The line into the Hermès sale is ridiculous. Around 1:30pm the line wrapped around the Container Store on 6th Avenue. It takes a good 3-3.5 hours to get in. People are risking their jobs to get their hands on some $225 scarves.
Hermès Sample Sale
Weds. 9am to 6pm
Thurs. 9am to 8pm
Fri. to Sun. 9am to 6pm
Metropolitan Pavilion: 123 W. 18th St. @ 6th Avenue, Credit Cards Only
Who: Cole Haan
What: Women’s and Men’s shoes and handbags
Why: Up to 75% off plus new markdowns
When: Today (9am – 6:30pm) and Tomorrow (9am – 6pm)
Where: Soiffer Haskin
317 West 33rd Street (Just off 8th Avenue)
718-747-1656
Last week, the Soiffer Haskin was selling pearls and shiny baubles. This week, they are selling shoes and clothes. I recommended going to the Mikimoto sale as early as possible to get the best selection since there are no markdowns as the sale progresses. Clothing, shoes and bags are a different story. There are usually some markdowns after the first or second day. The Cole Haan sale is well underway but I got an email today promising markdowns and new inventory. The sale might be worth checking out today.
I arrived at the Mikimoto sale around 9:30am yesterday. They did not ask to see the invitation but did ask for a driver’s license or ID to check in. The check-in guy wrote down first and last names along with state of issue. Coat check was mandatory but everyone can hang out to their purses. There was about 75 people on line. The wait to get in was 1 hour. The line was much shorter than last year where the line was out the door, into the building and up the stairs. It took me 3 hours to get in last year. Tighter wallets or are people skiing in Aspen?
A lot of the pieces are the same as last year but I did see a few new styles. Blue Lagoon – Mikimoto’s lower end line – was cast off to a separate showcase booth on the side. Discounts ranged from 50% off to 75% off retail prices. Most strands were only 50% off. However, a few of the eccentric pieces could be had for 75% off. Each piece was tagged with a colored sticker: red = 50% off, blue = 60% off, green = 70% of, yellow = 75% off. Don’t expect a box unless you do some damage – like $5,000. Otherwise, your jewelry will go in an unmarked pouch. The most extravagant piece I saw was a two strand 13MM golden South Sea pearl necklace with diamond detailing for $275,000 on the retail sticker. It was tagged with a red sticker; that’s $137,500 in savings!!!
Here are a few photos from the sale:
Who: Lee Angel
Why: $5 Jewelry – brands like Ann Taylor, J. Crew & Banana Republic
Where: 524 Broadway, 6th Floor (between Broom & Spring Street)
When: December 16 (11am – 8pm)
December 17, 2009 (11am – 7pm)
December 18, 2009 (11am – 7pm)
Just like the last sale, everything in the main section is $5!!!! That’s cheaper than street vendor prices!!! Lee Angel branded pieces range from $10 – $100. You will find some amazing treasures at the Lee Angel Sample Sale. They are open late so it’s best to go straight after work. There are literally hundreds of different styles to look through. You need at least an hour and a half to look through everything. In addition to having it’s own line, Lee Angel also designs for retailers like J. Crew. Some other familiar names I saw were Banana Republic, BCBG MAXAZRIA, Ann Taylor and Kohls. Everything is organized into plastic bins. There was plenty of inventory when I left at 7pm on Wednesday. There were also dozens of boxes of inventory waiting to be opened. Everyone was buying 5-15 items. I overheard two women deciding what to give to their mother and other sister. $5 sounds like a perfect amount to spend on stocking stuffers. If you’re a bride-to-be, take this opportunity to pick up some gifts for your bridesmaids and jewelry pieces for the big day. There were signs everywhere saying “NO PHOTOGRAPHY” and a girl was also going around reminding people not to take photos. I respected their request and waited till I got home to take a photo of my winnings instead. Everything in the photo except the double stranded pearl necklace was $5. The ribbon bead necklace was from Lee Angel and set me back $20. Both rings are from Banana Republic – org. $38. The charm bracelet is from J. Crew – they usually go for about $90 retail. The chandelier earrings are from BCBG – org. $68.
Who: DIANE vonFURSTENBERG
Why: Up to 75% off samples and new attire
Where: 260 5th Avenue (Between 28th and 29th Street)
When: December 8 – December 11, 2009
Monday 11am to 6pm
Tuesday 9am to 6:30pm
Wednesday 10am to 8pm
Thursday 10am to 7pm
Friday 9am to 3pm
BONUS: Preview day for friends, family & fans is today. They are not checking names at the door. Door closes at 6pm today.
I dropped by the sale at noon today and there’s a constant line of about 20 people. They are slowly letting people in so it takes a good 15 minutes wait to get inside. It was a bit of a frenzy inside but not unmanageable. There’s about 25-30 people on line for the communal fitting room. You have to check your coat and bag but the five coat check guys help move that along very fast. And besides, you need your hands for all the wrap dresses and silk blouses. Like last year, there’s boxes of sweaters right outside the dressing room. There’s even a bunch of 100% cashmere sweaters for $80!! I saw a lot of print wrap dresses but not as much this year. However, there are plenty of winter style dresses – sweater, thicker wool, 3/4 – long sleeve. I also saw a ton of Ayla silk sleeveless blouses in poppy purple and mustard yellow. There are also three racks of samples for $50 but it was quickly dwindling down. Girls were leaving the store with 1-3 full large bags of goodies. There’s a good chance your BFF is at the sale right now getting you a DVF sweater for the Holidays. Prices this way-> Read more…
Who: Thread Social
Why: 50% -75% off samples and new attire
Where: 26 West 17th Street Suite 301, between 5th and 6th Avenues
When: December 3 – December 4, 2009
I wonder if Michelle Obama shops at Thread Social. Anyone that follows Mrs. O’s fashion style knows she loves bows. And Thread Social’s all about the bows. Kidding aside, I really do love Thread Social. You can always find a great cocktail dress for whatever event you will be attending. The styles are feminine, unique, well-made and intricate.
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: 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…