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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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    Now Open: In & Out

    Beauty fanatics and anti-aging enthusiasts can rejoice with the opening of In & Out beauty. The Swiss beauty concept just opened their first US boutique on Madison Avenue, between 77th and 78th street.

    Tucked between Missoni and Intermix, In & Out combines supplements for baby-boomers with serums, creams and lotions loved by cosmetic junkies. The product line focuses in five essential areas: acne, anti-aging, whitening, sensitive and reddening skin and slimming.

    Of course, each product package embodies everything you need to look great, in and out– dietary supplements and four to five skin-care products. A store manager said that they will soon have an estition on location to offer mini facials and assist in skin-care emergencies.

    While the boutique is small, it combines an aquatic space-age decor with a sparseness usually reserved for selling precious jewelry. Beyond the under-the-sea surroundings the store happens to smell amazing with a nose full of gardenia and other scented flowers.

    This is a concept that can be easily be embraced by glossy magazines and aging baby boomers alike. Oh, did we fail to mention there are lots of samples? Who doesn’t love samples?

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    Prada Sample Rack Rolled Out

    It’s March and the Prada sample sale rack has officially been rolled out for outlet shoppers. The Woodbury Common’s Prada outlet is offering customers a chance to take home legitimate samples (mostly size 38 to 42) at a fraction of their retail price.

    We couldn’t identify anything from spring 2010 but did find lots of winter 2009 merchandise from both the Prada and Miu Miu collections. There were a wide assortment of Prada deep v-neck dresses—gold velvet, mink and embroidered– with boiled wool bottoms ranging in price from $230 to $400. We also found pieces of the leather strip series that were priced about $1500.

    Our favorite part of this Prada collection, and the sale rack, were items with paillette embroidery. Included were a skirt, dress and coat all priced around and above $1000. A bit expensive for the sample rack but all are classic times that will look fabulous for decades to come.

    Miu Miu items include a brocade print wool coat and dress and ill-fitting heavy wool wrap dresses and tops all under $300.

    If you’re not a sample size you can still take advantage of deep outlet discounts. All skirts, dresses and pants are an extra 40% off the outlet price. Most everything else — including accessories and shoes–are an additional 25% off the outlet price.

    While shopping, look carefully at tags. Some items are reduced even further. We found a rack of lacy winter 2008 merchandise where some items were marked an additional 60% off.

    We are told that the sample sale rack will stay out until all the merchandise is sold. Don’t leave that as an excuse to procrastinate because Prada is a heavily trafficked store and items at this price will not hang around for a long time. We bet those $90 wool bloomers will even find a home.

    The outlet is more than happy to ship merchandise if you aren’t able to make it to the white-capped mountains of Harriman, NY. Just remember that all sales are final and not all merchandise is without damage.

    Rob 845-928-3706

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    Sample Sales: Escada & Dolce

    The Metropolitan Pavilion area will be busy with sample sales this week. Today, was the first day of the Escada sale at Pavilion North where merchandise is 75% to 90% off retail. Early reports are that the prices are great but finding your size can be a killer.

    The sale runs until Wednesday afternoon and there’s even a sale hotline for shoppers who have questions.

    Starting Thursday, Dolce & Gabbana and D&G will start their sale one block South. We are told prices will be up to 75% off but have no intelligence on what merchandise will be included. At the last sale, shoppers where overwhelmed by the vast selection– but that was 2009. Markdowns ranged from 50% to 75% off. We expect prices to be about the same considering that the boutique reduced winter 2009 merchandise to 60% off.

    Escada
    110 West 19th (b/w 6th and 7th)
    Sunday, March 2 to Wednesday, March 10
    Sun. to Tues. 10am to 7pm, Wed. 10am to 5pm
    Sale Hotline 212-852-5446

    Dolce & Gabbana/ D&G
    123 West 18th Street, 4th Floor
    Thursday, March 11 to Sunday, March 14
    Thursday to Saturday 9am to 7pm, Sun. 9am to 6pm

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    Hermès Sale: NJ

    Ladies, grab your E-ZPass because next week we will be taking a road trip across the GW Bridge. The Hermès store at the Shops at Riverside, in Hackensack, NJ are hosting a sale where ready-to-wear, shoes, hats and gloves will be 40% to 60% off.

    The sale will run from Thursday, March 11th and run until Saturday, March 13th. Thursday is supposedly a VIP sale day but we get a hunch that getting into the sale will be as difficult as getting into a Jersey Shore bar.

    Sales people say, they don’t know what merchandise will be discounted because “it’s call coming from our warehouse and it hasn’t arrived yet.”

    Who’s in?

    Contact: Manny 201 -487-1111
    The Shops at Riverside

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