Nick Verreos: a step above fashion

The minute I met Nick Verreos in the lobby of my apartment with his Gucci suitcase I knew I was going to love him. As two other girls and I spotted the fashionably dressed and familiar Greek-looking man at the Mannaioni we exclaimed, “That’s him, that’s the guy!” Casually, Nick turned, flashed his snow white teeth and yelled, “hey there girls! How are you?” as if he had known us for years.

My love affair with Nick continued that evening with dinner at the Gould. Upon realizing I was going to be sitting at the same table as him I started to become extremely nervous. I religiously watch the TV program Project Runway that he was a contestant on and I’m incredibly familiar with him and his fashion designs. Also, I’d seen him interview on the red carpet and knew he was the far opposite of shy. I had never met anyone considered remotely famous before and my always nervous self was scared of becoming star struck or even worse, tongue tied. However, little did I know, I had nothing to worry about. From the moment Nick sat down at the table he was the same affable man I met in the Mannaioni lobby. His plate was full of pasta and bread as he exclaimed, “Honey, I’d be happy with a corn dog!”

Quickly, the topic of dinner discussion turned to boys and clothes. Nick started to tell the table about the boy in front of him in line at the train station that afternoon and how his exceptionally hairy neck was just the scariest thing he‘d ever seen.


Of course, my repulsed self screamed, “oh no, gross, nasty!”


“Oh my gosh, girl, I know right?” he laughed back in reply as he sat up and slapped my hand as if we were old friends reminiscing. “I just wanted to take a shaver right then and there or tell his friend he was with to shave it while he was sleeping!”


Laughter ensued during dinner as Nick cracked jokes about college boys still wearing American Eagle polos, flip flops and pooka shell necklaces out at night. The girls eagerly agreed as he continued to tell us we could do better making myself, and I’m sure everyone one else, like him even more. As we continued to gossip he repeatedly used his now infamous high five and exclaimed, “I know girl, right? You are hilarious!” as we all pitched in our unabashed opinions on men.


A celebrity that was humble, funny and relatable? I was hooked.


My Nick journey continued the next day at the Polimoda International Institute Fashion Design and Marketing. Even though it was early in the morning and extremely warm out, he looked impeccable. Straight out of a fashion magazine he wore a crisp short-sleeved white button down adorned with a lively lime green and sky blue striped tie and snuggly fit black designer jeans cinched with an YSL belt. This was all topped off with silver metallic tennis shoes that looked like they could have been from a designer label in outer space. Nick’s outfit perfectly complimented his olive complexion (that I later learned was from his Greek father and Venezuelan mother) and short black hair that connected to his perfectly thick sculpted beard and always smiling face.


Despite from being hilarious and a great dresser, Nick is an extremely intelligent man. Several Ivy League schools accepted him and he graduated with honors in Political Science from UCLA. However, Nick knew his true passion was designing and as he told our Journalism class he followed his motto of “no shoulda, woulda ,coulda’s” I was truly and unexpectedly inspired.