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    Following Bergdorf Goodman’s Overstock

    If you’ve ever wondered what happens to all that wonderful merchandise at Bergdorf Goodman that nobody purchases, we have the answer. Apparently it pops up at the parent brand’s discount store, Last Call.

    If you’re looking for the winter merchandise that just left the store then you’re going to have to wait about six months. This Bergdorf Goodman shipment is primarily from summer 2012 collections.

    During a recent trip to Jersey Garden’s Last Call our spies found a variety of items from Celine, Erdem, Miu Miu, Louboutin and Prada. Promos say that prices are up to 75% off but we found a selection of BG-tagged items for less. A print Erdem dress was originally almost $1000 but with additional promos and markdowns the dress came out to under $200. There were also lots of Prada shoes and skirts from last year’s 1950s inspired hotrod collection and YSL Palais pumps were marked down to $125 from about $650.

    We are told that additional Bergdorf Goodman merchandise can be found at other participating Last Call stores, which include Arizona Mills, Arundel Mills, Austin Brodie Oaks Shopping Center, Camarillo Premium Outlets, Franklin Mills, Grapevine Mills, Great Lakes Crossing, Gurnee Mills, Jersey Gardens, Katy Mills, Livermore Valley Premium Outlets, Milpitas Great Mall, Potomac Mills, Sawgrass Mills, Sugarloaf Mills, Tanger Outlets at the Arches, The Outlets at Orange and Woodbury Common Premium Outlets

    You Must Be Kidding: $30,000 Chanel Hobo

    All things fashion are a matter of taste and we are taking a definitive stand and stating that whoever spent $30,000 on this white matte croc Chanel hobo bag is out of her mind. This bag looks more like a white garbage bag on a chain than a year’s rent for a luxury studio apartment.

    Well, it seems that even the woman who purchased this Largerfeld mishap is having second thoughts too. She is trying to find a sucker to take the bag off her hands for $12,000, which less than half of what she says she paid. In contrast, this classic looking Chanel croc bag from 1991 is selling on eBay for a reasonable $2000.

    How much would you reasonably pay for this Chanel crocodile calamity?

    Ralph Lauren Home Sale

    If you feel at home surrounded by the lush surroundings of Ralph Lauren design, here’s your chance to decorate for less. Ralph Lauren Home is hosting a sale where furniture, lighting, home accessories, decorative pillows, gifts, vintage items and antiques will be significantly discounted.

    The sale runs from Friday through Monday. In prior years, this promotion was only open to Ralph Lauren employees but the discount was great with markdowns up to 75% off. During past sales picture fames were $35, cashmere throws were $75, table lamps were about $200 and bed frames were in the $5000=range from nearly four time that amount.

    Beware, the first day of the sale brings some huge lines but if you wait too long the merchandise gets thin. And this is one instance where thin is not a good thing. On the bright side, shippers will be on premises to assist you with your purchases but costs and arrangements are the responsibility of the customer.

    Ralph Lauren Home Sale
    Friday, February 22 to Monday, February 25th
    Fri 12pm-7pm, Sat & Sun 9am-6pm, Mon 9am-5pm
    110 West 19th Street
    For more information: (718) 747-1656
    CREDIT CARDS ONLY

    Bottega Veneta Bags 70% Off

    Browsing through a store and being told that a particular item NEVER goes on sale is especially infuriating when you know for a fact that the item has been marked down in the past. This is often the case when we inquire about Bottega Veneta bags.

     “Oh, our bags never go on sale,” a willowy sales person has scolded.

    “We never have markdowns on bags,” we were admonished on another occasion.

    As we all know, most items do go on sale at some time and place. As a matter of fact, we just found out that the Bottega Veneta outlet is having a major sale on– you guessed it– bags! Soft Lambskin Soffios in army green and a dark rose red are priced at about 70% off or $374 from $1100.

    Woven bags may not be discounted so steeply but a 50% cut is pretty nice. Mini-shoulder bags/ evening bags are $573 from $1150 and a large handbag with a woven flap is $1252 from $2550. There is also a full range of last season’s floral and mesh large bag is $3289 from $6700. (The same bag is on Bluefly for $4685.)

    So now we just need to come up with a good answer next time we are told bags don’t go on sale! Suggestions?

    Mike 845-928-4563

    Barney’s Warehouse: Same Same, but Different

    By ManhattanMataHari

    A change in ownership almost always means a change in sale strategy and Richard Perry’s purchase of Barneys is no different. Official word is that Barneys will no longer extend the bi-annual warehouse sale to women’s merchandise–we doubt it. Brands like Alaia would pull their merchandise if it ever showed up on BarneysWarehouse.com. Hence, there will always be a place for a good old-fashioned sale.

    Enough with our hypotheses and onto sale talk. Unfortunately, you will need to work harder than ever to find great deals at this sale. Starting in shoes, we couldn’t help but notice vast amount of CO-OP leftovers from the previous few warehouse sales. The markdown for the high-end designer shoes is still just around 50% off retail and “irregulars” are 70% – but they are likely to be worn or damaged. The smaller and larger sizes have the best picks. There are no iconic styles but we did find $1200 Prada snakeskin sandals for $598, $865 hot pink snakeskin Manolo pumps for $349, and $1175 Chloe boots for $469. There were smaller numbers or one of each pair of Rochas, Theysken’s Theory, Jil Sander, Hader Ackermann, Pierre Hardy, Marni, Fendi, Derek Lam, Alexander Wang and Balenciaga. By contrast, the online sale has a number of popular styles including Yves Saint Laurent Tribute and Tribtoos, Sergio Rossi platform pumps, and Miu Miu’s glitter peep toe pump all around 60% off retail.

    After our underwhelming experience in shoes, we were pleasantly surprised by the accessories tables that were actually better stocked than sales past. Expect to find lots of Marc by Marc Jacobs iPhone (3G) and old iPad cases, as well as some Prada printed iPad cases for $149. The scarves are also plentiful and include some Etro style for $319 and Dries van Noten for $299. The belts selection really stole our attention with all Alaia corset belts in black and white that ranged in price from $359 to $479. 3.1 Phillip Lim and Ralph Lauren collection belts rounded out the selection but were still a bit pricey in the $120 to $160 range.

    Honestly, the clothing racks are pretty terrible. It is mostly CO-OP, diffusion lines and contemporary designers. With some searching you can find better labels only to be disappointed later when you see the damages. On the high-end we found a Boudicca cap sleeve sheath dress for $569 from $919, a multicolor wool Jil Sander number is $709, a brocade Zac Posen dress is $349 and a bright red L’Wren Scott dress is $679.We also found an A.L.C. orange silk shirtdress for $319 from $794, and a Diane von Furstenburg colorblock dress for $209 from $345. Our favorite finds were a Thakoon Addition for Barney’s blue silk dress for $219 from $550 and an awesome Rodarte top for $919. The best items were often those without price tags on them.

    Additional markdowns should happen later this week and the last few days of the sale will have the best discounts. We don’t anticipate much to be left by then but maybe there will be a few items without price tags that go unnoticed.

    Barney’s Warehouse Sale
    255 West 17th street (between 7th and 8th Avenue)
    Monday, February 18 – Friday, February 22: 10am – 9pm
    Saturday, February 23 – Sunday, February 24: 9am – 8pm

    Fashion Week Trend: Metallics

    By ManhattanMataHari

    The next big fall trend is undeniably metallics. It is wearable and chic. Some designers incorporated black with  metallic elements for a tasteful balance. Other designers opted for heavy bronzes that included read-to-toe gold ensembles. Silver and metallic pink are another hues with dazzle.  Not quite ready to invest in metallic clothes? Try incorporating heavy metals into your outfits with big bold jewelry. See our favorite takes on the bold gold metallic trend below.

    Michael Kors
    Marc Jacobs

    Jenny Kanye
     Christian Siriano
    Dennis Basso

    Fashion Week Trend: Tux Detailing

    If it were up to us, every day would be a dress-up day. Unfortunately, that would look a bit strange for daily visits to Fairway. This season, designers dressed up numerous outfits with a satin sheen that’s usually reserved for a tuxedo. Models tore up the runway with satin sheen on skirts, jackets and pants. Here are a few different ways designers played with the theme:

    The Row
    Jill Stuart
    Douglas Hannat
    Reed Krakoff

    Rachel Zoe

    Fashion Week Trend: Prints


    We keep anticipating that fashion will take a hair-pin turn and steer away from jewels, sequins and prints and return to an era of Calvin Klein minimalism. Next fall, however, is not the time. Designer after designer showed prints, prints and more prints. Not that we don’t love the prints but we are excited for a change in ascetic. For now, here is a sample of our favorite print makers.

    Rodarte

    Mara Hoffman

    Calla
    Vivian Tam
    Misha Nonoo
    BCBG Patterned Fur