Nick Verreos Talks Academy Award Nominated Best Costumes for TV Guide Channel's The Fashion Team Show and LXTV!

And the Winner Is......
In the spirit of the 82nd Annual Academy Awards, below are 2 fun videos I did talking about the AMAZING Art of Motion Picture Costume Design Exhibition at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising/FIDM. This is the 18th year for the exhibit and it is the only place where you can see Academy Award nominated costumes from all the top movies this year!

Click below for segments I did with TV Guide Network and the Fashion Team TV show and LXTV. Hopefully this will inspire you to make a trip to Downtown LA to the FIDM Museum and Galleries! It is FREE and open until April 17th.

TV Guide Network's The Fashion Team Segment:


LXTV:

Nick Verreos gives a Spanish-speaking Tour of the 18Th Annual Art of Motion Picture Costume Exhibition at the FIDM Museum and Galleries

Tour En Español...Spanish Chains: Penelope Cruz' Chanel dress from Almodovar's "Los Abrazos Rotos (Broken Embraces)", 18Th Annual Art of Motion Picture Costume Design Exhibition/FIDM Museum and Galleries

Last week, I was fortunate enough to film a "Video Tour" of the 18Th Annual Art of Motion Picture Costume Exhibit at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising Museum and Galleries for "La Opinion" Newspaper's website---the largest Spanish-language newspaper in the United States. It is the second most-read newspaper in LA (LA Times is first).

If you can understand Spanish, click below: Get ready for Nick...en Español!

Nick Verreos, John Rabe and KPCC Public Radio Love!

This one is for Angelenos ONLY!!!Photo Finish: Nick Verreos, Julian Bermudez and KPCC's John Rabe
photo courtesy of FIDM

Last week, as you may remember, I was invited to the 18Th Annual Art of Motion Picture Costume Design Exhibition at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising Museum and Galleries in FIDM's Downtown Campus.

One highlight--besides seeing all the glorious costumes, meeting the costume designers and mingling with friends--was also an encounter I had as I was about to leave: Two handsome men wearing all black, approached me saying what big fans they were of me and Project Runway and if I would oblige them with a photo.
Then, one of them said "Thank You" and I almost fell on the floor: I recognized his voice as John Rabe, one of my favorite on-air radio personalities from one of the only radio stations I listen to in LA: KPCC 89.3. He hosts a show called "Off Ramp" which I listen to religiously. I never knew what he looked like and now, there he was, posing next to me! I truly had an "LA Moment". And now, he even wrote about it on his blog as well! Thanks for the mention John!

FIDM 18th Annual Art of Motion Picture Costume Design Exhibition: Nick Verreos Gets a Sneak Peak!

And The Best Costume Design Award Goes To...

Crinoline Happy: Nick Verreos at the 18Th Annual Art of Motion Picture Costume Design Exhibit, FIDM Museum and Galleries

Photo courtesy of: Photos(c)Berliner Studio/BEImages

This weekend was Super Bowl Weekend, I know. However, me and football, well, not so much...I stopped watching after Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake had their now-infamous "Wardrobe Malfunction". Boy, those were the days!

Instead of going to some nacho-and-beer filled Super Bowl Pre-Party, I was invited to attend the 18TH Annual Art of Motion Picture Costume Design Exhibit Party at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising, the very school I teach at.
Where's Fergie? David Paul and Nick Verreos of Nikolaki, stand in front of the "Nine" Costumes

I always look forward to this particular exhibit since I am a big fan of movies and obviously, fashion. Also, my NIKOLAKI partner, David Paul--who holds a Masters in Costume Design from UCLA and is a member of the Motion Picture Costumers Union--has educated me A LOT on the art of Costume Design and all its nuances.
Be Italian: Colleen Atwood-designed Costumes from Nine. Costume Tidbit: One Million Swarovski crystals were used on these costumes!

The exhibit, which officially opens Tuesday February 9Th, features the costumes from four of the five Academy Award Best Costume nominated films: Bright Star; Costumes designed by Janet Paterson, Nine; Costumes designed by Colleen Atwood, the Young Victoria; Costumes designed by Sandy Powell, and The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus; Costumes designed by Monique Prudhomme. The only one not present were the costumes from Coco Before Chanel.Time Traveler: Academy Award nominated Costume Designer for The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus Monique Prudhomme and Nick Verreos

Photo courtesy of: Photos(c)Berliner Studio/BEImages

Canadian designer Monique Prudhomme was actually in attendance at the Gala last night receiving all the much-deserved praise for her Academy Award Best Costume Design Nomination. I introduced myself to her and we spoke at length on such diverse subjects as how she found one of the Corsets in the film to speaking a bit of French when one goes to France and finally we even touched on how incredibly ridiculous the hotel prices at the Vancouver Olympics are ($800 for the Best Western, I checked--trust me!).

Costume Divas: Nick Verreos, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus Costume Designer Monique Prudhomme, A Single Man Costume Designer Arianne Phillips, and Andrae Gonzalo

Photo courtesy of: Photos(c)Berliner Studio/BEImages

Also present at the party was the fabulously talented Arianne Phillips, who designed the costumes for Tom Ford's film A Single Man. I was chatting with my Season 2 Project Runway contestant-buddy, Andrae Gonzalo, when I saw Arianne and of course, I had to say "hello" and give praise to her retro-chic designs which also happen to be in the Exhibit. Arianne Retro: Arianne Phillips-designed Costumes for A Single Man

Also represented in the exhibition are costumes from Inglourious Basterds, Sherlock Holmes, Amelia, as well as Pedro Almodovar's Broken Embraces (Los Abrazos Rotos) among others. A highlight of this tableaux was the authentic Chanel gold-chain-detail black dress which Almodovar muse Penelope Cruz wore in the film.
A MUST for Trekkies around the World are the Michael Kaplan-designed costumes from Star Trek, which are also in the exhibit.
It was great seeing the furry over-sized creatures from Where The Wild Things Are. Andrae and I were fascinated by the life-like nap in the faux fur.

Victorian Couture: The Young Victoria Costumes

I especially loved seeing the stunning gowns from The Young Victoria. This display is pretty grand--mirroring the costumes. It's so interesting to see Queen Victoria in something other than what we are used to: Black, drab funeral gowns.
DO NOT miss getting up close and personal (as close as you can without a security guard escorting you out!) to these "Young Victoria" gowns. The Duchesse silk satin, the brocades, the embroideries, the cartridge pleating...Absolutely stunning!
Finally: We Are Cooking with...
the Ann Roth-designed costumes for Julie & Julia. I loved this film and couldn't wait to see them. David pulled me aside, as we got in front of these costumes and pointed out the wonderful play on proportion and length which Roth ingeniously devised to make actress Meryl Streep seem as tall as the real Julia Child, who was six foot two, thank you very much!
Check out these wedges: On the left are when she was by herself in the film. The higher and much more stacked ones (right), were the ones Streep wore when she had to stand next to her co-stars. How can I get a pair of those??

*The Art of Motion Picture Costume Design Exhibition runs from February 9Th to April 17Th at the FIDM Museum and Galleries, FIDM Downtown Los Angeles. And it's FREE and Open To The Public. Click HERE for more info.

Nick Verreos and Motion Picture Costumes!!

And The Oscars for Best Costume Design Goes To.....

Super Trouper: Nick Verreos stands by the costumes of "Mamma Mia!"

Last weekend, I was invited to the 17th Annual "Art of of Motion Picture Costume Exhibition" at the Downtown Los Angeles campus of the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising/FIDM. Of course, I had to attend! I missed last year's opening and therefore felt compelled to "make up for lost time". Also, my design partner and Vice-President of NIKOLAKI, David Paul is a member of the Motion Pictures Costumer's Union (Local 705) so he also wanted to come (finally , something he is also interested in!). As we showed up, a fabulous catered party awaited us before we even entered the exhibit (remind me again why I didn't attend last year?). Three's Company: David Paul, Raymundo Baltazar and Nick Verreos

We made the "rounds" and greeted old friends, FIDM staff and lots of Costume Designer Industry glitterati.
I was so excited to run into my Project Runway Season 2 confidante, designer Raymundo Baltazar (a graduate of FIDM) that we almost knocked some other guests over!

California Gold: Raymundo Batazar, Huell Howser and Nick Verreos

We immediately spotted LA public TV icon, Huell Howser and had to get a photo. Love him! I also said "hello" to LA designer (and fellow Islands of the World Fashion Week designer) Kevan Hall, as we posed for photos. LA Fashion Week: Designers Nick Verreos and Estevan Ramos

Trying to make my way to the "make your own mini burger bar", I also ran into fellow LA designer-- and FIDM graduate of course-- Estevan Ramos. I spotted designer (and Costume Design Legend) Bob Mackie out of the corner of my eye but was too scared to say "hello"...Batman: "The Dark Knight" Costume designed by Lindy Hemming

Finally, David and I made it into the wonderful exhibit. There are over 20 movies represented (and its Costume Designers) in this glorious exhibition that it was almost too much to take in--especially in a quick tour such as this.

Heavenly Costumes: Ann Roth's "Doubt" costumes

But I made sure to stop and see the iconic construction and dark sexiness of designer Lindy Hemming's "The Dark Knight" Batman costume as well as Ann Roth's stark and memorable costumes for "Doubt" (including those worn by Meryl Streep and Phillip Seymour Hoffman). Panier Who? Cate Blanchett's costume for "Elizabeth: The Golden Age"

Other highlights included Alexandra Byrne's 2008 Academy Award-nominated costumes for "Elizabeth: The Golden Age" as well as Ann Roth's (she's a busy woman!) "Mamma Mia!" 70's Disco costumes. Those sequined bell sleeves slayed me to (happy) tears!
There were so many others which I loved, such as "The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian", "Changeling", "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull", as well as Sandy Powell's "The Other Boleyn Girl" (above) and Jacqueline West's sublime costumes for one of my favorite movies of 2008, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button".I will definitely have to make a return trip so I can really appreciate the handwork, construction and beauty of these talented designers.I had to end my "tour" with a quick photo of one of my favorite "camp" films of the year: Mona May's (an FIDM Graduate) costumes for "The House Bunny" (above). My "gays" will be happy!