Nick Verreos and Amanda Fields "Weigh In" for Wall Street Journal and America's Next Top (Very Skinny) Model Controversy!

Is Too Thin the new Healthy...in Modeling?

Cover Pretty: Ann Ward, Winner of America's Next top Model Cycle 15

Last week, as y'all may know, America's Next Top Model Cycle 15 (My GAWD!!!! CYCLE FIFTEEN!!!) crowned a new Top Model Winner, and it was none other than the six foot two Dallas, Texas native--and self proclaimed NERD--Ann Ward.

Any Questions? Tyra Banks in a Vogue Italia editorial, showing why she IS a SUPER model

As I began to watch the entire season (yes, of course I watch it!), I knew she was going to be the winner--from the minute Miss Tyra announced that Vogue Italia would be the magazine "partner". You see, Vogue Italia is hipper than the word HIP (do people still say "Hip"?). It's UBER hip, and always on the extreme: Extreme photo shoots, extreme models, extreme editorials.

Italia Fierce: A Vogue Italia Cover

EVERY fashionista worth their Hermes Birkin Bag reads it and is inspired by its editorial layouts. The moment her extreme body showed up on the ANTM set, I whispered "done and done" to my NIKOLAKI--and fellow Top Model watcher, David Paul. It also helped that throughout the season, she won almost every other photo challenge. She looked amazing--and very Vogue Italiaesque--in every photo.

Runway Not So Much: America's Next Top Model Cycle 15 Winner Ann Ward modeling for the Just Cavalli Fashion Show in the Finale

But poor thing, she had the personality of a french fry, and even admitted to that. In addition, she looked like a bowl-legged under-developed Deer Caught In the Headlights while trying to do runway. I'm sure Miss J just sort of gave up thinking "She looks amazing in photos and she's 6'2"...I'll take that!"

Work It Ann: One of the Best Photos from Cycle 15 America's Next Top Model, featuring Ann Ward, the Winner

But, yet, she still won. Because in the end, it was up to the Vogue Italia "powers that be" as well as the Model Agency (IMG) that would have to try and make some money off of her--to decide. And well, she takes amazing photos, and really that's the ticket. Plus the fact that her body is a freak of nature, which stylists, artists, photographers--and some Fashion Designers--love...

With that being said, last week, I was contacted by WallStreetJournal.com, to give my "Nick Verreos Two Cents" on the the subject of her being too thin and if that's a good image for the fashion and modeling world.

Fashion Twosome: Amanda Fields and Nick Verreos

I also referred them to get in touch with one of my Model Muses, the lovely Amanda Fields-- who is in our most recent NIKOLAKI Spring 2011 Look Book and opened our last OC Style Week Fashion Show-- so she could give her thoughts, as a working professional model.

Click HERE to read the article and see what we said.

NIKOLAKI by Nick Verreos and David Paul Wedding Gown: Lifetime Promotes Lucy Liu's New Movie "Marry Me"

Catch the Couture Bouquet:

Where's the Bride: NIKOLAKI Spring 2011 Demi-Couture Wedding Gown, Silk organza strapless gown with hand-beaded paillette bustier *photo courtesy of Evans Vestal Ward

To promote Lucy Liu's new Lifetime Movie: Marry Me premiering Sunday, December 12 at 9 pm et/pt , I was asked by Lifetime to send them some photos of recent Wedding Dresses from my NIKOLAKI Spring 2011 Demi-Couture Collection. And although we do not have a full line of Wedding Dresses, I always have one or two special Bridal Pieces to complete each collection, so I was happy to send images of these new looks. They also asked several other Project Runway Designers--Season 2 Winner Chloe Dao, Season One's Austin Scarlett, and Season 5 Winner Leanne Marshall to name but a few.

For Spring 2011, my NIKOLAKI Co-Designer David Paul and I designed a couple of (we think) beautiful dresses for a very stylish bride. The first is a Strapless Gown featuring a Silk Chiffon Hand Beaded Bustier with a Silk Organza Raw Cut High-Low Skirt, shown here:

*photo courtesy of Evans Vestal Ward

On one of our fabulous (and favorite) models, Amanda Fields from Season 3 Project Runway. It is fully lined in taffeta and has Horsehair trim to stiffen the hem. It also has hidden side pockets!

A Mykonos Wedding: NIKOLAKI Demi-Couture Wedding Dress, hand-beaded paillettes over silk chiffon cowl-draped dress with matching capelet *photo courtesy of Evans Vestal Ward

The other Wedding Dress we submitted is this short-and-sexy number for that adventurous bride. Seen above on model Lauren Gish, it is a hand-beaded Ecru-colored mini bias-cut dress featuring a cowl-draped front and back. It also has a matching hand-beaded paillette sequin capelet. Think Mykonos Wedding...for a very rich Supermodel...or a sexy Dubai Emira!

*Click HERE to view all the wedding dresses by Project Runway Winners and Alumn as well as Wedding Gown Design Veterans such as Angel Sanchez, Oscar de la Renta, Vera Wang, and Monique Lhullier.