Nick Verreos on Style Network's "Style Star": Renee Zellweger and Anne Hathaway

Renee and Anne: Hollywood Style Muses!!!

Nick & Renee: Nick Verreos on Style Network's "Style Star: Renee Zellweger and Anne Hathaway"

This Oscars Weekend (on Saturday night to be exact) a new "Style Star" episode of which I am one of the featured style experts--premiered on the Style Network. This time around, the Style DIVAS were actresses Renee Zellweger and Anne Hathaway--yes, Miss Anne, co-host of Sunday's 83rd Academy Awards!! (how timely!).

Polished to perfection, Renee and Anne have perfected their always-flawless fashion sense and dress to impress with clean lines and classic silhouettes. These two ladies know their fashion, are Sample Size perfect and well, have become muses for fashion designers and some fashionistas alike...

Of course, we discussed Renne Zellweger in this stunning Vintage Jean Dessès yellow silk chiffon strapless gown which really put her "On the Red Carpet Map" at the Oscars back in 2001 and also discussed...

Her "Muse" relationship with Venezuelan-born/American Designer Carolina Herrrera.

And then there's Miss Anne Hathaway. Ever since 2006's "The Devil Wears Prada", she has become THE Fashion Girl. Haute Couture should be her two middle names! Armani Prive? (above) Check. Versace Atelier? Check...

Marchesa? (above) Check. Valentino Haute Couture? Check. And, as we saw last night at the Oscars, she continued her tradition of being THE girl to Dress if you are a Fashion Designer: She changed a dress every 23.875 minutes. We love you Miss Anne!!!

*In case you missed the episode, it airs again Tuesday March 1st 8AM... *Click HERE for all other airing times and dates.

Paris Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2011 Fashion Week: Armani Privé

Space-Age Fantastic!

Ladies Who Lunch...In A Spaceship: Aquamarine Suit ensemble, Armani Privé Spring 2011

Spring 2011 Haute Couture is off and running...Next is the Armani Privé--the Haute Couture "arm" of the Armani Fashion Empire--show. I do not think I need to remind you that these are Made-to-Order/One-of-a-Kind items of clothing. This is NOT ready-to-wear or something that will be sold in the Armani stores. Each suit can cost--if the client orders--approximately $40,000. Yes, that's FIVE figures for a suit. And a gown...well, as the old adage says: If you have to ask, you CAN'T afford it ($50,000 and WAY up, kids). Stars who wear these to the Oscars, per se, get it for free (free advertising, HELLO!), but a very wealthy woman, from Kuwait for example, well, the funds are transferred straight from their Swiss Accounts into the Armani Privé offices.

Now let's get to what Armani Privé showed for this season:

Seriously, Where's My Chauffeur? Apple green and white skinny pant ensemble, Armani Privé Spring 2011

Trends: Strapless, tunic dresses, dresses, gowns; iridescent silks (silk organza with metal); super-skinny pants under dresses; Saucer hats; 60's influence; fitted gowns; Colors: Aquamarine, turquoise, apple green, lipstick red, violet and purple, ivory.

Courrèges Girls: Suits from André Courrèges, 1960's

Themes: Pierre Cardin-meets-Courrèges -meets-Paco Rabanne, Space-Age, SHINE, Lady Gaga and "Tron" Collide.

Fashion Encounter of the Couture Kind: Pierre Cardin fashions, 1960's

Style.com's Tim Blanks said this: Inspired, he said, by the gleam of gemstones, Armani produced clothes that came from another planet, the same one that Pierre Cardin and Thierry Mugler might have touched down on once. (It's already been suggested its name could be Gaga.) The first outfit—jacket, skirt, and leggings—shimmered around the model's body like liquid mercury. Her metallic saucer of a hat—one of many made by Philip Treacy for the collection—beamed in signals from above. The ensemble set the tone for the sci-fi extravaganza that followed.

Here are Some Highlights:

Where's My Lunch Reservation: Navy blue skinny trouser suit with over-lapped jacket, contrast white sleeve and asymmetrical neck detail, Armani Privé Spring 2011

Paco Rabanne Is Smiling: Over-sized Paillette Crystal strapless gown, Armani Privé Spring 2011

Oscar Girl: This is probably the gown we might see at the Academy Awards Red Carpet, red silk iridescent metalized organza off-the-shoulder fitted gown, Armani Privé Spring 2011

Click Below for an edited version of the Armani Prive Spring/Summer 2011 Collection:

I love a good "behind the scenes" video...
This one below is of the Armani Privé fittings; you get to see some close-up shots of the amazing fabrications and all those GREAT accessories:

68th Annual Golden Globe Awards Fashion: Who Wore What? Anne Hathaway in Armani Prive Fall/Winter 2010

Sleeves, covered shoulders, all-over beading, and a 70's Disco Vibe. Note those. Why? FOUR DEFINITE Red Carpet Trends.

Here the beautiful Anne Hathaway hits ALL of them in one dress by Armani Prive Fall/Winter 2010. Armani Prive is the Haute Couture "arm" of Designer Girogio Armani in case you didn't know. In other words, if you wanted to actually order and purchase this made-to-measure sequined gown, it would run you about $100,000. I like the shape and the twisted-draped sleeves but I'm not sure if that blushed copper color works on Anne. Although it helped that she had a major plunging back to the very covered front. What do you think?

62nd Primetime Emmy Awards: Who Wore What?: Claire Danes in Armani Prive

Armani Prive scores high with Claire Danes. It's a strapless--fitted to an inch of her life-- golden creme "Siren" gown with a dramatic train (of course!) from his Fall 2010 Couture line as seen on Supermodel Carmen Kass on the right. The gown looks simple enough but trust me, there's a corset built inside that would rival any from the Marie Antoinette days! It is just so crazy to me that whereas before, Haute Couture (gowns costing from $50,000 to $150,000 EACH!) were reserved just for the Oscars, now the Paris Haute Couture Fashion Houses are "expanding" their Awards Show PR Network and lending these for Emmys, Golden Globes and even (gasp!) the Grammys!

Paris Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2010: Chanel and Armani Prive

The Lion King...and (wait for it!) Old Hollywood is BACK!
Roar: The Giant Lion at Chanel Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2010/11 Runway show

Karl Lagerfeld and Co. just showed the Chanel Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2010/11 Collection in Paris and from the looks of it, it was business as usual--in terms of it being a Fashion Spectacle. What a quilted leather bag and perfume can buy you kiddies! In this case: A HUGE fashion show! And A TON of Young Hollywood. Front Row: Vanity Fair Fashion and Style Director Michael Roberts , NY Times' Cathy Horyn, Allure Editor-in-Chief Linda Wells (great pumps!), Suzy Menkes and actress Leighton Meester

Instead of HUGE quilted Chanel No. 5 Bottles (like last Haute Couture F/W Fashion Week), Lagerfeld filled up the Grand Palais stage with an immense lion. No, not because he was inspired by Disney's "Beauty and The Beast" or "The Lion King", but it represented the Leo in Coco Chanel. The show even ended with a Lion-headed male model escorting his stunning Chanel Couture-clad beauty (above). In terms of fashion, it was all VERY Fall: Maroon, deep reds, camel, heavy tweeds, wools and fur. Real fur darling, it's COUTURE.
A lot of his looks played with varying proportions: Cropped 3/4 sleeved tweed jackets with blouson-long sleeved blouses and below-the-knee gored skirts. Very Couture Dowdy. Not sure how front-row attendee Leighton Meester would look wearing this above ensemble, but if she wants, she would totally end up on the FugGirls site in a hot minute!For evening, Lagerfeld showed No Gowns (gasp!), but instead, elegant lady-like full-skirted calf-length ensembles like this fire-red satin one above, as well as...Heavily beaded shift chemises with matching cropped jackets. Love those Couture Booties! The House of Chanel isn't necessarily known for the gowns. Look elsewhere for that all you multi-millionaire Debutantes.

Click Below for Chanel Haute Couture F/W 2010 Runway Edit Video:


Armani Prive:Copper Pleating: Armani Prive F/W 2010/11

Giorgio Armani has always been the go-to Designer for Hollywood. It's been a love affair since his "American Gigolo" days in the early 1980s if not before. In fact, it has been argued that he was the first "non-Hollywood" fashion designer to infiltrate the Awards Show Red Carpet. For this Haute Couture season , he payed homage to his love of "Old Hollywood" and he had PLENTY of gowns for those Couture clients missing something after leaving the no-Gown Chanel runway show. Kass Sequins: Supermodel Carmen Kass, Armani Prive Haute Couture F/W 2010/11

It was all about Lauren Bacall-meets-Carole Lombard with a little bit of Sharon Tate-esque hair thrown in. The colors reflected the intended season: Lots of camel, bronze and Winter Whites. Thick tweeds, duchesse satins and LOTS of crystals...As in sequined "Siren" gowns worthy of any "Jessica Rabbit" in the room...or a future Academy Award-nominated actress. I have a feeling we'll be seeing some of these gowns come next February. His gowns and suitings had interesting pleating detail as well as a continued interest in the shoulder as seen above and below:
Razor Sharp: The Armani Prive Shoulder

So, if you don't have an Academy Awards to attend and actually can pay for an original Armani Prive Haute Couture ensemble, you might want to go for this day-suit above. NO ONE, and I really mean NO ONE, will EVER question your authority in this. They better not. It's worth the price of a BMW!

Click Below For Armani Prive F/W 2010 Edit Runway Video:

2010 Tony Awards Red Crapet: Nick Verreos "sizes" the FASHION Up!

Theater FASHION Queen...2010 Tony Awards Co-Host Kristin Chenoweth in Tony Ward Couture

OK, I admit it, I am a "Theater Queen"!! I love me some Musicals, Broadway and the Plays! Well, my partner David, who was an Undergrad at UCLA majoring in Theater has really exposed me to this world, and let's just say, I have grown to respect and enjoy "the Theater"....with a Capital "T". This year's 2010 Tony Awards had it's moments:
What was up with that kiss between Sean Hayes and Kristin Chenoweth? It was cute when Will and Grace co-star Megan Mullally did it...but kinda nasty this time with Kristin...just sayin'. And of course, it was great seeing Miss Raquel Welch (above) in all her--to steal a line from Project Runway Season 4 Winner Christian Siriano, "Hot Tranny Mess", in a fabulous way of course. I expected nothing short of that from a DIVA like her. I still, was waiting for that "Chita Rivera-meets-Liza Minelli-Tony Award Moment", so alas I was disappointed. But not in terms of the Red Carpet Fashion:
My Best Dressed was Miss Dolce & Gabbana Make-Up Spokesperson and actress Scarlet Johansson, who actually DID NOT wear Dolce & Gabbana (is their a loop-hole in that multi-million dollar contract?) and wore...a gorgeous Elie Saab matte paillette siren gown from his Fall 2010 Pret-A-Porter Collection... as seen above; it reminded me of a gown I designed last year for my NIKOLAKI Spring 2009 Collection:
Black Matte Paillette One Shoulder Gown, NIKOLAKI, worn by Lisa Blades
Another "Nick V Fave" was Glee's Lea Michele in a Orange-Yellow silk Zac Posen creation. She looked great, lots of drama but not overwhelming like that Oscar de la Renta ball gown she wore at the 2010 Golden Globes.
I also loved Cate Blanchett's silver-gray Armani Prive suit. This is COUTURE darlings, as seen above on model Kim Noorda...all $30,000 worth of it! (Well, Cate didn't pay a dime kiddies) but I respect and honor the fact that Miss Cate gave them COUTURE--and looked great in it! Notice how it was changed slightly for Cate: No Half-moon Brooch/fastening and the break-point (yes, I'm throwing out Fashion Terminology kids!) of the jacket was raised.
Catherine Zeta-Jones--who was a big winner last night, looked incredibly elegant in her Versace Atelier powder blue gown.I also loved Lucy Liu in Marchesa, but Katie Holmes was a miss in Armani Prive (what's with that too-short length, was there a FLOOD in NYC that night?) and Naomi Watts looked incredibly chic in RM by Roland Mouret, although her Hair and Make-up did not live up to her overall look (above). She looked as if she just finished 30 minutes on the tread mill!I was "on the fence" with Jada Pinkett-Smith and her organza blood-red Marchesa cocktail dress. Her body is RIDUNCULOUS!!! Seriously. But the dress was a bit Rose-Petals-Swallowing-Her. I should just be happy she didn't wear this Marchesa concoction:Paula Abdul, who , well, how shall I say this....usually doesn't make the "Best Dressed" List, looked great in this Tony Ward Couture mermaid-shaped embroidered gown. Tony Ward, in case you were wondering, is a Lebanese Designer who is based in Rome--not Madonna's boy-toy-photographer-model cutie.
In terms of the WORST: Bless her heart, Linda Lavin just shot up to the top in this copper taffeta suit a Mother-of-The-Bride from New Jersey would think was cute. Maybe cute for your daughter's wedding but NOT for the Tony Awards.
Finally, let me give it up to the boys: Glee's hottie professor, actor Matthew Morrison, took the "Best Dressed Male" prize for me. Very handsomessssssss!
Well, kiddies, that's it for my Tony Awards Red Carpet "Nick V" Showdown...until next time...

Lady Gaga Moonwalks the Grammys

Looks like Lady Gaga's red carpet Grammy look took a cue from Giorgio Armani's moon-inspired 2010 couture line this week in Paris - except for the small fact that Mr. Armani designed the frock especiialy for Gaga.

"I am honored to be wearing Armani this evening," she said in a statement to Us. "The series of pieces Mr. Armani created for me are truly iconic; they represent not only beautiful fashion, but my spirit and essence as an artist. Mr. Armani is a fashion legend, and tonight would not have been the same without his touch, and his wonderful team."

Jewelry, well, is all a part of the dress but I'm keeping my eyes glued to the screen for costume jewels to match her duet partner - Elton John - during the show. Stay tuned!

Nick Verreos Looks at 2010 Spring/Summer Paris Haute Couture: Runway Videos!

COUTURE DAHHHLING!!!!!!
Sarah Palin Couture: Belorusian model Olga Sherer in her "Going Huntin' " ensemble

This season, John Galliano was inspired by Charles James, Standard Oil Heiress Millicent Rodgers, Dressage and the Turn-of-the-Century Gibson Girl. It was VERY old-school Dior; Monsieur Dior would have proud (I think). The show began with 1900's Equestrian suiting that if they were made several years back, would have end up in a W Magazine spread featuring Madonna and her estate in England. Lots of folding, pleating and Galliano continued his obsession with the full-front/fitted back look reminiscent of his "Egypt/Pharoah Dior Haute Couture Collection" back in 2004.A Met Couture Exhibit: Polish Runway Supermodel Magdalena Frackowiak looking like something out of a John Singer Sergent Painting

The collection seemed to be stuck on this "Equestrian Costume Diva" theme for a while until the full gowns came forth. They were marvelous in their technical mastery, draping and UBER femininity. The final gown, worn by Brazilian model Goddess Thana Kuhnen was VERY inspired by... the 1949 Dior "Junon" Gown. The petal scallop shaped hem and the delicate crystal beading were a definite homage. Click below to see the entire runway show:

Christian Dior Spring/Summer 2010 Haute Couture--
Part 1


Christian Dior Spring/Summer 2010 Haute Couture--
Part 2

Chanel Haute Couture: Love, Live, Silk Charmeuse...and Bermuda (Shorts)!For his Spring/Summer Haute Couture 2010 Chanel Collection, Karl Lagerfeld sent out heart-shaped hair with over-sized bows, fitted Bermuda shorts with the iconic Chanel jackets and lots of silk charmeuse/silk-back crepe. Asymmetrical cowl draping, lot of bias-cut, and hand-applied crystal embroidery throughout. Can't wait to see Chloe Sevigny try and work one of these $45,000 hand-made wonders in an upcoming Awards Show. I'm not so sure if any of Lagerfeld's jet-setting clients would go for the shorts-suit look but those silk charmeuse side cowl gowns are A MUST!!!!
Chanel Spring/Summer 2010 Haute Couture--Preview

Armani Prive: Over the "Moon" with Curviform!I honestly think this was one of Armani's best Prive Collections. I have been following all of his Haute Couture shows, season after season. And it has been very "hit-and-miss". Editors are somehow afraid to just come out and say it, but... some of his last collections have been a MESS: Tricky Hair, trickier draping, a bit too "dated" and 80's...and not in a good way. BUT... this Spring 2010 Prive Collection was TRES CHIC! One of his best. At least in my humble opinion. There was a Moon Theme, using half-moon Mother-of-Pearl brooches and curved shapes throughout.It was all about under-stiffening, buckram-backed ruffles and flutters. With all that, it was still 100 % romantic, feminine and Boy, I could see half of it at the Academy Awards! Speaking of Oscars, when I saw this gown above, all I could think of was actress Tilda Swinton. I know she's a fan of Viktor and Rolf and the more Avant-Garde designers but this off-the-shoulder stiffened neckline ivory princess-seamed Gown is SO HER!!!
Armani Prive 2010 Spring/Summer: Preview