Fashion Week: 93-Year-Old Model Steals Show at Lorick

For anyone who hit the much-anticipated Lorick SS09 presentation in midtown yesterday evening, there was plenty of fun to be had. The downtown, St. Germain-swigging crowd included a handful of boldface creatives -- stylist-turned-Elle editor Kate Young, Subversive Jewelry's Justin Guinta and Black Sheep and Prodigal Sons' Derrick Cruz. Margaret Colin, better known to most as Eleanor Waldorf, was also in attendance to support the namesake line of designer Abigail Lorick, who is likewise best known for her day job -- stylist of the greatest show on television, Gossip Girl. This was no typical collection presentation: Models were decked out in Upper East Side-appropriate cocktail dresses and separates with a decidedly 1950s yet flirtatious feel, and they were sectioned off into idyllic, wholesome scenes like the sleepover, afternoon tea, a garden party, and (as seen after the jump) a day spent baking, complete with three-tier cakes. Who doesn't love cake-chomping models at a fashion show?

While flattering fashions abounded, the most fascinating aspect of the presentation proved to be a 93-year-old model named Mimi Widdel. A friend of Lorick’s discovered her after he caught a screening of the recently released documentary, Hats Off, which stars the actress/model. So what did she think of Lorick’s designs? “Very innovative,” she muses. And she would know. The former model graced the New York Times’ own runways back in 1941 (the newspaper used to host its own fashion shows, she says). Does she miss old New York and the fashion shows of the 1940s and 1950s? “Yes!” she exclaimed. “It’s too crowded now. Back then there were less people. People were nicer. People were more charming. People were more flirtatious,” she said pulling her fur stole close. Fingers crossed, she’ll turn up in a future Gossip Girl episode as someone’s grandmother. God knows the entire cast could benefit from Mimi’s wisdom.