Shopping, Eating...and Filming...in Chicago!Nick Verreos Loves Shopping...and Macy's! Happy Labor Day Weekend Kids! Labor Day is about relaxing , traveling, maybe spending time with friends and family...unfortunately for me (and my NIKOLAKI partner, David Paul) we are "sequestered" at our L.A. Nikolaki Studio working on our upcoming Spring 2011 Collection (soon I will post Details on the "When and Where" of our show for Style Week Orange County!) But...I figured this would be a great time to post some photos from my trip last week to Chicago! (see how I tie-in the "traveling" part of Labor Day Weekend??). Brian Entringer--a friend who met me for breakfast while I was in Chicago--and I pose in front of The Peninsula Hotel Chicago Lion Statues I flew to the "Windy City" (it was GA-GA-GORGEOUS!! And not windy...or raining..or humid) to shoot my "Fashion Makeover" segments for the four AMAZING ladies of the MSN.com Web-show "The Victory Project". I spent about a week there--I will post my Recap with photos of the "Makeovers" soon!--during my stay in Chicago, I was lucky enough to stay at the beautiful Peninsula Hotel. The Peninsula Hotel Chicago Bathtub in my room...which I didn't get to use :( Unfortunately, I didn't get to spend much time in my fabulously appointed room since I spent most of my time shopping for the ladies to get just the right looks as well as filming. I shopped at Macy's Water Tower Place for TEN HOURS! Jennifer Castaneda, a Producer on "The Victory Project"( and a doppelganger for Vanessa Hudgens!) "holds" my jewelry, Macy's Chicago Water Tower Place I host a lot of Fashion Director Events for Macy's across the country so you know I love me some Macy's. But let me tell you, the sales associates at this particular store were AMAZING! Nick "hearts" them! Posing and Filming: Nick Verreos with Producers Jennifer Castaneda and Erin Nikaido, Cinnamon Boutique Chicago, MSN.com The Victory Project We also shopped--and actually filmed my segments at two very chic Chicago boutiques, including Cinnamon in Roscoe Village, as well as Perchance, in the Southport Corridor shopping district. Nick Verreos holds a very special Red Peanut Mole Cake, Rick Bayless' Frontera Grill Restaurant Chicago After all the shopping and hours and hours of filming, there was nothing else but to go to sleep! But first: One night I had the pleasure of having a late-night dinner with my clients at the very-sought after Frontera Grill and Topolobampo Restaurant. Somehow, they procured a reservation--at like 9:30 pm!--and as tired as I was, I decided I also needed to eat! After the dinner (Owner Rick Bayless was THERE! Eating at a nearby counter kids!), I was about to get up and leave, when THE Frontera Grill Pastry Chef, Melissa Novak and one of the executive waiters Paco Zamora, came and brought me--yes, ME! A succulent Red Peanut Mole Cake! It's NOT on the Menu, they reassured me--and it was OUT of this WORLD!!!!! Finally, speaking of food, on my last night--after filming for fourteen hours, I came back to my Peninsula Hotel and ordered in. I decided to just get "The Burger"--a $50 Peninsula Burger (see photo above)-- Yep, $50!! That's what the total came out to...but HUNEY...it was SOOOOOOO worth it! Between that Burger (sorry Vegetarians!) and that aforementioned cake---there's nothing better to cap off my evenings in Chicago! Go to MSN.com The Victory Project for updates on the 4 FABULOUS Chicago Ladies!!!

I'm Coming To CHICAGOOOOOOOO!!!!
OK, I just had to say that...Oprah style! I am truly excited about MSN.com's The Victory Project and our next city: Chicago. I have not been back to one of my favorite cities for a while (since I judged the Season 6 Castings of Project Runway), so I am SO looking forward to returning.
The Victory Project Gurus: Chantal Moore (Make-Up and Hair), Nick Verreos (Fashion), Kacy Duke (Fitness) and Katherine Brooking (Nutrition) With my Victory Project girlfriends--Make Up and Hair "Empress" Chantal Moore, Fitness Guru Kacy Duke and "that-better-not-be-fried" nutrition expert Katherine Brooking, we have scouted the country, and made women "Victorious"!
First: Seattle; Nick Verreos styles Heather at Mario's Boutique, The Victory Project Seattle
Then we visited Atlanta: Nick Verreos and Renee, Macy's Lennox Square Mall Buckhead Atlanta Now, it is Chicago. Four GORGEOUS women, in need of a "change" and with goals in mind--have signed up to be part of the "Chicago Victory Project Divas". Let's meet the ladies:
Aryn: She just moved to Chicago and REALLY wants to get back into her skinny jeans...Huney, I will DEFINITELY find you THE FIERCEST pair in Town!
Danielle: Has three kids (two are TWINS!) and wants to fix herself from the inside in order to let her outside shine! Wait until I get to her...
Jennifer: New Place to live, new promotion, new body, and yes, new fashion!
Meredith: She is having her 20th High School Reunion (I hear ya girl!) and wants to make an entrance! Well...that's what I am here for huney! See you Ladies in The Windy City! I will promise to make you look your MOST BEAUTIFUL and make you all feel like Red Carpet QUEENS! See you soon! Click HERE to meet The Victory Project Chicago women

HOTLANTA FIERCE!!!As you may know, I am the "Fashion Guru" for the The Victory Project. Along with nutrition expert (Katherine Brooking), fitness expert (Kacy Duke), make-up "genie" (Chantal Moore) and a fashion expert (moi!), The Victory Project travels to 3 cities , finding four women in each city and shoot webisodes following the women and their 6-week regime to being "Victorious"! First, we went to Seattle, the Emerald City! And now, we continue on to Atlanta! The lucky Four Victory Project Ladies are: Renee: Holly:Nikki:And Amanda:If you want to follow these women on their journey to get fit, eat right, dress stylish and feeling beautiful, click HERE for all the videos! And be sure to check them all out on Facebook! I am flying to Atlanta THIS weekend to "surprise" the ladies next week (don't tell anyone-wink wink) and make them FABULOUS...and give them ALL my "Nick Fashion Love"!! I can't wait. I have a feeling Atlanta Georgia will NEVER be the same!!! Check here on my blog soon for how I make them OVER!!!!

And the Academy Award goes to... Golden Girl: Naibe Reynoso wearing NIKOLAKI at the W Hotel Los Angeles Last week I took part in an Oscar Preview and Makeover for Reelz Channel's Show Hollywood Dailies. The beautiful Naibe Reynoso was the subject of the makeover and also the lovely hostess of the segment. Ready for the Red Carpet: Nick Verreos and Naibe Reynoso (in Kevan Hall) On hand at the W Hotel Los Angeles to help in the Oscar Transformation were none other than Theodore Leaf and my Victory Project partner Chantal Moore. Theodore talked Hairstyle trends and gave Naibe an Oscar worthy style, while Chantal discussed make-up and gave her a new look. I, of course, discussed Fashion and previewed gowns from my line, NIKOLAKI as well as beautiful styles from Kevan Hall. Watch the segment Below:

Shopping, Styling, and Filming...in Seattle!Finerie Pose: Nick Verreos strikes a pose on the streets of Seattle
Along with David's styling expertise (he has styled many a commercial, infomercial and magazine shoot--he even assisted THE Andre Leon Tally for an Arthur Elgort Vogue photo shoot back in the day), we also got AMAZING assistance from Gretchen Bell, a Seattle-based stylist and shopping DIVA! Styling Company: David Paul, Gretchen Bell and Nick Verreos, Mario's Seattle Our shoots took place at two wonderful Seattle stores, Mario's (a very high end boutique a la Barneys NY) and The Finerie, a distinctive smaller boutique that carries lots of local designers as well as one-of-a-kind not-found-anywhere-else pieces. Latin Lovers: Nick Verreos and Jocelyn in her "Reveal" dress I got the chance to pick the most fabulous looks--from head to toe--for my four "Seattle Divas", (as I called them): Rebecca, Heather, Sonja, and Jocelyn. Rebecca and Nick Verreos, MSN/Special K The Victory Project, and...Nick Verreos and Sonja, MSN/Special K The Victory Project All of them had a certain goal and after weeks of hard work, painful but fulfilling exercises and lots of Special K cereal later, they were ready for their Style Transformation, courtesy of moi! We all had great fun and I must admit, the ladies looked AMAZING! Heather and Nick Verreos, MSN/Special K The Victory Project Well, actually VICTORIOUS!!! And wasn't that the point? I was sad to say "Goodbye" but as always, I had a great time in Seattle and so happy I could make the ladies smile and be their "Fairy Style Godmother". Click Below for Heather's Fashion Makeover:

For all the other "The Victory Project" Style Reveal Videos, click HERE.

V is for VICTORY...