MAS Magazine / 4 - 20 - 2007

Presorted Standard US Postage Paid Mercado Nuevo

APRIL 20, 2007 Volume 2, Issue 32

www.masbakersfield.com P.0. BOX 2344, Bakersfield, Ca 93303

C U LT U R E • P R I D E • C O M M U N I T Y

Local Expo brings ‘Project Runway’ star Folklórico Fest steps in

MÁS

Contents COVER STORY

‘Project Runway’ designer making it work in Bakersfield

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ON THE WEB

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CULTURA

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GENTE

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From video footage to audio clips, even a newscast, MÁS is ‘On the Web’

Escuelas Unidas to showcase cultural dance talents

Big birthday bash for Dolores Huerta; Battle of the Badges for local cops

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VIDA

Golden gloves, golden opportunity for young, amateur boxers

LATINOAMERICA Cuzco — at the center of the Incas

ENTERTAINMENT In the Mixx with Noe G.

ENTERTAINMENT Test your puzzle skills!

CLASSIFIEDS Buy, sell and hire

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10

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Did You Know?

General Manager

Delia Carson dcarson@masbakersfield.com 716-8632

Kern Hispanics and volunteer work

Managing Editor

Olivia Garcia

Participated in volunteer work in the past 12 months:

ogarcia@masbakersfield.com 716-8644

10%

Cover photo: Robert Kazandjian

All Kern adults 12%

15%

19%

20%

5%

Kern Hispanic adults

0% Source: Scarborough Research, 2006

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April 20, 2007

MÁS

Editorial / Advertising 716-8640

Más is a new weekly magazine focused on Hispanic people, style, culture and issues in Kern County. Más is a publication of Mercado Nuevo, LLC, a subsidiary of The Bakersfield Californian.The Más name and logo design are trademarks of Mercado Nuevo and cannot be used without the company’s permission. For questions or for more information about Más or other publications of Mercado Nuevo, contact us: Mercado Nuevo LLC P.O. Box 2344 Bakersfield, CA 93303; (661) 716-8640 www.mercadonuevocorp.com or masbakersfield.com

C OV E R

STO RY

Making it work Nick Verreos of hit reality show ‘Project Runway’ to share his fashion expertise at Bakersfield event

By Matt Muñoz MÁS staff

F

ashion designer and former reality TV star Nick Verreos understands the power of “personality.”

Most memorable as a competitor on the second season of the Bravo TV reality show, “Project Runway,” the LA-based designer now continues on the catwalk of success in a variety of roles, including teacher and fashion insider — and he plans to share some of that expertise during a visit to Bakersfield April 28.

Verreos said he looks forward to dishing about his experience on “Project Runway,” which will air its fourth season in the fall, and give advice to aspiring fashion designers as part of the Unique Image Design’s “Look & Feel Your Best Expo,” noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, April 28, at the Rabobank Convention Center.

“I’ll be talking about the realities of the industry and giving a lot of information you won’t get

anywhere else,” he said.

Except maybe what you saw during his stint on “Project Runway.”

Verreos became an instant hit during the second season’s run with his irresistible fashion flair and magnetic personality, that made him a standout against other castmates. Verreos made it to the fifth round of competition before being eliminated.

But, like other reality stars, “Project Runway” landed Verreos numerous opportunities, including a gig as a 2006 Winter Olympic “fashion” commentator in Torino, Italy during the figure-skating competitions.

“I was like, ‘Are you kidding me? You want me to talk about figure skating costumes?’ ” he said.

And the offers kept coming.

Verreos landed a contract with Windsor dresses to design a prom dress line bearing his name, as well as a request from Desperate Housewives’ actress, Brenda Strong, who needed a gown for the Screen Actors Guild Awards red carpet.

Continued on page 13

COURTESY OF NICK VERREOS AND MARK OBERLIN (BLACK GOWN PHOTO)

Nick Verreos’ clothing line, Nikolaki Design, highlights different colors and dress styles for women.

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Continued from page 12

school.

“I had a feeling that fashion wouldn’t be a real job, and that I might not make my Greek dad proud,” he said. “As it was, I was completely wrong about that.”

Driven, but suppressing his true passion, Verreos’ successfully completed a degree in political science from UCLA in 1991. Verreos laughs at how the topics of most of his conversations never matched the curriculum during college studies.

“I would be at my atmospheric science class at UCLA, and I would be discussing whole couture collections, and my friends would turn to me and say, ‘Umm, Nick, maybe you’re in the wrong school.’ ” He was. After college, Verreos finally gave in to his first love, immediately enrolling in fashion school at FIDM, one of the top fashion schools in LA. “The fashion institute had a special one-year program for those with a degree that was very intense,” he said. “I knew art and how to sketch, but where I lacked was in technical skills. I had no experience

Not bad for a man who spent his childhood traveling the world with his U.S. State Department diplomat/Greek-American father and Venezuelan mother and sketching art along the way.

“Ever since I was young, I was always sketching,” said the 40-year-old, politically-conscious fashionista. “Growing up, we were always traveling, and I just drew airplanes. I was 4-years-old, and my mom has all the sketchbooks to prove it.”

His bicultural background has also kept him in tune with designing wares that accentuate a classic size-2 waif runway model to a fuller, curvier Latina and Greek woman, who want to see themselves in a Nikolaki design — Verreos’ clothing line.

“I think about that when I design a lot of my garments and dresses because I’ve worked with a lot of body types, and I’m a good listener,” said Verreos, who is currently teaching classes at the prestigious Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles (FIDM). “I always get asked about sizes for bigger girls. I can make them, but it’s up to the stores to buy them. It’s not our fault.”

Verreos is the oldest of two siblings. His sister, Rita, is a former Miss Venezuela pageant finalist.

Spending a good portion of his life “(Being raised in Caracas, in the air, aboard planes, he vividly remembers his earliest childhood Venezuela) really made an fashion project: flight attendant uniimpression and has taken forms.

“I would literally sit for hours on a hold of who I am.” my bed, with my sketchbook and pen— Nick Verreos cil, and draw uniform collections for every airline … Pan Am, TWA,” he said. “It was late ‘70s, early ‘80s, so, of in sewing and the construction of the course, they would be modernized.” garments.”

Adding with a laugh, “but I don’t Honing the craft that would help think they could be serving dinner in make him a future in fashion, Verreos the outfits that I put my flying divas graduated from FIDM in 1993, having in.” mild success as a new face on the Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Verrescene. Making trips to Switzerland os spent his formative years in Caraand Paris to study the blueprint techcas, Venezuela, attending Catholic niques of international design, he school, growing up among other govthen returned to LA, learning the ernment stationed families, and ropes as a design assistant, pattern becoming enriched with colorful maker, draper, stylist and eventually Mediterranean culture. his own line.

“My earliest memories are how “It wasn’t until 2001 that I decided beautiful Caracas was to me, and how to start my own line of clothing, Nikolucky I was to be raised there,” he Nick at age 9 in Caracas. laki, which means ‘Little Nick,’ in said. “It really made an impression Greek,” he said.

“As anxious as I was and has taken a hold of who I am.” after school, I didn’t want to start my Traditions celebrated with his famown line. Some of the students that I graduated with ily are among some of his fondest memories. did it, and they failed to a year later. That was just a “I remember all the piñata parties that my mom catalyst to wait.” would throw. When I hear the cuatro (a guitar That patience paid off when a show by Bravo TV familiar in Carribean music,) and the traditional called “Project Runway” debuted in 2004, becomVenezuelan folk songs, I get nostalgic,” he said. “I ing a huge hit all over the world. Verreos recalls even get tear-eyed every time I hear the Venezueseeing the show for the first time, and being skeptilan national anthem.” cal about the competition.

Enjoying the privileges of life in the diplomatic “I watched the first season, and to my surprise, corps during the pre-Hugo Chavez presidential era, they did it right,” he said. “I didn’t think I was one thinking outside the box for young minds was of those people on the show, but I started getting encouraged, but as the political climate became calls from magazine editors and people in the stormy in Venezuela, Verreos’ father brought the industry that said I would be perfect for this.” family back to the states and life in San Francisco So he went for it. when Verreos was 10 years-old.

“I auditioned for ‘Project Runway’ as a dare,” he “I think my dad could see what was brewing said.

“I told the producers that I’ve been raising my politically, but he also felt we were ready to have an hand for awhile and it shouldn’t take for me to be on American upbringing,” he said. “Not to get politithe show for people to know that I’m good, but I was cal, but I guess I am. I have been back many times, getting lost in a sea of high-end collections that and it’s sad to see how the poverty has gotten worse, have money.” knowing how much oil wealth is in the country.”

When asked about his design inspiration, he With a keen sense of international politics looks no further than his family. through his father’s nurturing, Verreos’ interest in “My sister, Rita, is one muse I have,” he said. “I art continued to evolve as well. However, for a boy just think of a sexy, confident, Mediterranean in a Greek / Latino household, he didn’t feel confiwoman with a tan, and just gorgeous.” dent enough to express his desire to pursue fashion

Meet Nick Verreos from “Project Runway” ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■

Unique Image Design’s “Look & Feel Your Best Expo” When: Noon to 5 p.m., Saturday, April 28 Where: Rabobank Convention Center Cost: $10 For more info: (661) 327-7299 Web: -www.uniqueimagedesign.com

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Nick Verreos and his sister, Rita, at the Miss Universe Pageant 2006. Rita is wearing a gown designed by Verreos.

COURTESY OF NICK VERREOS

Nick Verreos’ sister, Rita, with her children, Casia and Alain.

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