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I get e-mails all the time from publicists, stylists and actresses, requesting to borrow or purchase a gown or dress for an event. Normally, designers have press agencies and showrooms that represent them. These agencies get the designers celebrity clientele, procure them great publicity and get their dresses on the “red carpet,” magazines, and so on. Stylists go to these agencies, look at different designer’s collections and take out dresses to then show their clients. The designer rarely gets involved, unless the client is “high-profile” enough or if it is custom.

On the other hand, I represent myself -- with the amazing help of my design and business partner, David Paul. My collection is in my studio and my studio is my showroom. Two months ago, we received an email from Academy Award-winning actress Marlee Matlin’s publicist. Marlee was attending the 80th Annual Oscars and needed a gown. The publicist, whom I had worked with in the past (Lesson one: Do not burn your bridges!), said that she instantly thought of me. Of course, I was very excited at the thought of actress (and soon to be debuting in “Dancing with the Stars”) Marlee Matlin wearing NIKOLAKI (the name of my line) to the Academy Awards.

As a designer, this was one of those moments that I thought I would never live to see. Especially more so now, with the competition from all those biggies such as Versace, Dior, Marchesa, Valentino; the chance of a big name actress wearing the dress of a local designer who is not a multi-million dollar conglomerate or is not backed by a billionaire sugar-daddy and/or Dubai firm is, well, let’s just say you have a better chance of getting hit by a truck carrying fake Louis Vuitton purses bound for Canal Street! I am thankful for publicists and stylists who “think outside the conglomerate designers’ box."

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