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


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!

Hot Style:


This past weekend, I hosted--and judged--the MOST FABULOUS "Project Style 2012" Live Style Off Competition at Promenade Temecula. As you may know--if you've been following me here on my BLOG (and elsewhere), I am the Official Co-Spokesperson for "Project Style 2012" (along with Style Network's Jeannie Mai).


Project Style is a fun contest created by Forest City Shopping Centers, giving future Trendsetters and Stylistas across the USA a chance to shop, style and show...their looks in a video--and then, have a chance to win $1,000 Shopping Spree. And this year, there's even a BIGGER Grand Prize for the Winner of all the Regional competitions: a trip to NYC and to attend Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week 2013 with me and to go shopping and much more.
Now let's get to the Temecula Live Style Off:
 


This year's Promenade Temecula Live Style Off occurred outdoors right in front of the Edwards Cinemas. It was about 100 degrees HOT but I was thankful to have a shaded stage. I immediately introduced the Four Finalists and the "Wildcard"--(left to right, above photo) Ashley Barre, April Yang, Blake Keif, Dana Menard, and Kristina Horlock to a WILD audience...



I think that EACH Finalist brought a fan club of family/friends of 10+ people--with big poster-sized photos and signs supporting their favorite. It was like being at a Miss USA Pageant when one looks out in the audience and there are big signs saying "We LUV U Miss Minnesota", or "Go Miss Texas!". It was the CUTEST thing! Needless to say, the 100 degree weather did not stop the crowd at Promenade Temecula from being "pumped" with excitement!


I began the contest with doing my traditional "Nick Catwalk Blessing"--doing a "Runway" walk onstage so the Finalist would A) Know what to do, and B) Show off my runway walk LOL!


The judges for the contest included last year's Project Style Promenade Temecula Winner, Lexie Laura; FIDM Rep Barbara Contreras; Marketing Director of Promenade Temecula Kym Espinosa; David Paul (my NIKOLAKI Design and Business Partner) and me!

Here are the FIVE Finalists:

An hour prior to the Live Style Off, each Finalist was given a $200 Promenade Mall Gift Card to shop and put together an outfit of their choice and now, it was their chance to SHOW IT OFF--in front of this HUGE audience of family, friends, shoppers plus of course, the judges...


After one last "Who's Your Favorite Hoot and Holler" from the audience, I joined the rest of the judges to deliberate and then...it was time to announce the WINNER....(drum roll!):


April wore a coral-colored jacket with gold details, white blouse, black knit skirt, apple green-colored thin belt, bright blue pumps and clutch purse. The judges loved her sense of style, pops of color and how she looked ready for a job as a assistant at a fancy fashion magazine!

April Yang Fan Club: afterward, I posed with the Winner and her Fan Club--as seen from the photo above---I absolutely LOVE that she brought them all out to support her! Check out her little brother holding up a big ol' photo of his sister April! Soooo CUTE!



Congrats to the Winner--and all the Finalists--EVERYONE did a fantastic job and trust me, it was difficult to chose a Top Trendsetter since, I personally thought that they were ALL Top Trendsetters! I had such a BLAST in Temecula and I especially thank the audience, friends and family members for BRINGING IT ON, when it came to the level of excitement!!! It made my job so much easier--and more fun!

Attention Temecula Fashionistas!


It's that time again for the Project Style Live Style Off at the Promenade Temecula Forest City Shopping Center ! Join me THIS Saturday September 29 at 3PM as I host this year's Live Style off, where five finalists will compete for the Top Trendsetter title and $1,000 Promenade Temecula Shopping Spree prize!!!

Last year, I hosted this very same contest at the Promenade Temecula and let me tell you, I had a BLAST!!! So many people came out to see the Live Style Off and as usual, I had a great time doing my post-competition Meet-and-Greet and taking all the Facebook and Twitter photos I could!

These were last year's finalists (above photo) and they BROUGHT IT when it came to their looks so I really hope this year's Finalist will OUTDO them!! I'm looking forward to that! And I hope that Temecula shoppers will also BRING IT!! And out-do last year's audience!!! And don't forget, I'll be doing a Recap right here on my BLOG so you might become "semi-style famous" by coming out and maybe making it into my Style Blog!


DETAILS:

So...WHO will Replace:

WHAT: Nick Verreos and Jeannie Mai Host South Bay Galleria's "Project Style 2012 Live    
              Style Off Finale"

WHERE: South Bay Galleria
                 1815 Hawthorne Boulevard
                 Redondo Beach, CA 90278
                 Center Court

WHEN: Saturday September 15, 2012
               Live Style Off: 2-3 PM
               Meet-and-Greet with Jeannie Mai and Nick Verreos 3-4PM 
               (Don't forget to bring your cameras/mobile phones, to take all the Facebook and
               Twitter photos you want!)
               
See YOU THERE!!!!!

Summer Style Tips for Summer 2012 c/o ME!!!


As Fashion Guru, Judge and Host of the Project Style 2012, Shoptopia asked me a few questions about what I thought were this Summer's must-have's and trends...and well, I told them!!!

So, Fashionista Ladies, if you are getting ready for Summer 2012--in terms of fashion and how to "give style", then here are my suggestions:


 1) Flapper Gal: 

It's all about that "Flapper Gal"-silhouette--inspired by the Gucci dress above. Think: loose, off-the-body tunic shape.

2) Life Aquatic:

Inspired by the iconic Alexander McQueen Spring 2010 Collection, look for aquatic prints--anything watercolor, "Ocean Graphics", like seashells and corals under the sea. Imagine looking at the sea through your goggles and seeing all that under-the-water vegetation---similar to my NIKOLAKI silk chiffon gown here:

3) Mini or Maxi...or High-Low:


It's all about the extreme and the most popular choices are Maxi or Mini dresses. If you want to combine BOTH, then get a "high-low" dress--meaning short in the front but longer in the back-like my NIKOLAKI strapless High-Low gown above.

4) Neon Krazee:


Neon is BIG for summer. Bright pinks, aqua, lime or canary yellow--wear the bright neon's with camel tones for the perfect contrast. Take a look at the photos above for your Neon Summer 2012 Inspiration.

Click HERE for my complete Summer 2012 Style Tips.

Temecula Gives FASHION!!!

The Promenade has stores like J. C. Penney, Macy's, Sears, plus Apple, Aeropostale, Victoria's Secret, Williams-Sonoma and a newly-revamped Charlotte Russe, among others. For the upcoming Holiday Season, in fact new stores will be opening including (wait for it!) H & M (yeayyy!), G by Guess, and MAC Makeup.
Now, back to "Project Style": Since May, through a series of monthly style competitions, budding fashionistas went on shoptopia.com, applied and then won spots to be here! Now, the four Finalists were at The Promenade in Temecula for the LIVE Style Off, hosted by MOI! After introducing the finalists, I gave them $200 Promenade Gift Cards and they each had only ONE HOUR to shop for an entire new look for themselves, change and get ready for the runway!
While the Finalists were out shopping and using their hour wisely, I entertained the crowd by doing my own little runway walk, having a fun "Project Runway Fan Q & A", and hosting a great "Charming Charlie" accessory Fashion Show. I also demonstrated to some "lucky" guests from the audience how to use the FAB Swivel Virtual Dressing Room and showed them how my Red Carpet NIKOLAKI Gowns would look like...on them!
Once, the shopping-and-styling hour was up, the finalists were back and then it was up to the three very esteemed judges of Barbara Contreras of FIDM, Rita Griggs of Palomar Community College and last year's "Project Style" Winner Sinead Copely, to pick the 2011 Winner, who, by the way, would win a $1,000 Promenade Gift Card! And the Winner Is... Lexi Lorah (above) The judges (and I) loved her use of color, prints, her styling (of course) and how directional the entire look was. She also was ON TREND when it came to Fall 2011. Congrats Lexi! (she was very excited--and surprised). Afterward, everyone wanted to take photos...And as in "Everyone", I mean ME!