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    Jacadi Liquidation

    Our favorite Lower East Side discount store, Gabays Outlet, just received a huge shipment of Jacadi children’s clothing.

    The discount is currently 50% off retail and we believe many items to be current season merchandise. If you ware willing to wait it out, prices tend to get reduced further as time goes on and inventory declines.

    No kids to shop for? No problem. Closeout season is almost here…

    Gabay’s Outlet
    225 First Avenue (between 13th and 14th)
    212-254-3180
    contactus@gabaysoutlet.com

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    DecadesTwo Delivers

    Warning: if you are prone to getting overly excited from sale information it might be best to walk away from your computer or put down your mobile device now. You know who you are “Orgasm Girl.”

    DecadesTwo, the Hollywood-based luxury consignment store, has rolled into town once again. Today was the press preview and there was no way we were going to miss early access to this sale. We hear that much of the merchandise came directly from the closets of Rachel Zoe and Sandra Bullock. (Click here to see a full photo album from the sale.) Needless to say, we experienced major closet envy. If this is what they are getting rid of we would hate to see what they keep.

    As expected of any DecadesTwo sale, there were racks of amazing designer clothes, shoes and bags. Quite unexpectedly, we fell in love with the two small trays of Chanel jewelry. We could almost hear RZ saying, “I.Die.” And we did. Prices of the Chanel necklaces range from $222 for a restively modest piece to $1150 for a statement necklace dripping with Coco’s logo. Despite the expense, you can be assured that each is a real treasure that will maintain its value over time.

    Moving on to clothing, there seems to be more Chanel than any other designer. Tweed jackets, coats and dresses all range in price from about $1200 to $3000. We found an entire rack of Alexander McQueen. One dress in particular, from his x-ray collection, is a real steal at $890. An asymmetrical McQueen dress with original tags still attached is $1225. (It was originally $2545.) A McQueen gray geometric jacket is $250.

    There are also lots of shoes: Louboutin, Prada, Atwood, Choo, Kirkwood, YSL, Gucci. Prices for Louboutins are about $200 to $400 depending on the style and the condition of the shoe. High Dolce boots are $360. Prada boots are $450. Lanvin platforms $220.

    Bags, bags, bags. There are lots of bags but none that really stole our hearts. There is a small assortment of Chanel classic-style purses placed off to the side. A Chocolate brown Chanel bag, not exactly in pristine condition, is $1350. A tan patent leather Chanel bag with perforation is $1800.

    New merchandise will be added daily throughout the sale period. If these prices all seem high, just wait until Sunday when the sale will be stocked with a fresh load of shoes all priced at $150 and under. Yes, there will be Louboutins, Pradas and Chanels. We can’t wait!

    DecadesTwo @ Kiki de Montparnasse
    Thursday, March 18 to Sunday, March 21
    Thursday, March 18, 11am-7pm
    Friday, March 19, 11am-7pm
    Saturday, March 20, 11am-7pm
    Sunday, March 21, 12pm-5pm, including shoe sale.
    79 Greene Street
    212-965-9070

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    Retail Therapy: Kiran Rai

    Kiran Rai founded the popular fashion brand, Sir Alistair Rai with a line of t-shirts that had slogans such as, “Adopt Me Angelina” and a portrait T-shirt of Mahatma Gandhi. The Kitson buyers saw these t-shirts and the brand has been in rocket mode ever since.

    Angelina Jolie, Julia Roberts, Halle Berry and Jessica Alba are fans of Kiran’s designs, which has expanded into ready-to-wear and accessories. Today, her collections can be found in over 500 retailers including, Nordstroms, Intermix, Henri Bendels, Selfridges and Harvey Nichols.

    This week, we caught up with Kiran to talk a bit about our favorite pastime– shopping. After speaking for a short while it became evident that Kiran’s style has two very distinct tracks, one that’s easy going and relaxed and another that’s completely polished and sophisticated. Kiran’s split life between Arizona and NYC is literally, poolside to Upper East Side. She has a weak spot for Chanel but is lusting after a classic pair of denim overalls. If these two items aren’t diametrically opposed, what is?

    Read for yourself and let us know what you think.

    What’s your most prized “deal?”
    Around Halloween time I went to Screaming Mimi’s (a downtown vintage shop) looking for a costume. I ended up getting a fox hair coat for $120. It’s really beautiful.

    The best deal was a YSL jacket I found at a thrift store in San Francisco for $60. I wear it all the time. Since the recession I find that vintage and consignment shops are booming with more product then ever before.

    Biggest regret that you didn’t purchase?
    It’s almost ridiculous, but I wanted these Chanel flip-flops made of cheesy PVC. I think about them all the time. They are a plain black flip-flop, the bottom of the sole is gray and there is a small logo on the side. They almost look like Havaianas –but Chanel Havainas. I thought they were just too ridiculous but I would have worn them all the time.

    This season you are looking for…
    This season I am looking for denim accents. A really good denim shirt or Ralph Lauren overalls. The look takes me back to 1984. There is something about it that just feels right.

    What’s your number one shopping tip?
    If you cant get it out of your mind go back and buy it. I used to just buy, but then I realized that I just ended up with lots of things that I don’t even wear. I have become more frugal. If I think about it for a week, it’s mine.

    What’s your biggest weakness?
    Chanel! I am a huge fan. I think it’s timeless. The pearls, the bags, cloths, shoes—I have tons. I have enough ballet flats to open a dance studio.

    Is there an item for which a shopper should never mind paying full price?
    I say Chanel. It’s timeless. I don’t feel like this about any other designer besides the House of Chanel. It’s worth the money. You only need one timeless bag in black. You will remember more about buying your fist Chanel than you will about your first boyfriend. It’s the truth!

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    Kors Takes Ungaro

    We hear that Michael Kors just inked a deal to take over the Emanuel Ungaro space on Madison at 67th Street. The Ungaro store quietly closed earlier this month after reducing prices 75% off.

    The Northern Kors boutique, at Madison and 77th Street will remain open according, to our source. Michael Kors also has another boutique at Madison and 60th Street, which just opened 16-months ago and carries his jet-set Michael Kors line in addition to his lower lines, Kors by Michael Kors and Michael by Michael Kors. We don’t know if the former Ungaro location, which is just 1,600-square-feet, will carry all three lines. Calls to the Michael Kors press office were not returned.


    We can’t help but wonder if this expansion into a Madison Avenue location is a way to take on Ralph Lauren, who has cemented a deep footprint into Madison. If so, Michael has his work cut out for him. Ralph is currently building a new 27,500-square-foot store to accent the 22,000-square-foot Rhinelander Mansion, which will be dedicated entirely to men’s wear.

    Should we stir the pot and title this the Americana wars? Jet-set-vs-preppy!

    Photo credit: FashionTraveler
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    Saks Breaks Out New Designers

    Many stylists and expert shoppers advise that if you’re going to spend a lot of money on an item, buy something that you will wear every day. That is the biggest crock of, ahem. We all know that the things we wear every day are generally ordinary and can be purchased just about anywhere for any price: jeans, tee-shirts, sweaters, white shirts, black heels, black dresses. At some point they all start looking the same regardless of price.

    That’s why we always say, if you’re gong to splurge, go big. Buy something unique, an item that sets you apart and announces your personal style. For this reason we have been bored to tears by the merchandise selection in most department stores. After the economic fallout buyers needed to stick to stocking the shelves with safe merchandise. (Read: Boring.)

    Well ladies, we think it’s safe to return the department store, at least to the Saks shoe department. For the first time, Saks Fifth Avenue is adding an assortment of emerging designers to their New York and Beverly Hills flagships. Starting this week the designs of Heather Williams, Daniele Michetti, Diego Dolcini, Gianvito Rossi, Jonathan Kelsey, and Rupert Sanderson can be found in 10022-SHOE.

    Unfortunately, our feet don’t have an intimate relationship with most of these designers. We did, however, fall in love with Heather Williams’ collection when she had a sample sale at the Krizia boutique earlier this year. We have a feeling we will have the same reaction to the rest of the club.

    This edgy Saks collection is highly edited and only three or four styles were chosen from each of the designers. Prices are about as timid as the styling, ranging from $495 to $1575. At least the shocking price is accompanied by eye-catching styles.

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    Liberty of London at Target

    Another season, another Target designer line. This week it was a 360-degree collaboration with Liberty of London. The 135-year-old British department store known for their bold floral prints has a wide selection of Target merchandise including, housewares, men’s wear, women’s wear, kid’s cloths, bathing suits, linens, picture frames and even a reported floral print bicycle.

    The floral collab has been quite the sensation, at least in New York. A pop-up store, which opened in mid-town ahead of the official box-store launch, had to close a day earlier than planned because everything sold out. We knew if we wanted to find a good selection of merchandise we would need to hit a lesser known Target than the popular Jersey City location.

    Our plan turned out to be a good one. Our mid-day shopping trip was a successful harvest on most accounts. The North Bergen Target was heavily stocked with women’s dresses, bathing suits, kid’s cloths and some housewares. Men’s floral print shirts, tableware and bedding was were running low even at mid-day. (Click here to see all of our Target pictures.)

    We’ve had a real problem with the quality of the merchandise that’s been created by Target for recent designer lines. This time around there was a lot more to focus on besides the clothing. The pictures frames, trays, bedding and even the children’s clothing were exquisitely executed and a real value. The women’s apparel would have been tremendously more appealing if more of the items were made of cotton. Polyester doesn’t breath and we can’t imagine tenting ourselves in a floor length synthetic fabric in the heat of summer.

    Overall, the prints are adorable and a much needed spray of color amidst the gloomy wind and rain of our most recent nor’easter. If you can’t get to a Target immediately, shop online because the mechanise is going fast and once it’s gone… it’s gone.

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    The Civilized NJ Hermes Sale

    We paid our $8 toll and we’re back from the Hermes sale in the Riverside Mall in Hackensack, NJ. To us New York girls shopping Hermes in a mall is like buying Nike sneakers on 57th Street– it just never feels right.

    Once we put our biases aside we were able to shop. As previously posted, the sale includes men’s and women’s ready-to-wear, shoes, hats and gloves are all 40% to 60% off. What did we find? A very calm and relaxed environment filled with unexpected treasures. (Click here to browse through a catalogue of Spy pictures.)

    We found the best deals to be the shoes. High-heel platform lizard sandals that were $2350 are $1410, black patent leather flats with a silver “Kelly” buckle were $970 are now $388 and gorgeous suede high boots were $1775 are now $710. We were a bit dubious about the boots because it looks like they were reduced to $470 at one point and then marked back up.

    In the ready-to-wear department we spotted a silk trench coat that was $7300 and now $2920, a $10,600 cashmere coat with a mink collar is now $4240, a heavy brandy wool winter scarf was $895 is now $537, a $345 rain hat with an orange lining is now $207 and a great bright orange knit cap with darker Hs is $177.

    This sale runs though Saturday and before you ask, there are no discounted ties, belts, bracelets, jewelry, watches or bags. The big Metropolitan Pavilion Hermes semi-annual sale starts on March 23 for press and VIPs and opens to the general public from March 24th to March 28th. That’s where you can find a chop suey of all Hermes sale items.

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    Sephora Beauty Closeout

    Sephora carries hundreds of beauty lines and every so often they discontinue a product or end a relationship. When this happens, the cosmetic emporium posts the products on their website at highly discounted prices.

    This week, we came across Cargo, Kevyn Aucoin, and Laura Geller selling at a fraction of their original prices.

    Cargo is known as one of the most innovative brands on the beauty scene. Their high-tech blu_ray powders are often used for movie and television production. The blu-ray bronzer is normally $30 but marked down to $7.50, their $35 mascara is now $8.80 and blu-ray lip gloss was $24 and is now discounted to $6.

    The late Kevyn Aucoin was one of the most sought-after makeup artists in the world. His products are loved by professionals and armatures alike. Foundation that was $45 is now $11.30 and Luminizer was $32 and is now $8.

    Laura Geller, who has a retail store on Lexington and 75th Street, is known as the New York make-up guru. Eyeshadow that were $23 are now $5.80, $23 cake eyeliner is now $5.80 and a lipgloss that was $18 is now $4.50.

    Don’t hesitate if you want to capture any of these deals. We already missed out on our favorite Kevyn Aucoin eyeliner that was reduced to $5. Saving money on great cosmetics just means you have more money for shoes, bags dresses…

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