Fashion design is the art of the application of design and aesthetics or natural beauty to clothing and accessories. Fashion design is influenced by cultural and social latitudes, and has varied over time and place. Fashion designers work in a number of ways in designing clothing and accessories. Some work alone or as part of a team. They attempt to satisfy consumer desire for aesthetically designed clothing; and, because of the time required to bring a garment onto the market, must at times anticipate changing consumer tastes.

Fashion designers attempt to design clothes which are functional as well as aesthetically pleasing. They must consider who is likely to wear a garment and the situations in which it will be worn. They have a wide range and combinations of materials to work with and a wide range of colors, patterns and styles to choose from. Though most clothing worn for everyday wear falls within a narrow range of conventional styles, unusual garments are usually sought for special occasions, such as evening wear or party dresses.

Nick Verreos (born February 13, 1967 in St. Louis, Missouri) is an American fashion designer and contestant on the second season of the reality television program Project Runway.

Verreos was born in Missouri on February 13, 1967 to a Greek-American father and a Panamanian mother. Though born in St. Louis, Missouri, he spent his early childhood in Caracas, Venezuela after his father, a U.S. State Department diplomat in Panama, met his mother, whose great uncle had been the president of that country.^{[citation needed]} At age 10, Verreos and his family moved back to the United States and he finished elementary and high school in San Francisco, California. He began college at UCLA, studying Political Science and International Relations, but after graduation, turned his interest to fashion design and pursued additional work at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM) in Los Angeles. He completed the Advanced Fashion Design Program at FIDM.^{[citation needed]}

After finishing studies at FIDM, Verreos immediately found success in the fashion industry.^{[citation needed]} He won the Suisse du Jeune Talent competition, in which he represented the United States in St. Gallen, Switzerland.^{[citation needed]} He began his career in Los Angeles working for a variety of companies, before forming his own design firm, Nikolaki, with partner David Paul in 2001. Since 2003 he has also worked part-time at FIDM teaching technical sketching and draping/pattern drafting.^{[citation needed]}

Behnaz Sarafpour is a New York City-based designer who introduced a line of women's apparel bearing her name in 2001.

She attended Parsons School of Design, where she was honored with the Golden Thimble Award, and has held design positions at Isaac Mizrahi, Narciso Rodriguez, Richard Tyler,Anne Klein, and Barneys New York. Her collections are presented in New York with the aid of various sponsors.^{[citation needed]} Her Spring 2005 sponsor, Tiffany & Co., allowed her to present the collection at the jewelry company's 5th Avenue flagship store. She is Persian-American.^{[citation needed]}

Sarafpour is a member of CFDA, through which a close relationship^{[neutrality is disputed]} began after her nomination for the Swarovski Perry Ellis Award for ready to wear in 2002, 2003, and 2005.^{[citation needed]}

In November 2006, Sarafpour designed a collection of clothing and accessories for Target Corporation's Go International^{[citation needed]} which consisted of moderately priced but high quality items.^[vague] Sarafpour also minted a limited-edition lipstick for Lancôme and jeans for Scott Morrison's Ernest Sewn collection.^{[citation needed]}