LORICK: Let’s give them something to gossip about

Gossip Girl here. Your one and only source into the fashionable lives of the Middle Eastern elite.” Okay, so I’m not Kristen Bell’s voice-over in the East Coast version of the O.C. . Nor am I going to expose some scandalous rumor in these next 800 words. In fact, as a formal writer of print, I possess a degree of contempt toward bloggers — it’s mostly jealously over the fact that while most of them are 16-years old and can only write in abridged Internet jargon, we still must vie over front row seats come fashion week! But unfortunately, this is not about my distaste for bloggers (excuse the earlier vent); this is about Abigail Lorick. For all you Gossip Girl fanatics out there, you should already know who that is — and if you don’t, then you’re not really a true Gossip Girl (I’m just saying). Every genuine GG addict out there knows that Abigail Lorick is the talented ghost-designer behind the fictional collection, Waldorf Designs, by the character Eleanor Waldorf, a.k.a. Blair’s mom. The 25-year old designer even played Eleanor's design assistant on the show. As if you weren’t jealous enough of the Queen Bee who gets to prance around in the retro-inspired elegance of LORICK! (It makes me hate Leighton Meester almost as much as I hate bloggers!) Gossip Girl may explain why Lorick was quickly catapulted into the limelight so early in her career; her eponymous line LORICK was only established in 2007. Yet it is her innate talent and her ability to return a lost sense of elegance to young, contemporary fashion that explains why she so rightfully deserves it. Based solely from her Gossip Girl designs, one can immediately sense that the former model from Florida is an old soul despite her young age. Her structured feminine silhouettes and pencil skirts are sophisticatedly retro and possess a mature confidence of a previous era.  “I wanted to bring elegance back to our way of living,” stated the designer whose debutante-appropriate signature A-line frocks are playful with a nostalgia for vintage flair. This Spring however, Lorick moved away from her usual theatrical aesthetic into a more subdued and languid chic. It worked flawlessly. “Lady Lorick is letting go and getting to her roots,” explained Lorick, who in a sweep of modern feminism stripped her designs down to their bare essentials. Her purist approach gave added strength and an introverted femininity to her designs, while still retaining her trademark of sublime decadence through her attention-to-detail and impeccable tailoring. Lorick opted to showcase her Spring 2011 collection via a private presentation, rather than the conventional runway extravaganza in Lincoln Center. Not only did the whitewashed studio, Tela Design, in downtown New York suit the serene ambiance, but it also allowed for a raw, more intimate interaction with the pieces. The wooden stools — still covered in their plastic wrap, played backdrop to her line of ethereal live-model canvases.  Walking into Lorick’s minimal reality was like walking into a Thomas Dewing (1851-1938) painting — airy, visceral, and above all, beautiful. The LORICK Linear Dawn Spring 2011 collection was inspired from the work of minimalist painter, Agnes Martin, which in addition to the overall subtle simplicity of the line, Lorick makes direct reference to with her hand-painted grid and line prints. A soft palette of pale grays, romantic blues and opulent pink blushes provide the scenic foundation for most of her designs, while sheer layers of organza, chiffon, and georgette create an intricate narrative of depth and texture that goes beyond the initial impression of simplicity. A LORICK signature: nothing is quite as it appears — often it is pleasantly more. Lorick collaborated with fellow Floridian, milliner Gigi Burris, to create fantastical creations that grounded the whimsical LORICK designs that would otherwise take flight. Colored Wolford stockings and period-piece jewelry paid tribute to Lorick’s finished aesthetic. LORICK is a fugue from the tediousness of reality. In the LORICK world, all women are ladylike and creators of their own fate. They dress-up on the outside to reflect the confidence and sophistication of their inner consciousness. The collection is described as an aid to the newly awakened Lady Lorick, who recreates her external environment to complement her internal inner sphere; she doesn’t allow the outside world to dictate her internal dialogue. Instead, she subtly puts herself on display, through sheer neutrals and mellow pastels in vaporous silhouettes.  Flawlessly tailored silk shorts, layered dresses made of ethereal fabrics, and skirts you’d want to live in, Lorick shows us that sometimes less is more.