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    Chanel’s Newest Price Hike

    Since the beginning of Madison Avenue Spy, we have been tracking the prices of Chanel bags. In doing so, we have created a rich archive of pricing history. As Chanel shoppers brace for yet another price increase, which is slated to take place on November 1, we thought we would take a look back at the way things were.

    The price of a Maxi Classic Chanel Jumbo bag will be $6700 on November 1, which is almost more than double the price it was in 2010. (You can see a chart of Chanel’s price history dating back to 2004 over here.)

    This season, most styles are increasing in price by about 6%. In the past, we’ve seen even steeper price jumps. Depending on the popularity of a particular style, bags have skyrocketed as much as 30% in a single year. Don’t fear, we were able to find lots of Chanel bags priced under $2000 browse through our above scroll to see what we found.

    Chanel generally evaluates prices in November and May. This year, we’ve seen upward price movement three times — May, July and now November. This is a record number of price increases. In between 2010 and 2011, there were two price increases. During that year, the cost of many bags vaulted $1000.

    In 2009, we proposed that Chanel was attempting to reach a similar price point of the coveted Hermes Birkin bag and it looks like they are making their way up there. Perhaps Chanel is simply staying ahead of other luxury brands? We have heard reports that handbags sales are starting to stagnate. This might not be the best time for a price jump. What do you think?

    NOVEMBER SAMPLE SALES ????????????Montblanc/ Brock/ Jil Sander

    The calendar has turned to November, which means sample sale shopping will hit a frenetic peak. It’s a good thing because Thanksgiving and holiday parties are right around the corner. There is no better time to start collecting holiday gifts and adding some exciting pieces to your home and wardrobe.

    Below is a list of what we believe to be the best bargain bonanzas of the month. You can see a listing of all the sample sales occurring in NYC on Chicmi. Continue to check back here and we will add more sales and commentary. Feel free to ask questions, feedback, and comments below. You can also follow along on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook to get quick and immediate updates.

    Nicholas Kirkwood Sample Sale
    We haven’t covered a Nicholas Kirkwood sale in almost three years. The last sale was at Century 21 and prices were reduced 80% 0ff. This season, the sale will take place at the Warwick. (Just like the Manolo sale.) We expect the discount to start off at 70% and then get reduced to 80% as the sale continues into its second day. Shoppers should anticipate a bit of a crowd. We don’t think it will be as popular as the Manolo sale but girls love their shoes. Full details are now live over here. 
    Tuesday, October 30 & Wednesday, October 31
    Tues 12pm-8pm, Wed 8am-5pm
    Warwick Hotel, 65 West 54th Street, 2nd Fl

    3.1 Phillip Lim Sample Sale
    This sale is always very popular. Expect bags to fly off the shelves during the first few hours of the sale. At last sale we attended large Pashlis were $300, minis were $200, the 31 Hour tote bag, Soleil bucket bags, and Biancas were $200. All other bag styles were $150. All shoes were $100. Shirts were $120 or $150 for embroidered options, pants, jeans and shorts were $75 and dresses ranged from $175 to $450 and outerwear ran for $175 to $500 for leather and fur options. Click here to see the full report.
    Tuesday, October 30 through Sunday, November 4
    Tues 1pm-8pm, Wed &Thur 10am-7pm, Fri& Sat 10am-8pm, Sun 10am-5pm
    260 Sample Sale: 160 Greene Street

    Edie Parker Sample Sale
    Who doesn’t need another hard sided evening clutch? Well, that is, if they are highly discounted. During prior sales, bags were prices started at $200 but last year shoppers complained that the least expensive bag was $400. We don’t know if this sale will offer good discounts or better. Let us know if you’re going and we will be sure to share the information.
    Friday, November 2 through Saturday, November 3
    Fri 10am-7pm, Sat 10am-5pm
    Parasol Projects, 2 Rivington Street

    Global Fashions Pre-Holiday Sale
    Global Fashions is the official luxury distributor for several Italian designer brands including couture designers. The showroom will be opening its doors to the public for a pre-holiday sample sale. Expect to find a variety of Italian designers with the extra bonus of a large assortment from this season’s Stuart Weitzman collection. Discounts will range from 70% to 80% off. Shoes, bags, accessories, and jewelry will be reduced by 70% off retail, designer clothing will be discounted 75% and couture will be 80% off. Expect to find full-size ranges of classic shoes and lots of covetable style bags. You can click through here to see pictures from inside a past sample sale.
    Monday, November 5 through Thursday, November 8
     9am-6pm daily
    49 West 38th Street

    Vivian Westwood Sample Sale
    The eccentric British designer is hosting a SIX-day sample sale. The merchandise selection should be HUGE. Expect to find a big crowd of FIT students and fashion insiders. Two years ago the designer had a much more discreet sale in the garment district. The assortment included clothing, shoes, bags, small leather accessories, scarves, jewelry, and sunglasses. The more recent collections were discounted 60% and older collections were discounted reduced up to 90%. Expect to find assorted merchandise from the Anglomania, Red Label, and Gold Label lines.
    Tuesday, November 6 through Sunday, November 11
    Tues 9am-8pm, Wed to Sat 10am-8pm, Sun 10am-5pm

    Chloe Sample Sale
    One of the big shopping highlights for November will undoubtedly be the Chloe sample sale. Last year’s sale was accompanied by lots of excitement and repeated markdowns. By the final days, almost all merchandise was discounted 80% off. Expect long lines and crowds throughout the sale. This is another event you’ll want to watch with a close eye. 
    Wednesday, November 7 through Sunday, November 11
    Wed to Fri 9am-8pm, Sat 10am-8pm, Sun 10am-5pm
    260 Sample Sale: 151 Wooster Street

    Jil Sander/ BROCK Collection / Jonathan Simkhai / Fleur Du Mal Sample Sale This multi-designer sample sale will have a variety of fashions from each designer’s collections. Short dresses from Brock will be $500 and long dresses will be $1200. Dresses from Jonathan Simkhai will be $200, gowns will be $395, and knit tops will be $50. Jil Sander dress will be $225, coats will be $300 and leather goods are priced at $1000.
    Monday, November 12 through Saturday, November 17
    Mon 10am-8pm, Tues to Sat 10am-7pm
    260 Fifth Avenue

    Global Fashions Men’s Italian Designer Sale
    This is Global Fashion’s first sale entirely dedicated to men’s fashion. Expect to find more than 300 pairs of men’s designer sneakers, that’s in addition to a terrific selection of dress shoes, loafers, and boots. The two-day sale will also include a gorgeous selection of bags, backpacks, jewelry, winter accessories, sportswear, formalwear, athleisure and more. Shoes and accessories will be discounted 70% and all clothing will be 80% off.
    Wednesday, November 14 through Thursday, November 15
    9am-7pm daily
    49 West 38th Street

    Montblanc Sample Sale
    The Montblanc sample sale is always one of the highlights of the season. People love to take advantage of this sale to buy holiday gifts. Expect lines throughout the duration of this sale. Discounts are up to 70% off to start. There are usually markdowns but by that time only the very expensive, limited edition pens are left over.
    Monday, November 19 through Wednesday, November 25
    Mon & Tues 9am-7pm, Wed 9am-2pm

    Global Fashions Pre-Holiday Sample Sale

    Jingle bells aren’t quite ringing but those in the wholesale business are wrapping up the holiday business season. Global Fashions, which is the official luxury distributor for several Italian designer brands including couture items, will be opening its showroom to the public for a pre-holiday sample sale.

    Discounts will range from 70% to 80% off. Shoes, bags, accessories, and jewelry will be reduced by 70% off retail, designer clothing will be discounted 75% and couture will be 80% off. Expect to find full-size ranges of classic shoes and lots of covetable style bags, You can click through here to see pictures from inside a past sample sale.


    Global Fashions Sample Sale
    Monday, November 5 through Thursday, November 8
    9am-6pm daily
    49 West 38th Street

    Sponsored Mention

    Bergdorf Goodman: First Markdown Contemporary Designers

    It’s still early in the sale cycle but Bergdorf Goodman is getting a jump on the action. The luxury department store started its first round of discounts. Right now you can begin saving 40% on many contemporary designer pieces.

    The sale is perfect timing for those take advantage of stocking up on denim and cozy sweats. Over this way we found this Monrow sweathsirt  with stars that’s reduced to $121 from $162 and a sky blue sweathirt from PE Nation is $105 feom $140 We love the high rise black jeans from DL1961, which are $106 from $178 and  these AG bootcut jeans are $168 from $225.

    While we were browsing we also found a few great jewelry pieces and home accessories. Kim Seybert napkin rings are $10 from $20, Vita Fede chain earrings are $132 from nearly $300 and the classic Titan bracelet is $200 from $445.

    We all know this isn’t the real deal. If you’re waiting for the real designer deals, write down November 20th on your calender. That’s when Bergdof will take it’s frist designer markdowns. We will be sure to keep let you know when presale begins and what designers are included in the sale.

    We know this is going to be a fun sale season!!

    The OutNet: Extra 50% Off Sale

    We take a break from sample sale mayhem to bring you a discount promotion this nearly as good and requires no waiting in line. The Outnet is hosting a sale where a large selection of discounted merchandise is reduced an additional 50% off.

    The markdown on many items comes to nearly 90%. As you would imagine, the merchandise will start going very fast once word gets out. This Balmain studded cocktail dress comes to $1500 from nearly $12,000, Aerin flats are about $100 from $600, and this Roland Mouret lamé skirt is $250 from $1585. We are wild for this Jil Sander leather trench that’s a bit over $1000 from $6700 and Belstaff leather ankle boots, which we happen to really, really like are $100 from $600.

    As with those Balstaff boots, there aren’t a lot of size options. We suggest you sort by size before falling for something you can’t have. There are also some great less expensive items like this Clu sweatshirt that’s about $75 from $338.

    Just remember, all sales are final. Can you really blame them? Prices like this totally justify a no backsies policy.

    Before You Go: The Row’s Sample Sale

    Everyone seems to be morning the loss of Phoebe Philo at Celine but you can still support female designers and bask in minimalist designed luxury fashion from The Row. You can also save a pretty penny while doing so at The Row’s annual sample sale.

    This evening, the sale was open for previews to VIPs, the press, celebrity types like Tracy Pollan and lots of Spence moms. This season’s sneak peek was a lot more hectic than past years. There was a long line and, even a wait. (Quelle horreur!) There was nobody checking any list, which made matters worse. Could you imagine that the line for The Row was even longer than the Jimmy Choo sale, which happens to be taking place at the same venue?

    Everything at The Row’s sale is discounted 70% off– and that includes bag and shoes. This season, there are no exotic items or furs. There are also very few coats, which were all gone within the first hour. There weren’t even very many blazers. One style blazer with button details was still pricey at $900 from $3000. We also didn’t see any sunglasses. On the bright side, the sale had lots of bags and shoes.

    There are plenty of satin Ascot bags in various colors, which are priced under $300 from $990. Hunting bags come to $1080 from $3600, Market bags come to about $1275 from $4250 and this pouch-style bag comes in various colors in suede and is about $330 from $1150. Among the shoe selection, we spotted lots of loafers. This satin style loafer is about $300 from nearly $1000 and is on sale here for $480, these floral print canvas slippers are $360 from nearly $1200 and suede ankle booties are $765 from $1250.

    The clothing selection isn’t as plentiful as past years. There are some leather pants but mainly two styles of classic black pants, one of which has a boot cut leg. There are also lots of black jeans and a whole rack of long gowns, which are basically slips. There are some sweaters but we preferred the selection last Winter.

    We suggest you head over to Bergdorf Goodman online if you can’t make it to the sample sale, don’t want to deal with lines or we haven’t mentioned what you are looking for. There is a large selection of clothing, shoes, and bags that are discounted 50% to 70% off.

    If you’re a big fan of The Row, you know what to expect when it comes to prices and styling. We would suggest you go. Not every shopper loads up $3000 fashion items that don’t have a single logo– even when they are 70% off. For those types, we suggest taking a pass.

    The Row Sample Sale
    Thursday, October 25 through Sunday, October 28
    Thurs 9am-7pm, Fri 10am-6pm, Sat 9am-7pm, Sun 9am-3pm
    Metropolitan Pavilion: 123 West 18th Street
    Only Credit Cards Accepted

    Inside: The Jimmy Choo Sample Sale Higher Prices

    This morning, the Jimmy Choo sample sale kicked off for press and VIPs. By 10am the cue for general RSVP admission reached Sixth Avenue, nearly a full city avenue. An hour later, when we left the sale, the line was getting a little bit better. You can bet that it is still a substantial wait before any of those customers get their hands on any Choos. (While waiting in line, head over to can see Instagram Stories to see the extent of the wait.)

    Inside, shoes are organized by color on racks and bags are on tables. (Jimmy Choo has come a far way from the days of throwing shoes on the floor and tables.) The best deals are the men’s shoes, which are all $150. Women’s shoes start at $250 but most styles fall into the $325 category. That’s a significant increase from last season when women’s shoes were priced at $200 and $250 respectively. Boots, this season, are priced at $375.

    Handbags prices have held steady from last season except from evening bags that will cost you $100 more than last year at $350. Small handbags are still $250. Most of the most attractive styles are the larger category bags ($450) and then there is a $200 supplement for exotics, like pony hair. (If only there were a truffle supplement, too!) You can see the full pricing list and pictures of shoe and bags from the Jimmy Choo sample sale over here.

    So, what will you find? There is a better selection than last season but really nothing worth waiting for hours– especially at these prices. The best buys are the basic metallic Abel shoes that come in silver, gold, holographic and more. We find that a metallic Choo is a great investment because they are so wearable. Retail prices are normally about $700 from the Abel but they often come on TheRealReal for between $150 and $250. Many times they are even brand new.

    Personally, we find the platform peep-toe sparkle shoe a little dated. Most of the styles found in the sale are recycled old style shoes. Jimmy Choo has a really great collection this season but we didn’t spot anything that comes close to being remotely lustful. You can click this way to see pictures of what we think are the best styles from the Jimmy Choo sample sale.

    The sale runs through Friday. Even though the weather is beautiful, we would avoid waiting in line for hours with the early rush. Prices are usually reduced on the last day. That’s when the fun begins!

    Jimmy Choo Sample Sale
    Wednesday, October 24 through Friday, October 26th
    Wed 11am-8pm, Thurs & Fri 8am-8pm
    Metropolitan Pavilion, 123 West 18th Street, 2nd Floor

    Shopbop’s First Official Markdown

    Online retailers don’t quite run sale season the same way traditional store calendars negotiate markdowns. Shopbop, for example, just started its first full markdown on Fall clothing, shoes and accessories. Meanwhile, most retailers won’t start markdowns for at least a few more weeks.

    The discount seems to run from 30% to 40% off retail. A Red Valentino blouse in Grey with exaggerated shoulders is $276 from $395, a Paper London sweater with pink and white racing stripes down the arm is $174 from $290 and a Champion sweatshirt is $55 from $110. Heading to the designer options, we found a Kenzo sweatshirt for $200 from $300, a silver Ashish dress with a drop front is $315 from $450, and a mini Sonia Rykiel bag is $220 from $550.

    Of course, there are items even reduced more from prior seasons. A Baja East silver mini-dress is $373 from $1500, Correges hooded coat is $561 from $1900 and a Jonathan Simkhai bustier dress is $900 from $3000.

    If the item you’re watching isn’t included in this markdown it is likely to be added in the next sale drop. Usually, the site adds batches of merchandise every few weeks.