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    Worthy Sample Sales: Nest, Suno, Westwood

    It appears as if Winter has finally hit the road. The skies are blue and warmer weather is here. We couldn’t think of a more inviting environment to hit the sample sale track. This week, there are several sales occurring. Below are some of our favorites:



    Hanro of Switzerland
    We always love a true sample sale. The only pitfall is the sizing. Expect to find discounts of about 75% off retail at this Hanro sale. The selection includes loungewear, sleepwear, and underpinnings for men and women. Unfortunately, most everything is a sample size, which is a woman’s waif (small) and a men’s skinny (medium).
    Through Wednesday, April 20th
    Tue 8am—6pm, Wed 8am—5pm
    358 Fifth Ave (btwn 34th and 35th), 6th fl

    Suno
    Here’s another great opportunity to shop direct from the designer’s showroom. At the last sale everything was priced under $200. Shoppers should expect to have to mine through cardboard boxes and disorderly racks but these types of shopping conditions make finding a diamond even more rewarding.
    Wednesday, April 20th through Friday, April 22nd
    Daily 10am—6pm
    260 W 39th St (btwn 7th & 8th Ave), 4th floor

    Nest Fragrances
    The last Nest sample sale was at 260’s SoHo sample sale space. Prior to the sale closing we were able to stock up on standard size candles and fragrant liquid soaps for just $15 each. The West Side Highway is bit of a journey from the Upper East Side but we suggest recruiting someone who already works in the building. (It’s so big, you must know someone!)
    Wednesday, April 20th through Thursday, April 21st
    Daily 9am—6pm
    601 W 26th St (btwn 11th & 12th Ave), Suite 1340

    Vivienne Westwood
    We are told that this four-day Westwood sale will include clothing, shoes, bags, small leather accessories, scarves, jewelry, and sunglasses. We anticipate that more recent collections (last year’s) will be discounted 60% and older collections could be reduced up to 90%. Expect to find assorted merchandise from the Anglomania, Red Label, and Gold Label lines.
    Thursday, April 21st through Friday, April 24th
    Daily 10am—6pm
    20 W 36th St (btwn 5th & 6th Ave), 6th floor

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    Saks Friends & Family Sale Creates Enemies

    The Saks Fifth Avenue Friends & Family sale started online today and loyal customers are irate. Over the past several years, the bi-annual discount promotion has been plagued by a growing number of designer exclusions. Last year we counted over 200 designers who didn’t participate. This season, Saks threw out the designer list and discount code and has opted to designate opt-in on an item-by-item basis.

    Online shoppers must shop a designated section on the site to find all the discounted items. Customers shopping in the store need to ask for sales assistant help to see which items are included in promotion. After digging in, we found some very interesting findings: Iro is out, Adam Lippes is in. All Burberry is out, Coach (clothing) is in. Yigal Azrouel’s designer collection is in but many Derek Lam 10 Crosby items are out.

    Saks might be able to make up for all these inclusion and exclusion irregularities. We were sent the code SAKSAPR where you can save an extra 10% off the ‘Special Event Pricing.‘

    Remember, this isn’t a bad time to plan ahead for Mother’s Day. If you’re looking for savings on designer brands you are going to have to sit on your hands until the end of May.

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    Marimekko Launches at Target

    It was this time last year that Lilly Pulitzer swept its way through Target. Shoppers were enraged by the lack of inventory and at how quickly the collection sold out. This year, Target teamed up with the Finnish design house Marimekko but this launch didn’t break the Internet as it did last year.

    As of Sunday night, most of the collection is still available. The most popular items appear to be the beach towels ($24) and print salad plates ($20). Some of our personal favorite items are the flip-flops ($16), the girl’s kaftan ($20), a woman’s coverup ($30), the outdoor sun umbrellas ($119) and the stand up paddle board ($499).

    Despite the fact that Marimekko didn’t spark the excitement of Lily Pulitzer, all the bright prints and accessories are fun to shop. You should also take note that items that sell out during the most popular launches tend to trickle back in the return bins. We are going to keep a watchful eye on those towels and maybe even get one of those paddle boards if they get marked down.

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    Barneys Purple Card Promotion

    If you haven’t explored Barneys Downtown we have the perfect opportunity for you to head South. Starting today and through Sunday, Barneys shoppers can earn a $25 gift card, or “Purple Card‘, for every $250 they spend. Accrued gift cards are redeemable starting Monday, April 18, 2016 through Sunday, May 22, 2016.

    We know that shopping incentive programs aren’t the best way to save money but a gift card for your purchase often feels like chocolate cake after great meal. While, Saks Fifth Avenue is offering 30% off during friends and family but almost every high-end designer is excluded. The difference with this gift card event is that almost every brand is included. The only exceptions are Brunello Cucinelli, Chanel, Ermenegildo Zegna and Mansur Gavriel. (We don’t get the MG exclusion either.)

    Even though a trip downtown can be fun, the Purple Card promotion is available at Barneys stores nationwide. Be warned, however, Barneys will most likely not extend the dates if the cards aren’t used during the specified window of time. So be sure to enjoy your meal and eat all your dessert.

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    Reed Krakoff Lands at Kohls

    Last year, Reed Krakoff abruptly pulled the plug on his namesake ’empire.’ We heavily documented the merchandise liquidation and the store closings. (You can read a riveting in-depth story about the fall of Reed Krakoff in this month’s Vanity Fair.)

    Some New Yorkers might confuse Kohl’s with a popular power source in the 1800s but today many suburbanites shop at Kohl’s for their affordable (read: quite inexpensive) designer collections. Where many cost conscious retailers have struggled to stay relevant, Kohl’s has found success with its continually changing designer partnerships. Some of the more successful collections include, Vera Wang, Thakoon, Michelle Smith (Milly) and Juicy Couture.

    Now the man behind Coach and one of the most expensive fashion flops is landing at Kohl’s. The “Reed” collection, which consists of bags and clothing went live on the Kohl’s site today and will be available in stores on April 21. The prices of bags and apparel range from $15 to $129.

    The bag designs are exactly the same as bag versions sold on Madison and in Bergdorf Goodman. The style names haven’t even been changed. Shoppers can find versions of the Boxer ($119), the Atlantique ($109) and the popular RK40 ($15-$129). Luggage tags are adorable and just $15.

    In an interview with Fashionista Krakoff said “he sought out soft but super durable materials that wouldn’t lose shape when filled with belongings, and that could hold up to saturated colors.” (It would have been nice if he found a leather that wouldn’t lose shape when he was designing for the luxury customer.)

    For the clothing, Reed went back to the designs he planned to execute for his luxury line before he closed up shop.  For Kohl’s, Krakoff used “unique production through new custom prints and fabrications.” The asymmetrical skirt was a mainstay in the designer’s original line and has been conceptualized here for just $79. Scuba fabric is always popular within Kohl’s collections and was used in this sheath dress that’s $68. This shift dress is also $68 and this watercolor top is $50.

    We aren’t doubtful that this collection will be considered a success but takes a lot of effort to keep customers continuously engaged.  This is true on the top of the market and at the lower rungs.

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    Saks Friends and Family Sale: PreSale Begins

    Friends and Family doesn’t officially start at Saks Fifth Avenue until April 18th but in-the-know shoppers can start curating their discount purchases now. It’s officially pre-sale. The markdown will be 30% off on clothing, shoes, and accessories.

    Speaking of sale exclusions, the list is quite extensive. Generally speaking, all luxury designer brands are excluded. The friends and family discount can be applied to most contemporary lines like Alice & Olivia, DVF, Rag & Bone, Milly, Red Valentino and most denim collections. We were told that Donna Karan will actually be discounted 40%, as it’s the last season the collection will be sold. Brands like Valentino, Proenza, Alexander Wang and Chloe are all excluded.

    The sale officially begins on Monday in stores will run for four days. Online shoppers are usually given a code to begin shopping the sale two days early. We will update the post when the sale goes live and you can being shopping online.

    Clothing: Delphine 646-370-0032
    Shoe Salon: Gilbert 646-206-0618

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    Worthy Sample Sales: Yigal, Oscar & Loro Piana

    It’s been a few weeks since there’s been a sample sale worth mentioning. Lucky for us, spring break is over and sample sale shopping can resume. Below is a carefully curated selection of our favorite upcoming sample sales.



    Yigal Azrouël
    This has historically been one of our favorite sample sales of the season. We love the wearable and sexy clothing that is stylish but still classic. We admit we now have more than enough Yigal in our closets but a good markdown could be hard to resist. We are told that most everything will be priced at 80% off retail. Most of we snapshots we were given were from this past winter collection but you might be able to get a wearing or two if the weather continues to be schizophrenic. A sleeveless structured dress will be $175 from $1390, a leather jacket with a detachable fur collar will be $475 from $1950 and a fringe sweater will be $150 from almost $500.

    Tuesday, April 12th through Thursday, April 14
    Tues 11am – 7pm, Wed & Thurs 9am – 7pm
    225 West 39th Street, 5th Floor

    Oscar de la Renta
    Six days in sample sale world is an eternity. We can only imagine how much merchandise will be available at Oscar’s upcoming sale. During past sales the discounts were 80% off retail and included a range of bridal, ready-to-wear and accessories. This season, It’s a new venue and a new host, so it’s hard to speculate the sale assortment and pricing. Considering the length of the sale– did we mention it was SIX DAYS!– we would expect there to be lots of merchandise and periodic price reductions. This could be an opportune time to pick up what the last few pieces that were made under the tutelage of the master himself. Remember, the Met Ball and the Spring social season are right around the corner.

    Tuesday, April 12 through Sunday, April 17
    Tues 10am-8pm, Wed-Sat 11-8pm, Sun 11am-5pm
    150 Greene St. (btw Houston & Prince)

    Loro Piana
    Expect to be blanketed by a sea of fine cashmere at the Loro Piana sample sale. We’ve often been disappointed by the steep prices from this sale. Last season discounts range from 40% to 60% off. Despite the dismal discount, loyal fans never leave dissatisfied and continue to come back year after year. Expect to find a variety of clothing and accessories for men and women.


    Through Thursday, April 14
    Tues & Wed 9am-6:30pm, Thurs 9am-5pm
    317 W. 33rd St. (@ 8th Ave.), Soffer Haskin

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    The IT-It: Denim Bags

    Denim has been hot for some time but bags made from dungaree fabric are all the rage for Summer. This warm weather staple was interpreted into handbags in a number of ways. They range from super casual to elaborate with versions showing up frayed, patchwork, embroidered, painted, beaded and mixed with other materials.

    The best part of choosing a denim bag is that they are usually a bit expensive and less heavy than their leather counterparts. Some of our favorite denim bags, this season, include Stella McCartney’s quilted and chain top handle bag ($1000), a Medium Foldover YSL bag ($1790) and the more elaborate embroidered version from Valentino ($3445) and a beaded style Fendi Peeckaboo ($4850). We also love these less expensive options offered by Michael Kors in fringe ($258), quilted ($228) and patchwork ($278). (Promise, the Michael Kors versions are really nice.)

    There is also a great selection of denim shoes this season. Check out these versions from Gianvito Rossi ($670), Jimmy Choo ($895) and Christian Louboutin ($895).

    Update: Lord & Taylor’s friends and family sale will afford you a savings of 25% off those Michael Kors bags and Nordstrom will price match L&T’s promotion. Take your pick.

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