Nicole Richie at NBC Summer 2012 Up Fronts Pictures

Nicole Richie joined her fellow Fashion Star mentor John Varvatos in Pasadena yesterday afternoon for NBC's Summer press event. The pair was on hand at The Langham hotel to promote their series, which pits aspiring designers against each other as they compete to sell their wares on the racks of Saks Fifth Avenue, H&M, and Macy's. Nicole sported a laser-cut leather top for the appearance, and while she's built a successful fashion career of her own, she recently admitted during an interview that she doesn't sew! Instead, she said, her design process always starts with a great fabric. Nicole's recent foray into TV hasn't slowed her down when it comes to style. In fact, she just released the House of Harlow and Winter Kate Fall lookbooks and, earlier this year, also launched a special collection for QVC.