Nick Verreos
| Nick Verreos | |
|---|---|
 NV, IOTW Fashion Week (2010) | |
| Born |
February 13, 1967 St. Louis, Missouri |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising |
| Occupation | Fashion designer |
| Awards | Winner, Suisse du Jeune Talent Competition |
| Labels | NIKOLAKI Design |
Nick Verreos (born February 13, 1967 in St. Louis, Missouri) is an American fashion designer, fashion commentator and former Project Runway contestant.
Early life and education
Verreos was born in Missouri on February 13, 1967 to a Greek-American father and a Panamanian mother. Though born in St. Louis, Missouri, he spent his early childhood in Caracas, Venezuela. Verreos and his family moved back to the United States when he was 10, and he finished elementary and high school in San Francisco, California. He began college at UCLA, studying Political Science and International Relations, but after graduation, turned his interest to fashion design and pursued additional work at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM) in Los Angeles. He completed the Advanced Fashion Design Program at FIDM in 1993.[1]
Design career
After finishing studies at FIDM, Verreos immediately found success in the fashion industry. He won the Suisse du Jeune Talent competition, in which he represented the United States in St. Gallen, Switzerland. He began his career in Los Angeles working for a variety of companies, before forming his own design firm, NIKOLAKI, with partner David Paul in 2001.
Four years after winning the My Scene Barbie Challenge on Project Runway, Verreos mentored a group of FIDM students as they, and he, at Mattel's request, created one-of-a-kind designs for the FIDM Barbie 50th Anniversary Collection.[2][3]
NIKOLAKI gowns designed by Verreos and Paul have been worn by a number of notable celebrities, including actress/singers Beyoncé, Katy Perry, and Carrie Underwood,[4] Academy Award winning actress Marlee Matlin, who wore a NIKOLAKI gown to the 2008 Academy Awards,[5] Project Runway host/supermodel Heidi Klum,[6] Desperate Housewives cast members Eva Longoria and Brenda Strong,[7] actress/comedian Kathy Griffin,[8] Dancing with the Stars co-host Samantha Harris and judge Carrie Ann Inaba,[9] and former Miss USA and TV Guide Network Fashion Wrap host Ali Landry.[10]
Project Runway
In June 2005, Verreos participated in the second season of Project Runway, a reality television program in which fashion designers compete against each other for a design mentorship with Banana Republic, seed money to start their own line, and other prizes. Verreos finished in fifth place in the competition. He won the "All Dolled Up" challenge in the third episode in which designers had to design a dress for the My Scene Barbie collection. The doll was later marketed in limited release to the public and quickly sold out. He was judged one of the top three designers during the "Social Scene" challenge in the fifth episode. However, he ranked among the bottom two or three in three additional challenges: "Window Shopping" (episode six), "Flower Power" (episode nine), and "Makeover" (episode ten). He was eliminated after the Makeover Challenge in which he was charged with designing a fashion makeover for fellow contestant Daniel Vosovic.
Season 2 of Project Runway aired on Bravo from December, 2005 through March, 2006.
In the Winter of 2007, Verreos was a guest mentor on Project Runway Canada where the designers had to create two resort wear outfits.[11]
He appeared in an April 2008 episode of the Karma Air show Fashion 411 with Barbra Horowitz to share some of the behind the scenes experiences on Project Runway, as well as the events and projects with which he was then involved.
Since being a contestant in Season 2, Verreos has appeared as an audition judge, guest judge and guest commentator on various seasons of Project Runway,[12] and continues to blog on Lifetime's official Project Runway website,[13] in addition to maintaining his own personal blog.[14]
Fashion expert
In addition to his Project Runway appearances, since 2008, Verreos has been a regular panel member on TV Guide Network's Fashion Wrap, which covers the Oscars, Grammys, Golden Globes, Emmy Awards and Screen Actors Guild Awards each year.[15]
In 2011, Verreos participated in a mock-reality TV-themed advertising campaign for Virgin Mobile, portraying a stylist to a fictional celebrity couple: SPARAH.[16]
In February 2008, he hosted three fashion segments on E! Countdown to the Academy Awards.[17] He also covered the Red Carpet Arrivals on SOAPnet.com for the Daytime Emmy Awards in June 2008 and the Primetime Emmy Awards in September 2008.
He appeared on a January 2008 episode of the CW show Crowned: The Mother of All Pageants to help the mothers and daughters with their pageant gowns and choose which team had the best outfits.[18]
In 2003, he began teaching at FIDM and has been associated with the school ever since. He currently serves as FIDM's official fashion spokesperson.[19][20]
Personal life and family
Verreos and partner David Paul live in the Los Angeles area with their dog Benny.[21]
Verreos's father was a U.S. State Department diplomat in Panama, and met Verreos's mother there. His mother's great uncle, Arnulfo Arias,[22] served as the president of Panama on three occasions (1940–41, 1949–51, and ten days in October 1968).
Verreos's sister Rita Verreos appeared in Survivor: Fiji, which aired in Spring 2007.
For the 2008 holiday season, Verreos, along with LL Cool J, Vanessa Hudgens and Ty Pennington (among others), participated in the Sears "Grant A Wish" campaign. Each celebrity was asked to share a personal "American Wishtory" about a gift that helped them become who they are today.[23] Verreos described how his mother's gift of a sewing machine inspired him to think beyond fashion illustration, and to think about what it would be like to design and create fashion.[24]
Trivia
Lauren Conrad was one of his students at FIDM, and he appeared briefly on her show The Hills.[25]
References
- ↑ "Project Runway and FIDM". FIDM.edu. Retrieved 19 February 2013.
- ↑ "Nick Verreos and the FIDM Barbie® Wall". FIDM.edu. Retrieved 19 February 2013.
- ↑ "FIDM Designers Present Barbie’s® 50 Anniversary Collection". FIDM.edu. Retrieved 19 February 2013.
- ↑ "Lifetime Channel Bio for Nick Verreos". Lifetime Entertainment. Retrieved 17 February 2013.
- ↑ "Life after Project Runway". CBS. Retrieved 17 February 2013.
- ↑ "Lifetime Channel Bio for Nick Verreos". Lifetime Entertainment. Retrieved 17 February 2013.
- ↑ "Nick Verreos Blog".
- ↑ "NIkolaki Design: About Us". Retrieved 17 February 2013.
- ↑ "Nick Verreos' NIKOLAKI Gowns Featured on "Dancing With the Stars"". FIDM.edu. Retrieved 17 February 2013.
- ↑ "Miss Universe News". Retrieved 17 February 2013.
- ↑ "Cast of Project Runway Canada: Resort Wear Galore". IMDb. Retrieved 17 February 2013.
- ↑ "IMDb on Nick Verreos". IMDb. Retrieved 17 February 2013.
- ↑ "Nick Verreos Project Runway Blog". Lifetime Entertainment. Retrieved 17 February 2013.
- ↑ "Nick Verreos Blog". Retrieved 17 February 2013.
- ↑ "Nick Verreos on TV Guide Network Fashion Wrap". TV Guide Network. Retrieved 17 February 2013.
- ↑ "SPARAH Campaign". VirginMobileUSA. Retrieved 17 February 2013.
- ↑ "IMDb credits for 2008 Countdown to the Red Carpet". IMDb. Retrieved 17 February 2013.
- ↑ "Cast of Crowned: The Mother of All Pageants". IMDb. Retrieved 17 February 2013.
- ↑ "Fashion Model Directory". The Fashion Model Directory. Retrieved 17 February 2013.
- ↑ "FIDM: Faces". FIDM.edu. Retrieved 17 February 2013.
- ↑ "Celebrities: Fashion". House of Dog®. Retrieved 19 February 2013.
- ↑ "IMDb Bio". Retrieved 27 February 2013.,
- ↑ "Sears Launches 'Grant A Wish' Campaign". MediaPost Communications. Retrieved 17 February 2013.
- ↑ "Sears: An American Wishtory -- Nick Verreos". Sears. Retrieved 17 February 2013.
- ↑ "Cast of The Hills: You Have Chosen". IMDb. Retrieved 17 February 2013.