X
X


    Manolos Now 50% Off

    If we knew anything about football we might be able to correlate the big Giant win to Manolo Blahnik’s second markdown. But we don’t. So we will have to be content in just saying, Manolo Blahnik has started their second markdown today.

    Customers can save 50% off on the fall and winter collection, including some alligator styles. This is a great opportunity to grab that special pair of shoes you’ve been watching all season.

    If you haven’t been holding your breath for something special, you might want to consider waiting for the next and final markdown. In early February, the Manolo boutique drops prices to 70% off, which is almost as good as the sample sale and without the excruciating wait. Just be sure to plan your shopping excursion carefully. The boutique closes between 2pm and 3pm to restock.

    Manolo Blahnik
    31 West 54th Street (between 5th and 6th Ave.)
    Mon-Fri 10:30 to 6:00pm, Sat 10:30 to 6:30, Sun 12pm to 5pm
    Don’t bother calling, nobody picks up the phone during sale season!

    Leave a comment on Manolos Now 50% Off

    Th It-it: The Perfect Red Lip

    By ManhattanMataHari

    There’s nothing quite like a pop-of-color –or POC, in fashion talk– to help combat the winter blues. None is more uplifting than the perfect red lip. Before you start you will need to find the perfect matte finish, high pigment lip color to achieve a look that’s classy, not trashy.

    We found the holy grail in Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Dragon Girl ($24). The shade is a universally flattering bright crimson that has incredible staying power.

    In true MadSpy fashion, we wanted to test the wearability. The application is fool-proof since the jumbo crayon affords more precision than traditional lipsticks. Unlike most lip pencils, Nars has a creamy matte finish with
    Vitamin E, so it won’t dry out your lips or require a top layer of balm.

    Our bright red pout lasted through an entire decadent meal at Il Mulino and a hot, meltdown-inducing session at Earth Yoga. After an hour of hot Vinyasa, our Dragon Girl lips were surprisingly perfect!

    When wearing red, be sure to take a hint from the 1950’s bombshells, and keep the rest of your makeup soft and neutral to bring out your inner diva. Also, a bit of concealer around the lip never hurts.

    Special Update: Last week we wrote about weightless totes and mentioned the
    Celine version ($1600). Today we spotted some at the TJ Maxx in Colombus Square. The hunter green colored tote was priced at just $799. Not too bad, huh?

    1 Comment on Th It-it: The Perfect Red Lip

    Bloomingdale’s Consolidation Sale

    If you’ve walked the floors of Bloomindale’s lately, you will notice that much of the sale merchandise is missing. We all know it didn’t disappear. Like Saks, the uptown department store is gathering sale inventory from all over the country for their bi-annual consolidation sale.

    The end-of-season blow-out will start on Sunday, January 15th and the markdown will be up to 80% off. The sale will include (but not be limited to) Marc Jacobs, Yigal, Moschino, Sonia Rykiel and Burberry London.

    Out of town shoppers are out of luck on this one. The sale will be exclusively at Bloomingdale’s 59th Street location.

    1 Comment on Bloomingdale’s Consolidation Sale

    Saks Consolidation Sale

    It’s that time of year again! All of the designer leftovers from Saks Fifth Avenue stores on the east coast are making their way to the 9th floor of the Fifth Avenue flagship. The discount is set to replicate the after Christmas sale, which was 70% off.

    The consolidation sale officially starts on Friday, January 13th but we took a sneak peak into the set-up. We spotted lots of Stella McCartney, Temperly, Moschino, Yigal Azrouel, TSE and Donna Karen. Head directly to the designer boutiques if you’re looking for reduced Chanel and Dior, which has price cuts of 60%.

    During the summer consolidation sale we found an Oscar dress for $337, a McQueen dress for $418 and a Dolce & Gabbana tweed pencil skirt for just $188. In addition, we found lots of exquisite evening wear including, a tailored black Valentino cocktail dress that is now $777 and a unique embellished Monique Lhuillier number for $641.

    Although the sale doesn’t officially start until Friday, we are told that the black curtains will open sooner. We suggest hitting the sale on Thursday if you want to get first dibs. Internet shoppers can usually find similar deals online but there usually isn’t the same variety of high-end designer merchandise.

    7 Comments on Saks Consolidation Sale

    Michael Kors Takes Steuben

    This fall we posted about Steuben shutting down its factory and its flagship store on Madison Avenue. New Years marked the end of that crystal dynasty but that real estate will not stay vacant for long.

    Michael Kors will be taking over the space that the century-old brand formerly occupied at 667 Madison, across from Barney’s. Kors already has an existing store at Madison and 60th but we imagine that location close once the new build-out is complete. A rep from Michael Kors did not answer specific questions but it appears as if the Steuben location is considerably larger.

    In addition to the Kors expansion, there seems to be a growing trend for brands to have two uptown locations. Many luxury icons seem to enjoy a flagship on or close to Fifth Avenue that attracts tourists from all around the world in addition to the neighborhood clientele that’s found on Madison.

    Most recently, Bottega Veneta opened a Madison Avenue location in addition to their Fifth Avenue flagship. Armani, Cavalli, Chanel, Cartier, Prada, Gucci and, yes, Juicy Couture all have mid-town and Madison Ave locations.

    Perhaps that’s a luxury that the luxury brands can afford.

    Leave a comment on Michael Kors Takes Steuben

    Crazy Gaga Workshop Sale

    We have to admit that the Barney’s Lady Gaga Workshop was a genius concept. It was imaginative and unique. We also have to admit that the prices of the novelty items included in the collaboration were also imaginative and unique.

    Well, all that has changed. Barney’s has slashed the prices of their Gaga Christmas workshop. The discount ranges from 40% to 70% off. The best deal is the candy. For example, candy finger rings which were insanely $28 and are now $9. You might want to bypass the stale candy and opt for the popular Deborah Lippman 3D Holographic nail polish. The duo set of polish is now $29 from $40.

    Another good bet is the Gaga Workshop x Barney’s tote, which is $14 from $38. (Be careful, not to confuse this tote with the Barney’s x Gaga tote, which is still $26 from $38.) The flame press-on nails are a personal favorite, but are still a frivolous $157 from $225 and you’re cousin from Pittsberg won’t get it. Instead, send her a bite of the big apple by way of the deep V-neck Gaga tee $33 from $75.

    Although the discounts are attractive, we bet that many of these items will show up for even less money at Barney’s outlets across the country. Anyone want to send me a note when they find those crazy nails for $2.25?

    Leave a comment on Crazy Gaga Workshop Sale

    The It-it: The Weightless Tote

    We can’t say it was unexpected. There was bound to be a backlash against the bigger and heavier bags that have been dominating the streets of Via Fashionable. A 35cm Birkin weights almost three pounds and that’s before it’s loaded with your wallet, phone, lipstick, keys and other junk.

    Handbag designers are increasingly adding fashionable lightweight bags to their collections. The styles, colors and quality go beyond the Goyard tote or the LV Neverfull. These bags are are wonderfully basic. There’s no lux lining, zipper or hardware but the leather is supple and the lines are classic. Best of all, they weigh next to nothing, which means you can feel free to pile on the junk.

    Celine’s version comes in a variety of colors and is priced at about $1600. At Bergdorf Goodman we found a YSL tote that has girly contrasting tassels that retails for $1500. Balenciaga’s Papier tote is $1350 and Givenchy offers another option with their Antigona for $1280.

    Although these tote bags are light,  they are not cheap. A good shopping tote will get kicked around and faithfully used and may show their wear quickly. Less expensive options are also abundant. We just suggest bolting for an interesting color and making sure your tote is weightless.

    6 Comments on The It-it: The Weightless Tote

    Marc Jacobs 70% Letdown

    By ManhattanMataHari

    When we first caught wind the Marc Jacobs collection would be a hefty 70% off We couldn’t help but get excited when we caught wind of the Marc Jacobs collection discount. The markdown is hefty at 70% off but upon arrival at the store we were sorely disappointed.

    The sale consists only of two small racks of fall and winter 2011 merchandise. There is also a small assortment of booties and pumps below that have been marked down. The racks of clothing were sparse at best, with our best find being a boucle wool $1800 peacoat marked down to $540. It is truly hit or miss because the styles and sizing is extremely limited. A sales associate hinted there “might” be some extra sizes out back but it seemed unlikely.

    We also spotted a few $7900 retail sheared fox cropped jackets on the markdown rack. Even with the discount there are better fur investments for your money. Looking down at the sale shoes, it was easy to see why these stragglers were still on the sales floor – not the most desirable styles. Sadly, no tall boots were to be found.

    Bottom line: if you had your heart set on getting a discounted Stam handbag or other accessories, don’t bother. We suggest calling ahead if you had your heart set on a specific item.

    Johann: 212-343-1490

    1 Comment on Marc Jacobs 70% Letdown