2015 Open House. FIDM Open House is a way for high school students (or post grad students as well as any one interested in a career in Fashion, Visual Communications, Merchandising, etc.) to come and check out the college and what it has to offer--as well as get the chance to hear me speak and give advice and tell my "story".

FIDM SF Open House Fab:


This past Friday, I flew to San Francisco to make an Appearance and give a special "Fashion Design Lecture" at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising San Francisco Campus' Open House.

The FIDM Open House is a way for anyone interested in studying fashion, graphic design, interior design, visual display, styling, apparel manufacturing, product development...and many other subjects, to visit the various FIDM campuses (LA, Orange County, San Diego and San Francisco) and check out all that the college has to offer. As the Spokesperson for FIDM, I have the pleasure to make appearances and give special lectures at the College's campuses throughout the year. This past weekend was time for me to fly to San Francisco to give the FIDM San Francisco a little bit of "Nick":

I Left My Blogging HEART in...San Francisco!


Last weekend, I flew to San Francisco to host a very special "Style, Trends & Blog Talk" Panel Discussion at the wonderful Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising/FIDM San Francisco. This was a great chance to get some fabulous information--as well as get to tour the college, get to see what makes FIDM SF so amazing!

I arrived on Friday--to a GORGEOUS day (I almost thought the pilot had landed in San Diego...there was not a single cloud in the sky!). I enjoyed a nice dinner with an old friend and went right to bed to be ready for the event which was happening the following morning at the FIDM SF campus right in Union Square. I always love returning to the Bay Area since yes kids, I spend my very impressionable high school years there after my family and I moved from Caracas Venezuela.




Saturday morning, I put on my light pink dress shirt and jacket from TopMan, my skinny black jeans, my Gucci boots and of course, topped it all off with my very own custom pocket hankie made out of fabric from my NIKOLAKI line. As I made my way to the College, everyone around me was in shorts and flip flops (SF, 82 degrees Fahrenheit) and yes, I got some major "Why are you so dressed up?" stares but alas, you know I LOVED it!



Once at the campus, I was greeted by three of San Francisco's most fab bloggers who would join me on this FIDM SF "Style, Trends and Blog Talk" panel: Lorraine Sanders, founder of SF Indie Fashion and author of StyleBites, Jeanne Chan of ShopSweetThings.com, and Beth Spotswood, who writes some really great blogs for SFGate.com.

Full House: FIDM SF "Style, Trends & Blog Talk" Event Hosted by Nick Verreos (Photo Courtesy of Marcellina M. Burch, FIDM SF)

We were greeted by a packed room of 150+ students, parents, SF Bay Area bloggers (yep, they were there!) plus even some Project Runway Fans!! (LOVE YOU!). I began the discussion with a PowerPoint presentation on Trends; how Trends begin, where they come from, trends for Spring 2012, etc. There were A LOT of attendees taking notes as I spoke (it was like I was teaching one of my FIDM classes).

 Trend Class: Nick Verreos Talks 80's Influence at FIDM SF "Style, Trends & Blog Talk" event

Then I segued into the panel discussion--and brought my SF Blogger DIVAS into the mix, discussing their backgrounds, how they got started, and the Do's & Dont's of Blogging 101...

SF Bloggers WORK!!! (Photo Courtesy of Marcellina M. Burch, FIDM SF)

At one point of my presentation, I looked over and our three fabulous bloggers/guests were LIVE BLOGGING and TWEETING about being at the event! Soooo 2012 Social Media!!! After an hour+ discussion on everything and anything BLOG, we had a Q & A with the audience, followed by raffle of a signed FIDM bag.


The winner happened to be a guest who had been at the event over an hour early (a big fan of yours truly!). She was SO happy--and I was so happy that she was the winner (how much do you LUV that "I "Heart" Nerdy Boys" t-shirt of hers??? Sooo cute!!). Afterward, I stayed around to take pics and sign things--anything!!!

Below is a photo compilation of some of those pics:

Top Row: Adam Easterday, Nick Verreos, Malaya Malone; Dexie Santiago & Nick Verreos; 
Middle Row: Lanae Roxas & Nick Verreos; Dre Anthony McMurry & Nick Verreos;

Bottom Row: Besan Alkhatib & Nick Verreos; Emilio Ruiz-Vega & Nick Verreos

Thank you to FIDM San Francisco, my three SF Blogger Panel Guests, and everyone who came out on a beautiful SF Saturday and decided to be indoors with us and attend!!! I am most grateful for meeting each and EVERYONE of you!!! Hope you got some great info. and possibly got inspired!!

City by the Bay Couture and Fashion School FAB-U-Lousnesss!!!!!
Last week, I began my 2011 FIDM 3 Days of Fashion "Tour". As the Official Spokesperson--and Alumn of the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising, I travel to all the Campuses for their annual "3 Days of Fashion" EXTRAVAGANZA!!!! Three Days of Fashion is the event where high-school and post graduates:

• Discover new and exciting career options
• Take workshops such as Draping, Creative Thinking, and Product Development
• Learn how to sketch the nine-head fashion figure
• Find out what a Designer really does
• Meet FIDM Grads who have found success and are doing what they love
• Find out how the industry gets the latest information about trends
• Tour some of the best shopping spots in the world
• Get the answers to all your questions from the people who really know: the working professionals

My first stop was San Francisco: I flew up to San Francisco from my home base in Los Angeles on Virgin America (my plane above)--one of my favorite airlines! The flight attendants are always so friendly and I love the ordering food and drinks from the TV screen thing--even on a one-hour flight!
I landed in SFO's spankin' brand (almost) new Terminal 2. The terminal was outfitted with cool red "egg" chairs and an overall post-modern design aesthetic: Loved it! Reminded me of the Jet Blue Terminal at JFK. After getting my suitcase (I brought gowns kids!!!), I got to the City and checked into my room at one of my FAVE SF Hotels--the Kimpton Hotels' Hotel Monaco.
As always, there was a "Welcome Nick!" bottle of wine (Hello!) and glasses for me to enjoy. Sometimes there is a cheese-and-snack plate but not this time unfortunately. Maybe this was a "Welcome with a small 'w' ". But nevertheless, I was very THANKFUL for the wine but I saved it for later because besides making my FIDM SF "3 Days of Fashion" appearance, I had one other thing on my mind and that was:
Yes....going to the De Young Museum and visiting the "Balenciaga and Spain" Exhibition Hello??? My Northern California friend Didi Simon and I drove to the Museum (I ordered the tickets online beforehand) and we went and enjoyed EVERY single COUTURE Gown of it! It was AMAZING!!! The Exhibition closes on July 4th and I will be traveling to Europe July 5th so this was the ONLY time I could see it!!! It was GLORIOUS!!! I absolutely LOVE , adore, admire Cristobal Balenciaga and his creations so to me, it was like being in Fashion Heaven! The Exhibition is organized into six "Inspiration" sections: Spanish Art, Regional Dress, the Spanish Court, Religious Life and Ceremony, the Bullfight, and Dance.
At one point, I gave an impromptu "Haute Couture Lesson/Tour" as I was describing all the intricacies of the Art of Haute Couture and construction/seaming to my friend Didi, and then I turned around and there were about TEN or so other exhibit visitors listening! And funny enough, many visitors recognized me and were very happy that A) I was there, and B) I was giving them a FREE knowledgeable mini-tour! But soon, it was time to make my "special appearance" at FIDM SF's "3 Days of Fashion": I always LOVE coming to San Francisco and the FIDM SF!!! They always treat me like a Star! Today was supposed to be the final day of their annual "3 Days of Fashion" and I was their "special guest star"!!!
As part of the "3 Days of Fashion" events, FIDM SF organizers have a fun-and-fabulous "Project FIDM" fashion show, where participants get to "re-create" and "re-cycle" garments and then have a fashion show that is judged a la Project Runway.
For the 2nd consecutive year, I was joined by Clinton Kelly's (from TLC's "What Not To Wear") Executive Assistant and new Director of Design for his QVC line--FIDM SF Alumn Julia A. Hill as one of my co-judges of that aforementioned contest. She was looking VERY "NY Vogue Magazine Jr. Editor" in her pleated high-waist khaki trousers, lilac tank and black "Boyfriend" jacket.
In addition to the Contest, I also brought several of my NIKOLAKI Red Carpet Dresses to show the "3 Days of Fashion" attendees. The dresses were modeled by Look Model Agency model Rachael Sitz, one of the BEST--and favorite--models in San Francisco!!
I even brought THE "Katy Perry" dress--a lilac-colored hand-beaded one-shoulder sequin dress that Katy Perry wore to launch her Purr Perfume. Yes, kids, Miss Katy Perry wore one of my designs!!! Say "Hi" San Francisco: FIDM SF 3 Days of Fashion Attendees, waiting for an autograph and a photo
All in all, I had a BLAST at FIDM San Francisco's "3 Days of Fashion"; the Contest, the fashion show, showing my gowns/dresses, I even stayed a coupe of hours afterward and signed autographs and took pics with each and every one of the attendees! (which I LUV doing!) I was even asked to sign someone's iPhone!!! Someone's iPhone may end up on Ebay... Thanks San Francisco and Northern California for a FAB FIDM "3 Days of Fashion"!! Can't wait to come back!!!!!

A fashion show contest, NIKOLAKI gowns, Heidi Klum's Dress, and a Prom Date... My ten hours in San Francisco!!!Photo Op: Nick Verreos at the FIDM SF "3 Days of Fashion" Yesterday, at 10 AM, I boarded a United Airlines plane from LAX and arrived an hour later in one of my favorite cities in the world: San Francisco!! I was there for my whirlwind stop-and-go visit to the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising/FIDM San Francisco. I was there to do their "Three Days of Fashion". I grew up in the Bay Area, just fifteen miles south of San Francisco, so that city has always had a special place in my heart. It really is the city that "fed" my love for fashion. I remember all the times my mom would take me to I. Magnin for an Oscar de la Renta in-store appearance or trunk show, my once-a-month Union Square shopping trips to the Men's Store at Macy's, seeing an Yves Saint Laurent Tribute Fashion Show at the War Memorial Opera House...My other Sister: Nick Verreos with Didi Simon, FIDM SF "3 Days of Fashion" Needless to say, I always love coming to San Francisco. One of my dearest of friends, Didi Simon, whom I've known for over 20 years (I know!), picked me up and was with me the entire day. I absolutely adore her! After a quick delicious brunch at JoAnn's Cafe in South San Francisco, we headed straight to "The City" and the FIDM Campus.Divas and Newspaper Couture: Barbara Cupper and Trudy Noren pose with one of the FIDM Discarded to Divine creations
Soon, I was introduced to "my SF Model", the gorgeous Rachael Sitz, from the Look Modeling Agency. I brought some of my NIKOLAKI gowns from LA, just for the SF "Three Days Of Fashion" (in case you're wondering, the FAA security did ask me if I was doing a Drag Performance when they inspected the garment bag!!). Work It! The winner of the SF "Three Days Of Fashion" fashion show/styling contest (look at my reaction to his FIERCE walk!) After a brief Project Runway-inspired FIDM Three Days Of Fashion fashion show and contest--where students styled other students and we all picked the best "ensemble" and model, I spoke to all the high school students about my "fashion" experience, including how I ended up on Project Runway, as well as gave them a little bit of sound advice (I hope). The highlight of my visit, however, was the mini NIKOLAKI fashion show, of course. Heidi=Rachael: SF Model Rachael Sitz models the "Heidi Dress", SF "3 Days of Fashion" Rachael modeled four of my gowns--including the "Heidi Klum Dress" (which she wore on the Conan O'Brien Show)-- to the sheer delight of the students. She was absolutely a DREAM! I had never met her but, she not only fit perfectly into all my Gowns and dresses, she modeled them with the serene grace and professionalism of any top Supermodel! Turquoise Rachael: Nick Verreos and model Rachael Sitz in NIKOLAKI gown To cap my time in SF, I signed lots of Three Days of Fashion diplomas and took lots of photos and, along with the entire FIDM SF Three Days of Fashion staff, I headed to the Four Seasons for some "Happy Hour" cocktails. Before I could say "I Love FIDM SF", I had to grab my dresses and get Didi to take me to SFO so I could make my 8 PM flight back to LA. Get In Line: Nick Verreos signing and taking photos in San Francisco Thank you to everyone--especially Trudy and Courtney for taking all the great photos and Michelle, for being the best "wrangler" I could ever ask for. I can't wait to come back---and I hope that one of these high school students that I met had their own "Oscar de la Renta/I. Magnin moment" that I had when I was their age! Click HERE for a great blog titled Le Garcon Avec le Sourire, from Rhyan, a fabulous fashionista to end all seventeen year old fashionistas--I even promised him a "prom date"! (he's the guy with the black hat in the photo above)