Nicholai by Nicky Hilton

Heiress and socialite Nicky Hilton's fashion foray was not a child's play at all and she successfully made her critics' jaws dropping last year's at New York Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week where she debuted her fashion line Nicholai by Nicky Hilton.

Unlike her media whore sister Paris who also made her debut as so-called fashion designer with Paris, a lineup of ill-designed clothes as well as a few fashion ripoffs, Nicky, who began designing clothes at seventeen plus a sellout bag line for Samantha Thavasa, on the other hand did put lot of work and effort in her spring/summer ready-to-wear designs and surprisingly, the brand name Nicholai was actually her first name.

The New York show, attended by Nicky's mother Kathy Hilton, opened with a leggy model with long light brown tresses sporting a two-piece swimwear. The strapless wrinkled bikini top is embellished with diamante detailing in the middle and worn under a white jacket. Nicky borrowed a dash of Chanel's classic luxury influence and applies it on a stunning ensemble of white jacket with black piping with matching hot pants.

There's also a black cardinal cape (similar to the one worn by Cardinal Richelieu in "The Three Musketeers") worn over simple long-sleeved high-collared white shirt, black hot pants and accessorized with metallic mesh belt. Talking about metallics, Nicky smartly applies the texture du jour on a number of outerwears such as hooded leather jacket and matching shorts, and shiny satin printed with 90's-inspired chain prints.

Another eye-catching ensemble paraded during the Hilton's initial show was a metallic green leather cropped biker jacket and matching shorts worn with a simple black top underneath and accessorized with a boxy green clutch. Another innovative creation by Hilton for Nicholai, which is a black pleated mini-dress with rust shiny satin corset detail and high-waisted black gown with tulle crinoline gained approval nods from her audiences.

Last but not least, that sexy black cutout dress with generous cutouts on the sides mimics Roberto Cavalli's infamous style. Nicholai's first runway show then ended with a model sashaying white sleeveless wide-legged jumpsuit with cutouts on the neckline and linked together by a metallic neckpiece, sporting the infamous Amy Winehouse's 60's-inspired beehive hairdo, probably catwalk's hairstyle du jour perhaps.

The runway show came to a glamorous end with the designer herself, Nicky Hilton appeared for the finale on stage with her arms open wide receiving incoming showers of applauses from her fans and audiences wearing one of her own creations - cream dress with detailed wide ruffled neckline and cinched waist with ruffled hemline above her tanned and toned knees, a la Mexican or Spanish señorita.

Nicholai by Nicky Hilton spring/summer 2008 collection is available now at select retailers and coming soon, at Nicky Hilton's flagship store in Dubai, opening this May.

*Photos by Imaxtree/New York Magazine.

Nicky Hilton Flagship Boutique - Festival City, Deira, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.