sexiest full

I am so excited to announce that TONIGHT, David Paul and I will present our NIKOLAKI red carpet collection at the "Vanidades Presents Magia de la Moda (The Magic of Fashion)" Runway Event as part of the 25th Season of Funkshion Fashion Week Miami Beach!!







We flew to Miami two nights ago and yesterday, we spent the entire day doing our model fittings and now we are MUY excited--and ready--to showcase our collection for the very first time in this UBER sexy city! "Magia de la Moda" showcases top Latino designers and I'm very honored to have been invited to be part of this year's event. Also showing will be Venezuelan fashion designer Nicolas Felizola, who has dressed many a Venezuelan celebrity, including various former "Miss Venezuelas" and Venezuelan TV personalities.









WHAT: 

NIKOLAKI Fashion Photoshoot Fab!








This past Summer (in 2012!), I was invited to Florence Italy by do special lecture and fashion show presentation for the fabulous Miami University of Ohio "Summer in Italy" Program with my NIKOLAKI design and business partner David Paul. The fashion presentation--entitled "Florence Meets Hollywood"--occurred at the Florence University of the Arts' Sala Rosa and it was produced by Fashion Divo--and fabulous photographer--Jerry Lee Ingram.



 

 

David and I sent several of our NIKOLAKI high-end red carpet gowns to Italy for the presentation and they were shown alongside these gorgeous hat-and-feathered creations from Mazzanti Piume. The event was a great success and you can read all about it HERE. After we left Italy, the gowns stayed there: Jerry Ingram wanted to photograph them in Florence on a model, as well as later take them to the US--Illinois to be specific--where he was to do a special NIKOLAKI photoshoot in Jacksonville Illinois at the home of renown Home Stylist and Decorator Annie Brahler. The resulting photos are AMAZING! Bravo Jerry. I am glad my gowns inspired you to take such chic and fab photos!

Here is a selection from the shoot:


































Part Two: Jacksonville, Illinois USA Photoshoot

Model: Emily Bryant

Pageant Sin City: Beauty Queens, Shopping, Chocolates, and a Sleeping Carnation Polar Bear....







Last Tuesday, my NIKOLAKI partner-in-fashion crimes, David Paul and I flew to "Sin City" Las Vegas to attend the 61st Annual Miss Universe Pageant. If I am not mistaken, I think this made it my FOURTH time attending a Miss Universe competition. I went to the one in Los Angeles at the old Shubert Theater in Century City when Norway's Mona Grudt was crowned Miss Universe 1990 (TWENTY TWO years ago-- Yes, I was FIVE! LOL!). I also attended the Miss Universe 1996 Pageant six years later in Las Vegas at the old Aladdin Theater for the Performing Arts, when Venezuela's Alicia Machado was crowned Miss Universe and then...









I went to the Miss Universe 2006 Pageant which was held at the Shrine Auditorium in LA. Puerto Rico's Zuleika Rivera was crowned Miss Universe that year and the co-host Nancy O'Dell wore one of my NIKOLAKI gowns. So...it has been six years since I have attended a Miss Universe pageant, as you can see.







David and I arrived in Las Vegas and stayed at the Aria Resort and Casino. It was very nice; let's just say it was  a more "civilized" way to stay in Las Vegas. When I hosted an event not too long ago at Crystals City Center in Las Vegas, I stayed at the Vdara. It was exquisite and yet, I found myself sneaking over to the Aria while I was there. So...this time, I wanted to try Aria and it was fab!





























































Miss Universe Bahamas--Celeste Marshall's-- family! That's her Grandma--very elegant in a black gown (second from left) and her mommie (in the pink (fourth from left).







As you may know, Celeste modeled for me when she was all but 16 years old when David and I showed our collection at the Islands of The World Fashion Week 2008 in The Bahamas and she was one of our favorite models. I ran into her family after the show and well, before you know  it, I almost took them home--back to LA--with me! They were so sweet, so generous and a Class Act. Typical Bahamian! And it was a great way to end my night in Las Vegas attending the Miss Universe 2012 Pageant.