Nick Verreos Hosts Inaugural Fashion Show

Michelle Obama is not the first fashionista to move into the White House, nor was Nancy Reagan or even Jackie Kennedy. Mary Todd Lincoln was a style icon of her day, and quite a shopper too, according to Nick Verreos, the "Project Runway" alum tapped to host The California State Society's official inaugural celebration on January 18th.

"When I was doing research, I read that Mary Todd Lincoln spent more money in one year on clothes than her husband made," Verreos told the AP. "And her New York shopping trips were legendary."

Verreos opened the Presidential Inaugural Luncheon and Fashion Show with a series of gowns inspired by first ladies past, present and future. The slinky, candy-apple red gown he created with Michelle Obama in mind was very body-conscious.

So far, Michelle Obama's actual inaugural gown for Tuesday night remains a mystery, although many fashion-watchers have their eye on Chicago-based Maria Pinto, who has dressed Obama for many occasions. It's become somewhat of a tradition for first ladies to pick a hometown designer.

The California State Society event at the Ritz Carlton hotel attracted the many of the state's top politicians, including Sen. Diane Feinstein, Mayors Gavin Newsom of San Francisco and Antonio Villaraigosa and many members of the congressional delegation. Former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown donned a new three-piece plaid suit and a French-cuff shirt. "We put it together just for today," said Brown, known for his dapper style.

Most of the fashion, though, was on the runway, with outfits by current and former students of The Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, including Verreos. It was the third time the State Society and FIDM partnered for an inauguration party.

California influences fashion trends more than it gets credit for, Verreos said, noting its many apparel manufacturing businesses as well as its many celebrity residents who have become the favorite covergirls of fashion magazines.

Featured on this catwalk were red-carpet player Kevan Hall's elegant eveningwear, the sophisticated collection in seafoam green and shades of sand by Leanne Marshall that earned her the top prize on season five of "Project Runway," and a series of sundresses in upholstrylike prints that were a collaboration between the school's fashion and interior design students.

The finale, though, was nothing like you'd typically see at a fashion event in New York, Paris or Milan: an old-school song and dance number, complete with over-the-top star-spangled costumes, to "Yankee Doodle Dandy" meant as a tribute to the U.S. military.

Photo: Getty Images

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