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    Retail Therapy: Rebecca Moses

    Rebecca Moses has been designing clothing since she was 21-years-old. She produced collections under her own label in New York for many years but later moved to Northern Italy where she replaced Gianni Versace as the designer of Italy’s chic, Genny fashion line.

    Throughout Rebecca’s career, she has gained the respect of her peers and critics by creating silluettes that whisper quality above the yells of luxury.

    We recently caught up with Rebecca Moses in conjunction with her debut clothing line at Macy’s. The collection is a variety of “fundamentals” and “wow” pieces. So there’s a little black dress, a cigarette pant, a collard white shirt and also novelty tees and a deep purple party skirt.

    Rebecca says, “passion” is her favorite fashion word and asserts that young fashion designers should remember to stay humble because “to be successful you are going to have to do a bit of everything.” Yes, that even means being your own gofer.

    Read below to find out more wisdom from this world-class designer and let us know what you think?

    How is the shopping experience different in New York than it is in Europe?
    Stores in Europe are much smaller and more specialized. There aren’t many big department stores and the selections are often much smaller. New Yorker’s wardrobes are much more seasonal and we are perpetually shopping. That isn’t really the case in Europe although it is changing to be more like the US.

    What’s your number one shopping tip?
    Buy what you love. Don’t shop according to trends or styles. Go on your instincts and buy things you will feel good wearing.

    What’s your most prized deal?
    I really can’t think of one. Because I’m a designer, I don’t get a lot of time to shop for myself. When I see something that is different and lights a fire within me, I just buy it.

    This season you are looking for…
    The tee shirt is the must have item of the season. Everyone knows about the little black dress but the other great item for the season is the little white dress. They are just a must have for summer.

    What inspires you?
    I am very much inspired by colors. They tell people how you feel. Red and purple are happy and confident. If you see someone wearing all black, you know exactly what type of mood they are in. The same goes for white.

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    Missoni Markdown

    Sale season is officially begun!

    We got a call today alerting us to the first markdown of the season. Missoni’s spring and summer collections are now 40% to 50% off. Discount specifics are still unknown because sales associates were still going through the price sheet as we received our phone call. It’s safe to bet that the resort collection will be discounted more than newer summer collection but that’s just a generalization.

    Longtime readers of Mad-Spy know that Missoni is usually the first Madison Avenue store to take a markdown. Afterwards, all bets are off. Keep your eyes glued to the site and keep your credit cards near by because no sale is too private or markdown steep.

    Contact: Connie 212-517-9339

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    DecadesTwo’s SATC Sale

    The feature length version of Sex and the City is coming around for seconds and so is DecadesTwo. Just as the girls are leaving NYC for Dubai, the high-end LA consignment shop is stepping out of SoHo’s Kiki de Montparnasse and heading to a 3,200-sq-ft condo.

    We all know that shopper extraordinaire, Carrie Bradshow could fill the closets of this four bedroom herself but what would the space look like if the ladies were all shacking up together? (And we thought the recession was over!)

    Well, Christos Garkinos, the man behind DecadesTwo, is dreaming up that exact scenario. From Thursday, May 20th to Saturday, May 22nd, invited guests can shop through this virtual SATC closet.

    There’s just one thing: this shopping soiree is not open to the public. But we were given ten passes to this semi-private shopping event. Want in? You’re going to have to brush up on your SATC trivia. Readers who emailed us the correct answers to the questions below –all relating to season one–will get prime entry to this VIP-only event.

    1. Carrie is referring to whom when she says:
      Men in their 40s are like the New York Times Sunday crossword puzzle:
      tricky, complicated and you’re never really sure you got the right answer
    2. Everyone at Miranda’s law firm thought she didn’t have a boyfriend, why?
    3. The bus billboard of Carrie Bradshaw travels down what Avenue?
    4. Charlotte had a portrait painted of what body part?
    5. Kim Cattrall was how old when the series started and what is her present age?
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    Lighthouse international’s Designer Sale

    Vintage shopping used to be so much fun, but it’s become a victim of its own popularity. Between the dealers and the high prices, it’s rare to find real treasures. But when a neighborhood organization hosts a “clean out of the closet sale” you know there are going to be great finds.

    Every year, Upper East Siders (and even some Upper West Siders) clean out their closets and donate their unwanted and unused items to Lighthouse International for their annual designer sale. Most of the merchandise is vintage, but designers like Carolina Herrera and Courrèges donated new clothing from their inventories.

    The first thing we did when arrived was hit the designer room. Some items were priced on the high side, but you can’t blame them– it’s charity. While browsing the preview, we found lots of quality new or almost new items that included; Manolos for $250, YSL pumps for $200 (Tom Ford era?), and Dior booties for $250. There were also lots of great bags like a Lanvin shoulder bag at $400, a limited edition Louis Vuitton Olympe priced at $900, a white Prada Saffiano Satchel at $400, a Louis Vuitton Vernis tote for $850, and a huge Vuitton suitcase priced at $900.

    The clothing selection was just as impressive. We found a Chloe sheer blouse for $100, a tweed Chanel dress priced at $950, a Chanel tweed skirt suit for $1900, a Carolina Herrera dress for $900, a black wool YSL dress at $450. Fur coats? Yes, there were racks: silver fox for $750, lunaraire mink at $1850, Russian sable priced at $5000, and ranch mink for $1950.

    Then we found the jewelry. We were tickled by the Joan Rivers collection of jewels tat were all priced at about $20, but it was the Chanel collection of bijoux that really dazzled. Again prices were high ranging from $600 to $1200.

    We noticed lots of people haggling and making deals. As the sale continues, we imagine that the prices will become increasingly more flexible. The sale runs until Sunday, May 6th. Details are below.

    Lighthouse International’s Posh Fashion Sale
    Thursday, May 13 to Sunday, May 16
    Thurs-Sat:11am to 7pm, Sun 11am to 5pm
    111 East 59th Street (bw Park and Lex)
    Daily pass: $10 or Four Day Pass: $30

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    Louboutin Sale: Frustrating

    Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom will keep Louboutin lovers away from a discounted shoe. We sent a spy to the press only sale early this morning and her frustration was palpable.

    Stylista-Spy got to the sale at 9am and the line was already very long. She says, many women arrived and left early out of frustration. Security is also extremely strict. There was more than one woman who made it to the front of the line but was then turned away because of not being on “the list.”

    After waiting 2.5 hours, she finally made it in. “Only two people were permitted to shop at one time,” she said. The worst part was that everything was “very picked over.” She advises that ALL shoppers should stay home unless you are a 35, 36 or 40+. All basic styles were sold. Most of the styles left were identifiably from past seasons and all “sizzling, flashy and crazy.”

    The prices were the most rewarding part. Pumps were $250, more ornate shoes were $325 and boots were $500. Stylista-Spy grabbed three pair for a client and a pair for herself. “There nothing I loved that much but after waiting all that time I wasn’t about to leave empty handed,” she said.

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    Prices Slashed on Filene’s Finds

    There’s a lot of buzz going on around Union Square this week. First it was the opening of Nordstorm Rack and then DSW started a three-day shoe giveaway.

    Filene’s Basement, however, has been mistakenly overlooked within all this frantic shopping madness. Well, not by us. While in the neighborhood, we decided to check in on our Missoni and Blumarine finds that we spotted almost a month ago. And boy, we were happy we did.

    Filenes has reduced all high-end designer merchandise, dubbed “The Vault,” 50% off. So those Missoni sweater sets we spotted are now just $100, knit dresses are $200 and a print tops are $100. An intricately beaded Blumarine coat is $500, an exquisite gold sequined dress is $500 and the full length asymmetrical gown is just $300.

    Some of our favorite items were already gone (perhaps because of our own doing) but there’s still lots of racks and treasures to explore.

    Go. Enjoy. The values are tremendous and the financial commitment is minimal. You also have 30 days to contimplate your purchases. Now, that’s a deal.

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    Louboutin Sale: Please Don’t Come

    As you may have noticed, we have eliminated information about the Cristian Louboutin sample sale. Unfortunately, word has traveled too quickly and spokespeople from Christian Louboutin are asserting that NOBODY beyond the confirmed press list will be admitted to the sale.

    “We don’t want to cause frustration with shoppers wasting their time,” the spokesperson said. This sale has traditionally been press only event but in past seasons some exceptions were made. This will not be the case. “There will be security and unless you have an invitation and a confirmation email you will not be admitted,” she said.

    We must concede that an overcrowded sample sale can can be problematic. We tend to believe that this year’s list will be stricter than ever. As always, we will keep an eye on sales and let you know as soon as we hear of a great Louboutin discount.

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