Last week we had a VERY VIP DESIGNER VISIT at The Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising: Mark Badgley and James Mischka of Badgley Mischka made a very special visit to FIDM and my better half--and fellow FIDM Fashion Design Program Co-Chair, David Paul--we were there to be part of...


Badgley Mischka were so WONDERFUL doing a special speaking engagement in front of a packed audience of our FIDM students (from many majors!), MC'ed by Stylist and FIDM Instructor Tod Hallman.



Afterward, we had a lovely lunch plus a VIP Tour of the campus by Barbara Bundy, FIDM Vice President of Education. James and Mark were so wonderful with the students, giving outstanding support, information and invaluable advice on the fashion industry. I also especially loved the "Fashion Gossip" they had from their 30+ years of experience in this crazy industry.
Here are photos from the visit:

On this week's Season 14 "Project Runway" on Lifetime...the designer's challenge was to create a bra-and-panties look for Heidi Klum's Heidi Klum Intimates line. The winner also received the "prize" of having their look put into production and be sold on HeidiKlumIntimates.com. The prize being bragging rights, since I am sure the winner will make no profit from the sales. But, as they say, that's the name of the game when you "sign on the dotted line". Now, let's get to the episode and RECAP highlights via photos...

A Runway-a-Thon...on Style Network:
Tomorrow, January 2nd starting at 8am until 10pm--Style Network will be doing a Project Runway Marathon--and specifically--the season I was in--"back in the day" (2005-2006, in case you were wondering!). They will air the entire season from "Road to Runway" all the way through to the "Reunion" (Oh Dear!) and Finale! I had the fabulous pleasure of being invited to share my thoughts and give some "Inside Fashion Dish" on my time as a contestant/designer on Project Runway with...
The gorgeous Jeannie Mai--my Sister From Another Mother!--from a chic loft near Downtown LA, with AMAZING views! We chatted all things "Project Runway"--from the judges, to how much time we really have--to is there really a light switch under the pattern table. I had the BEST time with Miss Jeannie! I can talk to her FOREVER! (sorry producers and director!) Can't wait until we meet again... Behind The Scenes: I showed up all ready to go, or "Camera Ready" as people in the industry like to say--but with some "Outfit Options". As soon as I met with Jeannie and the producers, they were like "we love your ensemble...now let's make Jeannie match you". And HUUUNEY, she did! She had a full-on table (photo above) filled with the most FAB jewelry and accessories (Note to self: I want a drawer in my closet just like that table!)...
Jeannie ended up wearing a directional--and stylish-- high-low black chiffon dress with a fitted attached bustier top and a thin gold belt. Oh, yes--I almost forgot--and some AMAZING black bootie black-and-gold pumps. Miss Jeannie Mai could wear anything and look good! Next time, I might slip her stylist one of my NIKOLAKI cocktail dresses for Miss Jeannie to wear...for sure!
Don't miss the Project Runway Style-a-Thon and my Fun & Fab (and DISHY!) interstitials with my new girlfriend, Jeannie Mai...on the Style Network. *Click HERE for more info.

Nick and Tim...Make a "cameo" in the Wall Street Journal A very good friend of mine was reading today's edition of the Wall Street Journal and she emailed me saying "Did you see the WSJ today? There's a photo of you and Tim Gunn?" Well, of course, I was intrigued. I asked what was the article about? She said it was regarding The Weinstein Co. and how the Weinstein's are "Tapping into TV" and of course, mentioning a little ol' show called Project Runway. I went online (the new way of reading the newspaper n'est pas?) and yes, there it was, the article and a little photo of Tim Gunn and I circa Season 2 back in (I'm not naming the year kids!) (see left). Fun times...I remember him coming to my table discussing the challenge as if it was yesterday. And yes, I still have that blue plaid Western Shirt; it's packed in my "Project Runway Archive Suitcase", in case you are wondering... Below is the Wall Street Journal article:
The move signals a comeback of sorts for Weinstein Co., which underwent a major debt restructuring this past summer after producing a string of movies that flopped at the box office and depleted much of the $1.2 billion they raised to start the company in 2005. The restructuring, aimed at placing the studio on firmer financial footing, transferred partial control of its movie library to Goldman Sachs Group.
On the left is another fun photo I found--in my photo archives--of Monsieur Gunn and I--from "back in the day"...
To read the entire article click HERE.

Project Runway Season 3 Finale I just returned from my week in New York City, where I attended the Bryant Park Show of the "Project Runway Season 3" Finalists. When I arrived , the weather in NY was wonderful: sunny and a bit balmy. I went shopping for an outfit --not that I did not bring a Louis Vuitton (faux) suitcase full of choices but, of course, being the clothes "ho" that I am, I needed just another choice! I made my religious pilgrimage to Zara and H&M and purchased a great jacket and a Winter scarf. Friday, the day of the show, arrived, and the weather changed considerably to rainy and dark. I don't know if this was an ominous sign in terms of the fashions that I would see once inside the tents, but I hoped not. These were the Spring Collections, after all, so I expected bright colors, sunny dispositions on the super skinny models (this isn't Madrid after all!) and lots of skin-baring dresses! Once I arrived in the Tents, I spotted my Season 2 buddies, winner Chloe Dao as well as Raymundo Baltazar. We immediately did our "Hey Girls!!" and made our way to the show. At the entrance, we also saw the Blogging Project Runway team: Laura K, T-Bone and Scarlett. Well, this was almost like a Homecoming of sorts. I was already feeling a bit nostalgic and sad about "letting go of our season" to make room for the "new kids on the block", but seeing the Blogging Project Runway crew and their genuine smiles on their faces made me feel I was home. I cannot say this enough: they are AMAZING!! Bravo needs to pay for their children's college funds because of what they have done to the world of "Project Runway". I also met Vincent for the first time and chatted with him for a while. He was really nice and excited to see the Finalists' creaions. I made sure that I wasn't seated near him during the show, just in case he ever got "turned on" by any of the dresses that went down the runway! Now, onto the Tent where the Finale was occurring. First, there was the "hiarchy" of the seating: We (Season 2) were all seated in the third row, while this season, understandably were seated in front of us, in Row 2. Only Daniel Vosovic and Chloe were in the Front Row, next to the VIP's, judges Michael Kors, Nina Garcia, Heidi Klum and guest judge, Fern Mallis, Director of Seventh on Sixth. This seating commentary is note a dig, believe me. I was happy to have a seat in all the madness and actually more suprised for the Season 2 designers for having to sit in Row 2! Most of Season 2 and Season 3 designers were in attendance, with the notable absences of fellow Angelenos, Santino and Andre. They were both missed. What did I think of the show, you may ask? To begin with, there was no "clear winner" per se, as in Season One's Jay McCarroll. I will say that , for me, Uli's collection was a standout. I loved it. Her gowns literally floated on the runway. Light as air, sexy as a Grecian Goddess. I almost jumped out of my chair when one strapless beaded and chiffon gown glided through the show. I gasped and the audience broke into spontaneous applause. In fact , most of her pieces were applauded. If there is one criticism, I could see the judges saying it was a little "Roberto Cavalli-esque" and we have seen it before. Jeffrey's collection was original. I could not reference it to another designer, which is a good thing. I must admit, Jeffrey's aesthetic is not my aesthetic. However, I believe Jeffrey did a great job. It did not grab me immediately, but after seeing photos later , I liked it a bit more. If I was one of the judges, I would have to say, that of all three designers, his had the most forward, contemporary vision. You know how those judges love that word: Vision. My favorite was a striped jacket outfit. On the other hand, he did a couple of baby doll-style dresses that were a bit of a mess. His strength (to my amateur judging eyes) was in the tailored pieces. Laura's collection was elegant. It was as if Oscar De la Renta merged with Michael Kors. They were impeccably made, with luxurous looking fabrics. Most of the pieces had intricate beading into supple fabrications. My favorite piece was a short dress that at first , looked like it had feathers at the hem. With closer inspection, you realized the feathers were actually paillete sequins! Unbelievable. There was one outfit though which made some people in the audience go "Huh?: A strapless see-through lace outfit with the bra pads showing. Favorite to win , Michael was a disappointment to many in the audience. I really liked him on the show and wanted him to "Bring It"! I overheard several people saying it looked very"Baby Phat" and Donatella Versace-esque. I thought it was sexy and very him. But I could understand those aforementioned references. After the show, I went backstage to say "Hello" to some old friends (make up artists, hair Diva, Nathaniel) as well as models Danielle (Andre's model), who modeled for Michael, and Marilinda, Jeffrey's gorgeous and power-runway princess. I also ran into Heidi Klum, who posed for a photo with me, looking perfectly gorgeous, as always. We then sauntered over to a Special "Project Runway Finale Brunch" at the Bryant Park Grill just a few steps from where the show was held. This was the perfect way to end the morning: A buffet brunch and LOTS of Mimosas. Needless to say, Uncle Nick was a very "happy camper". Next stop: a power nap and Jay McCarroll's much-anticipated show. Memo to Nick: I need an OUTFIT CHANGE!!!!!!!

NOLITA 'PROJECT' NEW LINE BY EMC2 GETS A BOOST FROM 'RUNWAY' VETS

We've just added a little incentive to come join us for the Summer+Reality=Sale Event being held at EMc2 on Wednesday July 12th. The first 10 people to make a purchase of $1,000 dollars or more will receive a DVD of Project Runway 2 personally signed by Chloe, Emmett, Kara and myself! Don't miss out on this great opportunity to not only meet everyone but also get your own personally signed copy of the DVD! Come early and shop hard because there are only 10 copies available! Can't wait to see all of you there.

Just in case there are a few people out there who haven't heard about the Summer Sale at Emmett's store, I wanted to do a quick posting here. I am so excited about this event and am sure that it is going to be an absolute blast! Chloe, Kara, Emmett and myself will all be in attendance the entire day with a special guest appearance by the one and only Tim Gunn. We want to make sure that everyone knows that this is completely open to the public! This one is not to be missed! All four of us will be selling clothing from our lines and from what I have seen from all the designers so far, there are some amazing pieces and deals to be had! So please come by and say hello and trust me, you can spend the day with us shopping and still have enough time to make it home to watch the premiere of Project Runway 3!! Make it a perfect day! Click HERE for the location of EMc2.

Lately I've been noticing more and more visitors to my blog from countries other than The Good Ol' US of A. At first I thought it was a fluke, computer-savyy fashion-followers out in the international "bloggersphere". But then when they started stating comments about how the show just began actually airing in their country, I have to say, it did take me aback. Having people in the USA watch the show is surreal enough, but now Taiwan, Sweden, Estonia, South Korea, Hong Kong, well , it's beyond my scope of thinking. I know you may not believe this but I really thought I was doing this "little show" on Cable that no one would watch, except my best friends and my mom and dad. Ooooops!
In fact, I just did three phone interviews with Singapore!! They asked me the same questions American interviewers have asked me and yes, they asked if Santino and I were still so-called "enemies" (if someone asks me that one more time , you might hear the scream somewhere in Nepal!) Just recently, someone from Venezuela e-mailed to say that the show is now being seen there and that they are very excited and proud of me. Well, that really did it for me!! Shivahs Part Four!! Since I grew up in Caracas, I will always reserve a special corner in my heart for Venezuela, its beautiful women (4 Miss Universes and 5 Miss Worlds, my mom and my sister!), its food (arepas!!), and it's music (I swear I get emotional every time I hear the Cuatro playing and the harps playing a traditional Venezuelan melody). So to think that Venezuelans are viewing the show makes me LOCO!!!. BBC and Discovery Networks are the carriers of the show through Mexico and Latin America, including Venezuela. Click HERE so you can take a peek on how South America sees Project Runway 2

METRO does Fashion Week Nick, Santino, Chloe and Time take us behind the seams of 'Project Runway' (click on article to read)

SOLD OUT! Check out the new article in People Magazine. Looks like they might have gone to press just a little too late! Hopefully they will be able to put them back on the market so everybody will be able to enjoy their own Project Runway My Scene Barbie!