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    Mikimoto Sale Overview

    The Mikimoto sale has been a longtime favorite of Madison Avenue Spy readers but much has changed over the years. When we arrived, midday the line to get into the showroom was over two hours and the discounts on the most desirable jewelry fell into the 50% off category rather than the 70% off of past seasons.

    First the line. The wait snaked around the entire fourth floor of the building so that the front of the line met the back of the line. This is not a situation a busy New Yorker likes to confront. After a quick phone call we were in despite snares from others.

    Most of the higher-end Mikimoto jewelry is 50% off but some items were priced up to 70% off. Even after the discount prices range from about $2000 for a small pendant and go up to about $15,000 for larger necklaces. We are especially fond of the the 10mm golden south sea pearl strands that normally retail for $25,000 but are discounted 50% off.

    If you’re looking to spend a bit less look for the Blue Lagoon collection, which is more affordable to many customers. Blue Lagoon is normally found in higher volume jewelry retailers like Zales. In this section you can find pearl pendants for under $200 and bracelets for under $1500.

    We suggest going to the sale towards Friday when the wait will be much less. We also suggest skipping the sale altogether if you’re looking for less expensive pearls. You can find better quality for similar prices from a trusted local jewelry store.

    Mikimoto Sale
    680 5th Ave. (bet. 53rd & 54th St.), 4th Fl
    Thursday, January 19th and Friday, January 20th 10am~7pm

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    Kirna Zabete Sale

    For the past month we have been secretly stalking Kirna Zabete. The Soho department store is a virtual candy shop for fashion lovers. The inventory is incredibly well edited and it’s where in-the-know shoppers go to find that all-sold-out and impossible-to-find item of the moment.

    Those who prefer to prolong the moment, we are talking about winter 2011, should take the time to browse through the store’s sale selection. Price are reduced up to 70% off and there are so many wonderful pieces from which to choose. We found a great Thakoon bright print dress for $250 from $625, a Lanvin cashmere dress is $500 from $1670, Nicholas Kirkwood heels are $318 from $785 and Givenchy rain boots are $140 from $280.

    Yes, you should get something new for Fashion Week. Yes, it’s good to get out of the neighborhood. Yes, it’s worth the cab ride. And Yes, Balthazar is still great for lunch. Any other questions?

    Kirna Zabete
    96 Greene Street
    212-941-9656

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    A RealReal Consignment Deal

    Has anyone noticed how inflated vintage and consignment stores have become? Just last week we were shopping in a local store and spotted a DVF dress that was clearly off a sample rack. (The red sharpie line on the tag was the giveaway.)


    This is not an isolated insident. We can’t even count the amount of times we find inflated prices at second hand stores. That’s why we were so thrilled to find The RealReal. 





     The RealReal is a new online luxury designer consignment destination for women. The site is divided into well curated selections of top designers like Louis Vuitton, Hermes, Chanel, Prada, Gucci, Dolce and Gabanna and more. What’s even better is that the prices are fair and ticketed to sell.


    That doesn’t mean that the sellers don’t get a great deal too. Consigners receive 60% of the sales price, which is a lot more than traditional resellers. Then when you reach sales of $1,500 per year, your rate increases to 70% for the remainder of that calendar year. Sounds good, right?


    In addition, The RealReal  is hosting a promotion where winter mechandise will be 60% off. The markdown includes higher end designers, in addition to second tier warehouse designers. 


    That’s a deal on a deal. Sign up now and don’t miss any of The RealReal’s sales. 

     Sponsored Post
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    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!

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    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?

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    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.

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    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.

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    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.

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