Muslin (/ˈmʌslɨn/ or /ˈmjuːslɨn/) is a loosely-woven cotton fabric which originated in Bangladesh, which was introduced to Europe from the Middle East in the 17th century. It became very popular at the end of the 18th century in France. Muslin is most typically an unbleached or white cloth, produced from carded cotton yarn. It is often used to make sewing patterns, such as for clothing, curtains, or upholstery. Because air moves easily through muslin, muslin clothing is suitable for hot, dry climates.

Muslin clothes were traded by ancient Greeks from the Indian port town Machilipatnam, which was called Maisolos or Masalia in ancient times. Some believe that the name muslin originated from the name Maisolos.Marco Polo, the famous traveller, visited the Kakatiya kingdom in which Machilipatnam was located and praised the muslins available there. In 1298, Marco Polo described the cloth in his book The Travels. He said that it was made in Mosul, Iraq. Although this view has the fabric named after the city where Europeans first encountered it (Mosul), the fabric is believed to have originated in Dhaka, which is now the capital of Bangladesh. In the 9th century, an Arab merchant named Sulaiman makes note of the material's origin in Bengal (known as Ruhml in Arabic).

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]}