From the moment he unveiled that stunning cinnamon suit, Project Runway viewers were smitten with Nick Verreos's elegant designs. After the Barbie and Nicky Hilton challenges, the crush bloomed into a full-on love affair, and when he was sent packing after the Makeover challenge, most fans were outraged. But they'd soon be seeing Uncle Nick's creations again--this time, in far more glamorous settings, from the SAG Awards to the Miss Universe pageant. Today, his supporters include A-list celebrities (like Sarah Jessica Parker), millions of People magazine readers (his Project Runway recaps appear weekly at People.com), and of course, skating enthusiasts (his Olympic fashion critiques were hailed far and wide). We recently caught up with Nick to dish the dirt about what happened after the cameras stopped rolling, what's in the works at Nikolaki, and his predictions for Season Three.

In less than a year, you've gone from being a successful L.A. designer to an international celebrity. What's this journey been like for you?
The journey has been both wonderful and crazy. The reason I tried out for Project Runway was to trampoline the visibility of my line, Nikolaki, and to enable my designs to reach a wider audience than just southern California. And that's exactly what it's done, even though I wasn't a finalist! I wouldn't call myself an international celebrity, but it is neat to get hundreds of e-mails from faraway places like Hong Kong, Korea, and Brazil. I was recently standing outside at the Miss Universe pageant, and Miss Norway's mother recognized me. That's when you realize, "Wow, this is crazy!" I understand when it's a person from L.A. or New York, but Norway? The highest point so far was doing fashion commentary at the Olympics in Torino; I kept pinching myself on the whole 14-hour flight, not believing it was happening. The lowest point has been the fact that when someone wears one of my gowns now, I open myself up to criticism. I realize that you can't please everyone, but it's still difficult to read negative comments.

You mentioned Nikolaki. What's happening with the line now, and what can we expect to see in the future?
I've been doing my line for five years, and it's currently sold at several boutiques in Los Angeles and at EMc2, Emmett's store in NoLIta. I'm working on Cruise and Spring 2007, but it's difficult to make a full collection because I'm so busy with all the other stuff in my life--part-time teaching at FIDM, my blog for People.com, and the fashion column I write for Frontiers Magazine here in L.A. With the amazing help of my partner, David Paul, I produce in smaller amounts now and am trying to grow the line slowly. You'll definitely continue to see more of Nick Verreos and Nikolaki in the future.

We also hear that Heidi Klum and Sarah Jessica Parker are fans of the line.
Yes. While they were filming this last season of Project Runway, I sent Heidi some dresses and tops, which I heard that she wore for some interviews. And I'm in the process of making some dresses to send to Sarah Jessica Parker. Whether she wears any of them or not is up in the air. As you know, getting people to wear your garments to a red-carpet event isn't as easy as it might sound.

You've been critiquing Season Three extensively on People.com. What's it like to be a critic, as opposed to being a contestant, and who are this season's standouts? Is there any gossip you can share?
It's so interesting to comment on the show from the perspective of a former participant. I try to be critical and observant, while injecting some funny Nick commentary into the mix, but I have to be careful not to be too biting since the bloggersphere can turn on you in a heartbeat--one somewhat bitchy comment from me, and suddenly I'm the next Santino! Although I don't know who's going to make it to the final three, right now Uli, Michael, and Laura are the standouts. Uli's functioning under the radar every week with simple, flowing garments that are never the worst but not necessarily the best. Michael is obviously very talented, and it looks like he's shaping up to be the new Daniel Vosovic. Laura's elegant aesthetic is very similar to that of Nina Garcia and Michael Kors, so I predict she'll go far. But I don't really have a favorite, other than Kayne, because I was sort of instrumental in picking him at the Chicago casting. Most of the other designers seem slightly full of themselves this season and, I fear, are playing to the power of TV and celebrity, which doesn't make them very endearing. In terms of gossip, I know a lot, but I can't say--I'm tight-lipped on that subject!

What was the Chicago casting like?
I was honored that they asked me to judge, but it was a long day, let me tell you! We saw about 200 people, from students to drag queens to moms with their daughters' cheerleader costumes and everything in between. We narrowed the field down to about five designers that we felt deserved to be advanced to the next round. Again, my pick was Kayne--a fun Southern boy with great charm, spirit, and of course, talent.

If you could give any advice to the Season Three contestants, what would it be?
Make sure you have a distinct vision, and don't design anything boring; instead, try to design garments that are exciting and visionary. Utilize your time wisely, and focus, focus, focus. And remember to have fun--it's a once-in-a-lifetime chance, so pinch yourself every day that you’re there!

You were an instructor before Project Runway. Are you still teaching, and if so, do your students respond differently to you now?
I recently taught three Learning Annex courses, in San Francisco, San Diego, and Los Angeles. They were lots of fun and very informative, and the Los Angeles Times even did a write-up on them. Plus, I'm still teaching at FIDM, and I love it--the students are great, the classes are filled, and there are usually an additional five to 10 trying to enroll in my classes each semester. However, I do warn them that I hope they're not in my class for the curiosity factor; if so, they should take another class. I'm a fun instructor but a difficult one, and I try not to discuss Project Runway while I'm teaching. I have noticed that the students respond a bit differently now--they respect me more and don't question my knowledge as much. Plus, I no longer have to spend half an hour giving an introduction on myself and my background.

When you were sent home, many fans were irate, some were emailing Bravo in protest. How did it feel to receive so much popular support?
It was incredible and totally unexpected. I honestly didn't ever expect that reaction. I was just myself, and in my last episode, when I was in tears describing how much I hoped to have made my parents and friends proud, it was the culmination of a very intense month, full of joy and pain. I was full of emotion, both happy and sad to have had such an incredible experience. To this day, one of the very first things people say to me is "You were robbed" or "You should have been a finalist." It's incredible to receive such admiration and support.

Fans also raved about the 13th outfit at Daniel's show--the one you designed. What was it like returning to help your castmate, and how did you come up with something so fabulous under that kind of pressure?
It was interesting indeed. When I returned to New York City, I was just planning to attend the reunion, see the runway shows, and enjoy the nightlife. And then, much to my surprise, I was picked to help Daniel Vosovic, for the next 48 hours straight! On the first day, I asked him if he had a 13th look, and he didn't, so I created one for him. It didn't take me long to drape, cut, and sew it, so then I had time to work on all his other garments that needed to be finished. In fact, only an hour before the show, I was backstage sewing the hem of one of his gowns.

The Season Two DVD was released a few months ago. What are some of the highlights?
Each of the thirteen episodes has extra scenes woven into it that weren't included in the televised versions. For example, in the second episode, Santino, Raymundo, Daniel Franco, Emmett, and I participated in The Michael Kors Show. Santino was Mohammed Kors, I was Miguel Kors, and so on, and Daniel Franco and Raymundo had a fashion show in front of us. There are also the extended versions of Andrae's crying testimonial and Santino's fight with Nina Garcia.

Do you keep in touch with the other Season Two designers?
I do keep in touch with some of them. John Wade and I became friends the moment we walked off the airplane together in New York. He works for Marc Jacobs and does amazing window designs for them. I also hang out with Raymundo Baltazar, I see Santino out at some L.A. events, and I speak to Chloe on a weekly basis, as well as Emmett, since he carries my line at his store.

We think Uncle Nick would make a great Tim Gunn. Is there any chance we'll see you mentoring young designers on your own spinoff show?
Oh, thank you for saying that. I think so, too! But I could never measure up to Tim Gunn's intelligent and professorial commentary. Nobody can be Tim Gunn, although I would be happy to be his sidekick and do whatever he told me to. It's up to the Bravo executives whether or not they feel there's enough of a need for a spinoff show. But I would do it in a heartbeat.

You've been part of the L.A. fashion scene for years, and last season, we really got a glimpse of the city's diversity--three Angelenos, three distinct points of view. Are the city's fashion designers starting to get the credibility they deserve?
It's difficult to say. I think that Los Angeles is still the epicenter of high-end denim and overpriced T-shirts, and it's still hard for designers who are doing something else to get recognized. Although there are a lot of us here doing our own thing, if it's not denim or T-shirts, we're still going to be secondary to those other companies.

You've said that without lots of backing these days, it's hard to compete with the growing number of celebrity lines. What advice would you give young designers who are just starting out?
Go to business school, not fashion school--just kidding, but not really. The bottom line is that this is a business, so stores treat you like a business, not like the artist-designer that you may be. So write a business plan, get a sugar daddy, or a $200,000 loan. Then prepare yourself for a bumpy, exciting ride! --Jennifer Riley

From top: Nick Verreos, Nick Verreos for Project Runway (3), Brenda Strong at the SAG Awards, Nikolaki at Fashion Week at Smashbox Studios in Los Angeles (4).

For more information on Nick Verreos and Nikolaki, visit nickverrreos.blogspot.com and Nikolakidesign.com.

Related Links:
Project Runway Season 2 Archive
Project Runway Alumni Series: Kara Janx
Project Runway Alumni Series: Santino Rice
Project Runway Alumni Series: Andrae Gonzalo
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