Prince Albert and Charlene of Monaco Royal Wedding: The Royal Guest's Red Carpet!!!

Prince Albert and Charlene of Monaco Royal Wedding: The Royal Guest's Red Carpet!!!

Monaco COUTURE Red Carpet...

The Family...

Niece of the groom, the model-stunning Charlotte Casiraghi (seen above with her beau, Alex Dellal)--For the wedding, Charlotte wore a rose pink silk taffeta off-the-shoulder dress featuring crystal center front buttons and black satin "bow" sashes from...

Chanel Haute Couture Spring 2011

Princess Stephanie and her children, including Luis, Pauline and Camille (left to right)--Pauline wore...

Chanel Pret-a-Porter Spring 2011 blue tweed boucle with feathered hem. Pauline added a skinny belt to accent her teeny waist. By the way, I just wonder if Pauline can get to wear a $20,000 Chanel dress at only 17 years old...it's safe to assume she'll NEVER touch Zara or H&M now!

Princess Caroline of Hanover and her daughter Alexandra--Princess Caroline, a strong devotee and client of the House of Chanel (as well as very good friend of Karl Lagerfeld's), wore a rose pink drop-waist dress with sequined silk chiffon jacket from Chanel Haute Couture Custom. Naturally.

Euro Royals...

Denmark: Crown Princess Mary and Prince Frederik of Denmark--I absolutely LOVE the turquoise blue color of this front-wait tied dress on Australian-born Crown Princess Mary of Denmark. The hat is FAB-u-Lous as well!!! Ten "Nick V Fashion Pints" my dear! Well done.

Norway: Princess Mette-Marit and Prince Haakon of Norway--Princess Matte-Marit's drabby blush-colored dress is not one of my favorites I must admit. It just blends in with the rest of her--it's just too close to her own skin coloring. She should have opted from a bolder stronger color. It's a "Monaco Yawn" for me...

England: Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex and Sophie, Countess of Wessex--The Countess looks nice. But that's all I can say, really. As elegant as she can dress for events such as this, there's still something about some of the British royals (and sub-royals) that well, do not come quite close to the Princess Caroline's of the World. Somehow, they missed the "I-was-born-with-a-silver-Couture-spoon-in-my-mouth" part. However...

England: Prince and Princess Michael of Kent--This is one exception to the British Royal Family (along with Prince William and new Fashion Goddess Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge). These two are always IMPECCABLE!! And naturally so. While I have a feeling Countess Sophie would rather be in jeans and sandals, I think the Prince and Princess Michael of Kent are thoroughly comfortable in "Adult Dress Up" clothes. The Princess is the definition of class in her jewel-blue silk shantung suit with THE MOST fabulous of sleeves (and boy! Is that a Necklace, kids!). And the Prince, well, just look at him! Tailored Perfection!

Sweden: HM Carl XVI Gustaf, King of Sweden and Queen Silvia of Sweden--Queen Silvia chose a lilac-colored mini-side gathered dress with matching colored hat. She looks like a Queen should look. And once again, King Carl Gustaf forgot how to smile...

Sweden: H.R.H. Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and Prince Daniel, Duke of Vatergotland--The King and Queen of Sweden's daughter, Crown Princess Victoria is becoming quite the fashionista of Scandinavia and we see why here. I like the entire look; the sequined cap-sleeved dress is rich, impressive and still young-looking. And the matching chignon "snood" covering her hair bun is GENIUS! She gets another one of my "Nick V Royal Ten Points"...Now, her husband, once again, still looks like a Computer Analyst who was forced to put on a Morning Suit...because his wife told him so! Poor thang...

The Netherlands: Princess Maxima of the Netherlands and Willem-Alexander Prince of Orange and heir to the Dutch throne--Argentinian-born Maxima chose a bright stand-out color for the Monaco Wedding in this orange-yellow diagonally pleated dress with a raw-cut oversized flower detail at the shoulder. I'm sure the color was no accident sine in fact, it goes perfectly with her husband's sash.

Luxembourg: Cuban-born Maria Teresa Grand Duchess of Luxembourg and Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg--Maria Teresa chose a nude side gathered crepe dress and stunning sequined cropped jacket. She does look much better than what she wore to the "William and Kate" wedding--yet still, she is having some wrinkling issues...

Belgium: Italian-born H.R.H. Queen Paola of Belgium and King Albert II of Belgium--The Queen is wearing Armani Prive Custom hand-beaded degrade cocktail dress, and taupe jacket with sequined edge trim.

Belgium: Princess Mathilde Duchess of Brabant and Prince Philippe Duke of Brabant--He is the eldest son of the King and Queen of Belgium (previous photo). Princess Mathilde is also wearing Armani Prive Custom, a violet princess-seamed sheath dress with attached capelet...

Inspired from this Armani Prive Spring 2011 look above. The Princess, of course, had it customized to her specific design standards and choosing. That's what one can do when A) You're a Princess, and B) Can afford a $40,000 Couture Suit.

Italy: Emanuele Filiberto, Prince of Venice and Piedmont, heir of Vittorio Emanuele Prince of Naples, and his wife French actress Clotilde Courau--Love her bright coral organza ruffle accented sheath dress by Giambattista Valli.

France: Madrid-born H.R.H. Louis Alphonse de Bourbon, Duke of Anjou and claimant to the French throne and his Venezuelan-born wife Maria Margarita Vargas Santaella...

Who wore a design from fellow Venezuelan-born American designer Carolina Herrera and her Pre-Fall 2011 Collection.

Russia: H.I.H.Grand Duchess Maria of Russia--DIVA with a Capital "D"--I absolutely LOVE this woman!!! Babushka Who???? Nope, not so much. She looks IMPERIAL in this flower-printed caftan-and-dress ensemble with a matching Kokoshnik (headdress). Something tells me I would find Maria, the Grand Duchess, at the Vodka Bar, having a gay old time!!!

Persia/Iran: Her Imperial Majesty Empress Farah Pahlavi--always one of the Best Dressed women in the World, impeccable style, refined elegance, as seen here in this lemon suit with satin piping and box-pleated skirt. The Turban-scarf is so Sheikha Mozah of Qatar by the way!

Morocco: Rome-born Princess Lalla Meryem, the eldest daughter and child of the late King Hassan II if Morocco and her daughter Princess Lalla Soukaina--both went the "traditional Moroccan dress" route wearing stunning takchita. The mother's (left) is of course, the most elaborate of the two while the daughter's is more "subdued" and understated.

Thailand: Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana of Thailand--looking beautiful and very chic in a traditional Thai dress--albeit, a very COUTURE version of one. Here's some DISH: After the divorce of her mother, she moved to United Kingdom with her mother and siblings. However, she later was taken by her father from England and brought back to Thailand. Besides the fact that she comes from one of the wealthiest Royal Houses in the World, she also studied Fashion and Textile and is an aspiring fashion designer and has shown collections in Bangkok and Paris fashion weeks.

Stay tuned for Fashion "Royals" at the Prince Albert and Charlene Royal Wedding in the next post...

How To Wear A Black Dress Casually - Tips For Women

How To Wear A Black Dress Casually - Tips For Women

A little black dress can by ultra-sexy.

A little black dress doesn't have to be basic! pretty details like lace, cutouts, sheer panels and strappy necklines can turn a little black dress into a serious statement.

Wear a statement coat with your little black dress.

Let your outerwear do the talking, and try wearing a statement coat with your little black dress.

 

Add a Jacket to Your Little Black Dress.

An easy way to make your cocktail dress a little edgier is by adding a jacket.

Wear Nude Shoes with a Little Black Dress.

Want to make your legs look miles long? Wear nude shoes with your little black dress,. This is a great trick to keep in mind for weddings and special events where you can rock bare legs and you know you'll be having your photo taken.

Wear your little black dress with black tights this winter.

When the chill of winter sets in, a pair of black tights are a woman's best friend. We love the streamlined look of a pair of black tights worn with your favorite little black dress this time of year. This sleek look is perfect for holiday parties and the office—and can be equally dressed up or down for day and night.

Flaunt your curves in a tight little black dress.

If you've got curves—whether they're from a baby bump or just good genes—they will always look amazing in a fitted black dress.

 

A little black dress can go below your knees!

The constraints on just what defines a 'little black dress' have become increasingly wider as fashion itself has become more inclusive. A shiny midi dress like this is still very much an LBD in our book—just an unusual and unique one. We love this daring neckline and pleated skirt combination because it's equal parts 

Try a little (lace) black dress.

Little black lace dresses are perhaps our favorite take on this iconic frock. Lace adds an element of femininity and whimsy, which we love. There are plenty of ways you can dress a lace dress up

Nick Appearance Minute: My Recap of Fashion's Night Out at Lord & Taylor in NYC!!

Nick Appearance Minute: My Recap of Fashion's Night Out at Lord & Taylor in NYC!!

FNO Fab!

XOXO, Nick Verreos: Nick Verreos signing autographs at Lord & taylor's Project Runway Fashion's Night Out 2012 event

Last week, as you may know, I was in NYC for various Project Runway/NY Fashion Week/Fashion's Night Out (FNO) events, activities and parties. In one of my recent posts here on my nickverreos.com blog, I gave a fun (or at least I thought it was fun!) RECAP of the Project Runway 10th Anniversary Party at Lord & Taylor to celebrate ten seasons (Oh Lord, I feel like a Project Runway Grandpa!) of the show. It was a very VIP event and a great Reunion of past contestants/designers---but without the DRAMA and stress of those sometimes not-so-nice televised Project Runway Reunions (Yeay!).

Make It Work FNO: Lord & Taylor Fashion's Night Out Celebrates Project Runway 10th Anniversary

The following evening on Fashion's Night Out Thursday, I was invited by the Weinstein Company--Co-Producers of Project Runway--to be part of the Lord & Taylor Fashion's Night Out Project Runway event.

Nick Verreos with Lord & Taylor President Bonnie Brooks--Lord & Taylor Project Runway Fashion's Night Out 2012 event

The store was having many, many different events and celebrities that night--including the one-and-only Miss Kim Kardashian who was there autographing her new fragrance, as well as my new best friend, Olympic Gold Medalist Kristi Yamaguchi, who was doing a Meet-and-Greet autograph session for her new activewear line.

The Dress Address: Project Runway 10th Anniversary Dress Collection at Lord & Taylor Fifth Avenue Flagship

So, in addition to all that, Lord & Taylor thought it would be fun to have it's FNO shoppers get to meet various Project Runway Designers and SHOP the exclusive ten-piece Project Runway Dress Collection--one of which included MY fabulous design (Hello!!).

Nick Verreos Dress design for the Project Runway Dress Collection at Lord & Taylor

Since my dress was a cobalt blue color, I also decided to give COLOR, in terms of my outfit for the night bringing out my favorite (and only) teal blue blazer, striped bow tie and purple pocket handkerchief.



The Event:

I'm a Big Fan: Nick Verreos--Lord & Taylor Project Runway Fashion's Night Out 2012 event

From the very moment I stepped into the 2nd floor--where the Project Runway FNO event was happening--it was a sea of people--all fans of Project Runway--lots of young girls, their mommies (love the mommies!), fashionista boys, and anything in between! It was just THE CUTEST!! So many people---kept coming up to me "OMG! You were my FAVORITE...I really LOVED your Barbie dress!" and so on...it was very endearing to say the least.

Oooh I see a Crown: Nick Verreos spots a beauty pageant fan in the audience--Lord & Taylor Project Runway Fashion's Night Out 2012 event

For the next four + hours, I NEVER stopped posing for photos, signing t-shirts, bags...it was madness...and I LOVED IT! I was schvitzing (as you can imagine) and at one point, I had my own personal forehead wiper--this lovely Project Runway fan (a mommie, of course) who made sure I was "semi-matte" throughout it all. Thank you darling!

Queen For a Day: Nick Verreos with "Jr. Teen Miss New York American Coed" --she was SOOOO CUTE!!! She even pretended to crown me! I'm sure there are photos or video of that somewhere...Lord & Taylor Project Runway Fashion's Night Out 2012 event

Season 10 Designers Get all Arts and Crafty at Lord & Taylor:

Markers + T-shirts = Make It Work: Nathan Paul and Alicia Hardesty (foreground) --designers/contestants of Season 10 Project Runway creating original t-shirts for Fashion's Night Out 2012 customers at Lord & Taylor

While I was on the 2nd floor spending many hours taking photos, signing autographs and DISHING on Project Runway with fans...this season's designers were on another floor of the expansive Lord & Taylor Fifth Avenue Flagship, creating original t-shirts for the FNO customers. My NIKOLAKI design partner--David Paul--was kind enough to take a break from taking pics of me--to go see what else was happening and got some fun shots:

What Would You Like Me To Draw: (Left to right) Lantie Foster, Alicia Hardesty and Nathan Paul, designers/contestants of Season 10 Project Runway making original t-shirts for the Lord & Taylor Fashion's Night Out 2012 crowd

Fuzzy T: Season 10 designer/contestant Kooan Kosuke--Lord & Taylor Project Runway Fashion's Night Out 2012 event

Now, back to the 2nd Floor and some fun Project Runway Alumn Photos:

Alumn Party: (Left to right) Nick Verreos, Uli Hezner (Season 3 Finalist), Mondo
Guerra (Season 8 Finalist, Season 1 All Stars Winner), Gordana
Gehlhausen (Season 6), and Valerie Mayen (Season 8)--Lord & Taylor
Project Runway Fashion's Night Out 2012event

Black vs. Prints: Nick Verreos with (Left to right) Bert Keeter (Season 9) and Gordana Gehlhausen (Season 6 and Season 1 All Stars)--Lord & Taylor Project Runway Fashion's Night Out 2012 event

Season 2 Divas: Nick Verreos with Season 2 Winner--the WONDERFUL Chloe Dao: It was so much fun to see Miss Chloe. I just LOVE her--Lord & Taylor Project Runway Fashion's Night Out 2012 event

 

Fifth Avenue Sidewalk Posing: Project Runway Season 2 Winner Chloe Dao and Nick Verreos

Because I just couldn't get enough of her, after the Lord & Taylor FNO event, we actually went to Pastis Restaurant in the Meatpacking District and had cocktails and a very very delicious dinner!

Bedazzled: Nick Verreos with JS Collections/JS Group Designer Henry Picado (in charge of our "Project Runway Dress Collection", to my right) with his design team, stylist and beautiful fit model (far left)--Lord & Taylor Project Runway Fashion's Night Out 2012 event

Oh and Look!! An FNO customer (yes, another Project Runway fan/mommie!) actually put on my 10th Anniversary Project Runway Collection Dress and modeled it:

Mykonos Blue Diva: Nick Verreos with customer wearing his"Nick Verreos Dress Design" from the Project Runway 10th Anniversary Dress Collection--available exclusively at Lord & Taylor

Family Chic: My NIKOLAKI design--and life partner--David Paul and I invited his half-sister--Andrea Paul (who happens to live in NYC and attend NYU) to come and enjoy the Lord & Tayor Fashion's Night Out festivities and support my appearance--Needless to say she had a BLAST! We were very happy to see her (and she looked so cute in her chic and very Marc Jacobs Spring 2013 pixie hair cut and styling!).



It was a fun Project Runway Fashion's Night Out event and I was happy to be part of it and more importantly--very happy to have met each and every on of the mommies, gorgeous girls and fab fashionista boys--who took the time to come to the 2nd Floor and get a little piece of "Project Runway". Just the fact that you even wanted to take a pic with me...well, "done and done" as they say. Thank You!!!