Grace + Kate

One man’s garbage is another man’s treasure. This proverb can be applied to so many things  – girlfriends, furniture, jobs – and now – bags.

Marc Jacobs has designed a new bag for Louis Vuitton Spring 2010 – the Raindrop Besace. It’s made of a waterproof leather material and… well…resembles a trash bag. The cross-body natural Vachetta strap is adjustable but I’m not sure if you will love the bag long enough to see it patina. The bag will set you back $1,960. If you must have it, the EURO has been beat up pretty bad recently (currently $1.3668). It might be time to plan that trip to Paris.

Love it or hate it?

The Rebecca Minkoff after Christmas sale still has some great inventory left. Sales linger around 45% off original prices. Sale ends tomorrow, December 19th, 2009.

Maybe you were out of town or living under a rock and, for some reason, never heard about the recent sample sale in Chelsea. Or maybe, you simply regret not buying that bag you were eyeing. Here’s your chance. But be forewarned, you will be competing with girls from the other 49 states who were mastering their click speeds while you were prancing around the sample sale. Inventory goes fast so shop early.

Who: Rebecca Minkoff
Why: Get current styles and colors at a discount -30-60% off
Where: www.rebeccaminkoff.com/shop
When: November 27-30, 2009

Who: Botkier
Why: 50-75% buttery Botkier handbags, shoes and wallets (new items and one-of-a-kind samples)
Where: 195 Lafayette Street (Between Broome and Kenmare)
When: December 3 – December 6, 2009
(Thurs & Fri: 11am -7pm, Sat: 11am – 6pm, Sun: 12 noon – 5pm)
BONUS: Wear YOUR BOTKIER BAG OR SHOES TO THE SALE AND RECEIVE AN EXTRA 10% OFF YOUR ENTIRE PURCHASE!!!

***UPDATE UPDATE – Rebecca Minkoff Sample Sale Markdowns: My friend swung by the sale at noon and was nice enough to send these photos over. It looks like there are some -gasps – markdowns – gasps -!

DEVOTE – $595 – $350 - $275
MINI DEVOTE – $550 – $325 – $250
MATINEE – $595 – $350 - $325
ZIP MARKET TOTE – $630 - $375 – $300

A few other markdowns she recalls but don’t have photos: Stud Roadie is $295, Computer Case – $50, Mini Nikki – $300, Nikki - $325, Darling – $295

Who: Rebecca Minkoff Sample Sale
Why: 40% off retail on most styles
Where: 33 W 17th Street (Between 5th & 6th Ave.)
When: Wed Nov 18-Sunday Nov 22 (10am-8pm)

I’ve been I big fan of RM bags for some time now. They are edgy and amazing eye candy. I get more compliments on my Rebecca Minkoffs than any other bags. Grace went to the sample sale last time around and I’ve been drooling over the red Morning After she nabbed. So when I heard about the sample sale, I just couldn’t resist. I grabbed a co-worker and headed to the sale at lunch. Once there, I was happy to find no lines to get in. All and all, lots of variety and worth checking out. No, the discounts aren’t 80% off but you can get current styles in staple colors such as black and brown. There were tables and table of bags in all styles and colors. A sales girl mentioned they will be replenishing. Discount was about 40% off retail. There was also few racks of clothes, though most people were there to peruse bags. See below for a few pics from the sale. For a detailed account of the sale check out today’s posting on Racked.

***UPDATE UPDATE: I dropped by the sale after work and there are still plenty of bags left. Even the Sample Room had dozens of bags waiting to be purchased. Again, many were damaged. Each sample bag was tied with a ribbon color, depending on the color, the prices were $150, $100 or $50 $65. This time around I also noticed new non-sample bags in the Sample Room. For example, the lavender Tylers were $25. The bag isn’t very attractive which is why it’s unloading for a measly $25 (hmmm….Christmas present for an auntie? for a purple color lover?). All the black motorcycle jackets are gone. However, there are plenty of white and metallic bronze ones left. The clothes also seemed untouched – Shirts for $10, Dresses for $25.  Belts were going for $15 but I couldn’t find a single one. There were also plenty of wallets left for $75. Sadly, most of the cute medium sized clutches were gone. The Courtney and pleated clutches were the few remaining styles left.  The good news is that one of the associates said they will be replenishing tomorrow, but are uncertain of the styles. Go early tomorrow if you plan to go!

Who: Kooba
Why: Up to 80% off sample bags and new bags
Where: 141 West 36th Street (between Broadway and 7th Avenue)
When: 11/17/09 – 11/19/09 (10am – 8pm, closed 2pm-3pm for lunch daily)

It was madness during lunch hour at the Kooba sale. There were boxes full of new bags spread across a decent size room. Off to the side was a smaller room with samples. Each bag was tied with a ribbon color, depending on the color, the prices were $150, $100 or $50. There are some great deals to be had in the sample room but be careful. There is discoloration, rips and markings on the bags. I saw a girl holding a gorgeous light color bag but on the other side of it was scribbles with style numbers in permanent market.

There were tons of clutches and small bags ranging from $40 to $75. There was a wide selection of larger leather and suede bags as well and included styles such as Ryder, Madison, Brett, Blake, Madison, Dale and much more. The suede bags felt a little heavy. Most of the bigger bags were around $250.

Near the door was a rack of leather jackets for $75. This was the best deal at the sale. Tons of 3/4 sleeve leather jackets left. I saw a few cute black motorcycle jackets but only in Large. Bummer.

Click to see a photo of the bags Read more…

Candace Bushnell, author of Sex and the City is in the works to publish a new book, The Carrie Diaries, to be released April 27, 2010. The new book will focus on the character of Carrie Bradshaw in her high school years and embrace topics such as her relationship with her mother, her first love and how she began her career in writing. The Louis Vuitton graffi-inspired cover is amazing. I’m really looking forward to the book but I wonder what The Samantha Diaires would read like.

Hello my pretties! Sorry, I have been MIA but I’ve been traveling through Rome, Florence, Venice and Paris over the past two weeks. But of course, I kept my readers in mind.

A question that mind boggles bag connoisseurs is whether Louis Vuitton is cheaper in Paris or the states? The answer is yes and no.

It never fails to get a jaw-dropping reaction each time I tell the story of how I acquired my Monogram Canvas Speedy 30 for around $280US from the Louis Vuitton flagship store on Champs E’Lysee in Paris. It’s currently selling for around $750 in the US after taxes. Two important factors play into that amazing price. Read more…