Samantha Harris Wears NIKOLAKI....again!...on Dancing With The Stars!!

The Gorgeous Lady In Red!
Work the Gown: Samantha Harris in NIKOLAKI gown, ABC's Dancing With The Stars

This week has been an "extra" busy week for me: Not only was I invited to several Los Angeles Fashion events and shows, as well as "kick-off" parties and the such, I was also busy working on my own Spring Collection, blogging for California Apparel News AND had classes to teach at FIDM. I told you: Extra busy! Model Pose: Samantha Harris in NIKOLAKI gown

On Tuesday night, after 6 hours of teaching and attending some Downtown Los Angeles Fashion Week shows I went home, passed out and woke up to some wonderful news: Samantha Harris co-host of ABC's Dancing With The Stars had worn one of our NIKOLAKI gowns on Tuesday night's Elimination Episode. The Scores Are: Samantha Harris (in Nikolaki) interviews the Stars of ABC's Dancing With The Stars

Luckily, my NIKOLAKI design partner, David Paul, had DVR'ed it, just in case! She wore a lipstick red bias-cut silk crepe back satin gown with a cowl neckline and draped asymmetrical back. This is the SECOND TIME the beautiful Samantha Harris has worn our gowns at a taping of the hit show. Last season, she chose a strapless silk Zibeline mermaid-shaped gown--also in red. I'm guessing she loves the red!Draped: Back of the Nikolaki gown worn by Samantha Harris on ABC's Dancing With The Stars

Both gowns were from our Spring '09 Collection which we debuted at the Islands of The World Fashion Week in the Bahamas, where we were invited to show last November. We think she looked GORGEOUS (of course!). Thanks Samantha for supporting LA designers and thanks to her amazing stylist, the one and only Kit Scarbo. Uncle Nick and David LUV you!

Click Below to watch a clip of Samantha Harris wearing our Nikolaki gown:

Carrie Ann Inaba wears NIKOLAKI (again!) on "Dancing With The Stars"!!

(Grecian) Hawaiian Goddess!!!!One Shoulder Empress: Carrie Ann Inaba critiques in NIKOLAKI gown on Dancing With The Stars

This week on ABC's Dancing With The Stars, we accomplished a NIKOLAKI first: Three gowns in two weeks on national TV! The gorgeous judge Carrie Ann Inaba (sorry Bruno) wore another one of our gowns on this week's Elimination Show. We were thrilled, surprised and ecstatic when we got an email saying that indeed the lovely Ms. Inaba would be wearing another one of our designs.
My design partner, David Paul has been away at the Staples Center attending the World Figure Skating Competition and I have had to helm the NIKOLAKI studio on my own (crazy thought!) and I rushed to hit the DVR/TiVo button--oh and tell everyone from here to Caracas Venezuela!. The DWTS Panel: Carrie Ann workin' her NIKOLAKI gown (from chest up!)

Carrie Ann chose an ivory silk jersey "Grecian Goddess" one-shoulder draped cowl gown with black silk-rayon Duchesse satin band (is that enough of a description for you guys?) and looked GORGEOUS in it! White looks REALLY good against her skin color. It goes without saying: We love you Carrie Ann!!!! Athena: Model Dominique in the ivory silk jersey one-shoulder gown worn by Carrie Ann Inaba

We got so many emails from friends and family who recognized the gown, but were bummed that not enough was shown--so here's the entire gown as it was shot for our Website Look Book on the equally beautiful 16 year old model, Dominique.
Click BELOW to view the elimination portion of this week's episode (and catch a glimpse of Carrie Ann Inaba wearing NIKOLAKI)

Dancing With...NIKOLAKI!!!!

NIKOLAKI gowns on "Dancing With The Stars"This has been a double-whammy of a week for David and I here at the NIKOLAKI Studio (and it's only Wednesday!) Photo Courtesy of: ABC/KELSEY MCNEAL

On Monday, we were excited to turn on one of our favorite shows, ABC's "Dancing With The Stars" and see judge (and choreographer extraordinaire) Carrie Ann Inaba, wearing one of our gowns on the show! Her assistant had emailed us to tell us that she would possibly be wearing one of our designs but we just "never know" until we tune in. Even though you could only see her from the chest up (as she sits behind her Judges Table), she looked gorgeous in a NIKOLAKI turquoise silk jersey draped "Grecian Goddess" gown from our current Spring 2009 Collection. It's the same gown, in fact, that was featured on the cover of the California Apparel News, the West Coast's Industry Trade "Bible".
That evening, we also received an email from one of my favorite stylists and fellow Project Runway "gal pals", Kit Scarbo (formerly "Kit Pistol"), who styles the hostess, the lovely Samantha Harris. Well, as luck would have it, Samantha (and Kit) both loved another one of our gowns and were informing us that Samantha would be wearing it on Tuesday's live elimination taping! See, I told you: A "Dancing With The Stars" double whammy! Samantha Harris wore one of our favorite gowns--also from the Spring '09 line--a strapless crimson red silk ziberline "Mermaid" gown featuring a hand-pleated bust, asymmetrical "pouf" at the bottom and (best of all) pockets!

The Designers Smiling proudly as Samantha Harris "Works It in NIKOLAKI

We were lucky enough to have been invited (thanks Miss Kit!) to the taping last night so we could celebrate Samantha in our gown live and up close. Beyond the fact that David and I sat like "proud pappas" in the audience, we also thoroughly enjoyed watching the show live and especially being there for this first elimination. The dancers were amazing; so tan, thin, taut! (will someone please give them a FATBURGER??!!) NIKOLAKI Spring 2009 (featured above by the lovely Amanda Fields)

And of course, it was a treat to witness Jewel sing "Over the rainbow" (flawlessly) as well as see all the dance numbers, especially the "Macy's" number choreographed by Michael Rooney, the son of Hollywood legend Mickey Rooney. But again, we were just humbled to have been there and to see the hostess, Samantha Harris wearing our NIKOLAKI gown beautifully and I especially loved how she kept "working" those side pockets! Love.
Below is video from the show:

Nick Guest Host on Reality Chat

GUEST HOSTIN'

Happy Easter to everyone! Hope that your Easter Egg hunting is going well! This last Friday, I was asked to fill in for Kimberly Caldwell and co-host TV Guide's "Reality Chat" show, alongside the beautiful Rosanna Tavarez. I was very excited to be on "Reality Chat" as a co-host, since I had already been a guest twice, while I was on "Project Runway" last year. Rosanna and I joked that people watching might get confused when they tune in, thinking they might have accidentally landed on the TELEMUNDO channel, with the two Latino hosts! We almost did turn it into a "Chisme (Gossip in Spanish) Hour with Rosanna and Nick" until the director reminded us of what the show was really about, discussing the week in reality TV. The night before, I even did my "homework" and watched HOURS of reality TV shows which were sent to me by the producers. Needless to say, I felt compassion for what Rosanna has to do EVERY WEEK. We had a really fun time doing it and hope to do it again sometime soon!

Besides dishing about all the reality shows, we also interviewed special guests like Sarah, the model voted off this last week in "America's Next Top Model", Carrie Ann Inaba, judge of "Dancing With Stars" and Rocky, from "Survivor: Fiji". Speaking of Innaba, just earlier in the week , I had been invited to watch a taping of "Dancing With The Stars" with my friend, former "Miss Universe" Brook Lee, who happens to be an old friend of hers. We were on her "list", but never got around to being introduced to each other because she was so busy doing post-show interviews. So I was thrilled to finally meet her, as well as interview her. You may also remember that my sister, Rita, was on "Survivor: Fiji" and was voted off, primarily because of Rocky's negative comments about her. With that in mind, I was also looking forward to meeting my sister's arch "nemesis". He was kinda swarthy, in a young "Sylvester Stallone-meets-Al Pacino-in 'Scarface' " sort of way. We also interviewed "LA's Cutest Puppy" and had him do a trick. Thank God the puppy didn't pee on the stage!

The show airs tonight at 7 PM (6 PM cental time) on the TV Guide Channel, so be sure to TiVo it. It will also repeat several times during the week. Click HERE for airing details.