Out and About: Nick Verreos attends the Necessary Baggage Lauch Party!!!

Downtown Los Angeles Loungin'...
Last week, to take a break from 12 hours of teaching and way-too-many-hours of draping-and-making-patterns-for-Grammy-dresses, I decided to venture out in my 'hood--Downtown Los Angeles, that is... My good friend Susie Im, PR DIVA for Bebe, invited me to a fun Launch Party for a new Men's Loungewear Line, Necessary Baggage. Boxer Models: Dan Glenn, Brett Washington, Andy Bowland, Jordan Koestner

PS: Love that name! She told me that there would be male models in underwear, cocktails, hors d'oeurvres and it would be a fab location. Done and done. Posing Buddies: Designer Angelo Estrada and Model Amanda Fields (in NIKOLAKI jacket)

I decided to "drag" my good friends, Project Runway Season 3 Model Amanda Fields (who is about to leave for New York for NY Fashion Week castings!) and designer Angelo Estrada--who graduated from my Alma Mater, the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising and had just returned from China. The Launch Party was held at the Crocker Club, a former Bank Vault turned supper club. Angelo had been there before and had told me that I had to "see it to believe it". The bar/nightclub has a strict "Dress Code" and you can best believe we adhered to it. In fact, I was sporting a bow tie, dress shirt and my YSL boots, Miss Amanda wore my NIKOLAKI "Edwardian" shawl-collared fitted jackets that we sold at Nordstrom. And Angelo, well, he was GIVING: Leather half-gloves, a long gray woolen scarf, blue-black pompadour hair and some FIERCE eyeglasses. Party Guests: Susie Im, Necessary Baggage Designers Carlos Martinez and Anthony Malzone (in ties), along with Nick Verreos, Kirin Bhatty, Amanda Fields and M the Movement

Angelo was right, by the way, the club has all these different rooms, semi-private booths and a "secret" area where the vault actually was. It was pretty cool (did I just say that?). All I kept thinking was "this would be a great location for a photoshoot!". The party was packed with guests who were enjoying the informal show of half-naked male models in stylish boxers. There whole "styling theme" seemed to be vibing a Bachelor Party that had occurred HOURS ago that had dissolved into a game of Strip Poker and they were all down to their skivvies! Necessary Baggage designers Anthony Malzone and Carlos Martinez with their "muses"

I think the guests all enjoyed it --whatever the "styling mood" was. There was even a sales room set up where guests could place orders and buy the latest from Necessary Baggage. It was a nice break from my non-stop work madness.

Nick Verreos and Jeffrey Sebelia at the Downtown LA Art Walk

De-Virginized...at the "Johnny Nicoloro LA Virgin" Photo Exhibit!Family Reunion: Artist Johnny Nicoloro bonds with his cousin, Project Runway Season 3 Winner, Jeffrey Sebelia while Cassandra Church (far left) and Nick Verreos look on

Recently, David and I decided to do the Downtown Los Angeles Art Walk. Our NIKOLAKI studio is in Downtown LA but we've never done it! Yes, we were Downtown LA Art Walk "virgins". In case you didn't know, the Downtown Los Angeles Art Walk is a free event held every second Thursday in and around the Historic Core's Gallery Row neighborhood. For this one night each month, Downtown LA returns to its historic pedestrian-based culture, a vibrant scene that is itself a draw for locals and tourists seeking an authentic urban experience. We were actually invited to one of our very best friend's Art Opening/Gallery at Lot44 (a coffee house/art gallery space). Johnny Nicoloro is a fantastic photographer whom David's known for about 20 years (I know, that's a lot of crazy!). Virgin Raspados: A Johnny Nicoloro photograph

He's shot several of our NIKOLAKI fashion shows, and even did my very first head shot back in the day (can we say Goatee and puka shells?). He was having an exhibition of his most recent photographs entitled Johnny Nicoloro's LA Virgin, where he mixes statues or images of the Virgin of Guadaloupe and Virgin Mary with iconic LA symbols, from the gritty streets of the Mexican barrio to the storefronts of Rodeo Drive. Artist and Designer Friends: Johnny Nicoloro and Nick Verreos (notice the Virgin Mary Meets Dior Photograph behind us)

A coincidental side story is that Johnny Nicoloro is a cousin of Project Runway Season 3 Winner, Jeffrey Sebelia. they grew up together and in fact, Johnny baby sat him (would have loved to have been a fly on the wall for that!). Jeffrey made a "special appearance" and actually came to the show/exhibition. He had not seen Johnny in over 25 years! Vintage NIKOLAKI: A Johnny Nicoloro photograph, from NIKOLAKI 2001 fashion show

So it became a mini-family reunion! He brought along his GORGEOUS girlfriend, Cassandra Church, lead singer of Sing Orpheus, the band which Jeffrey Sebelia is also a member of (he plays bass). Cassandra (wearing a "vintage" Jeffrey Sebelia dress), and I bonded over the fact that both her and I are half-Greek and barely speak any Greek, which is close to blasphemy in the Greek community! We had a great time and really enjoyed Johnny's fabulous photographs. So proud of him! The minute I buy my first home, one of those will be going up!