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    Woodbury Common Thanksgiving

    Braving any store, or gasp, an outlet on Black Friday is totally out of the question for this Madison Avenue shopper. So how do you get the good deals and avoid the crowds? Presale, of course! It’s a win-win.

    We put calls into our favorite Woodbury stores to find out what type of discounts they are giving for the holiday and how to shop the sale early. Here’s the lowdown:

    Bottega Veneta:
    The holiday markdown is not officially happening until Friday but Bottega Veneta is allowing customers to presale their purchases now. Select bags are an additional 50% off the outlet price and others are 25% off. Shoes and clothing are an additional 60% off.
    845-928-4563

    Chloe
    Chloe is not starting their sale early, however, “If we have your information already in our data base we can presell,” according to a sales associate. New arrivals to the Chloe outlet include, the Meredith and Nancy bags, which will be an additional 20% off along with their fall/winter ’08 ready-to-wear.
    845-928-6260

    Dolce & Gabbana:
    The Dolce & Gabbana outlet has already taken their additional markdown. Clothing and shoes from fall/winter ’08 are an additional 40% off. Bags are an additional 20% off.
    845-928-5221

    Giuseppe Zanotti:
    The big discounts at Giuseppi officially start Thursday night– at midnight– but the store will presell now.

    Ladies who wear a size seven shoe are super lucky. “We are getting 500 samples in size seven. They will all be priced at $99 and $150,” according to a sales person. The lucky size seven shoes are already on the premises but you will need to speak to the outlet manager to get the okay to do presale.
    845-928-4828

    Prada:
    Get this: Prada is not having a holiday discount. Moreover, a sales person told us, most of the merchandise in the outlet is current season and is only discounted 40% off retail. The Prada boutiques are preselling ready-to-wear at 50%. How is the outlet proving customers a savings?

    We don’t have an answer but we are told the famous “sample sale rack” will be out on Saturday.
    845-928-3706

    YSL
    From Friday to Sunday, YSL bags will be discounted an additional 20% off. Sorry, Muse and Downtown lovers, these style bags are not included in the extra promotion. Shoes are an additional 20% off and ready-to-wear will be discounted an extra 30%. The store will presell immediately. The best deals in the outlet are the ’07 clothing, which is 50% off retail without the extra holiday discount.
    845-928-2169

    Name These Boots

    Tonight we left our Madison Avenue perch and joined other media folk at the International Emmy Awards. You already know we don’t understand celebrity culture but we dig fashion. There were lots of gorgeous dresses and you can get a peak at all our pictures and interviews from the evening by following the LilaDelilah Twitter feed.

    Our favorite look of the night happened to come from another journalist, Giovana Gasparini, the host of MGM Channel. Can you guess who makes her rocking thigh high boots? Hint: The designer is Brazilian and the model, Daria Werbowy, wore these boots in a recent as campaign.

    The first person to answer correctly, in the comment section below, will win a Madison Avenue Spy prize.

    The Same Game: Prada & Miu Miu Flats

    Are you just dying for a pair of embellished Prada or Miu Miu flats but can’t stomach opening your wallet several hundred dollars wide? We don’t blame you and you shouldn’t have to. We spotted current season Prada and Miu Miu flats at DSW for a fraction of the current retail price. Click here to see a full catalogue of spy pictures from boutiques and DSW, along with prices.

    Lets play the Same Game with Prada and Miu Miu ballet flats:

    DSW Union Square: All shoes $199
    Barneys: Prada flats with rivets $530
    Barneys: Miu Miu bow ballet flat $465
    Saks: Miu Miu bow trimmed ballet flats $465
    Bergdorf: Miu Miu studded bow ballet flat $585
    Prada boutique: Flats with bows or studs $450
    Miu Miu boutique: Flats range from $430 to almost $600

    New Coach Concept Coming to Madison

    The windows of the former Madison Avenue Miu Miu store has been draped in black for almost a year but it will be filled with a new tenant very soon. Coach has signed a deal to occupy the space (@ 69th Street) with a luxury clothing concept store named after its creative director, Reed Krakoff, according to Eric Le-Goff, senior director of Cushman & Wakefield.

    The stand-alone Reed Krakoff collection expands Coach’s existing brand and will range in price from $495 to $1,195. The line will also include accessories, jewelry and handbags.

    The new line expands Coach’s reach but seems like a risky concept amid a global economic recession that has consumers looking very closely at price tags. The larger obstacle may prove to be branding Karkoff’s name to the greater public.

    Fashion insiders may be aware of the success Krakoff has afforded the Coach brand but how many consumers can rattle off Krakoff along with other Madison Avenue designers like, Michael Kors, Donna Karan, Carolina Herrera and Miuccia Prada. Even if the collection is fashion perfection it’s going to take a considerable marketing investment to educate consumers and brand Krakoff’s name.

    “Going into a totally new category, which is more challenging, less profitable and to do it in an environment like this, when there’s already too many brands, that is extremely challenging,” said Milton Pedraza, chief executive of the Luxury Institute. “It’s definitely a sport that is not for the faint of heart.”

    The faint of heart need not apply, however, Barclays Capital analyst, Robert Drbul says, this may be the perfect time for a Coach expansion. “I think it’s going to be a very smart yet contained effort at pursuing additional profitability,” he said.

    Regradless of the outcome we will are happy to welcome a new neighbor to Madison Avenue and will be sure to give Reed Krakoff a big Madison Avenue Spy welcome when he arrives.

    Chanel on Presale

    Elaine Spy reminds us:

    Chanel presale that has begun. The official sale begins Dec 1. My sales associate called me last week to tell me that shoes and clothes are preselling at 40% off. There are no bags on sale right now. I’m not sure whether the Chanel SAs are hush hush like the Prada sales people…but I think they are hurting for sales these days.

    Contact: Erman 212-355-5050

    Bottega Veneta’s Last Sale

    Please let us know what you make of this:

    Bottega Veneta is hosting a private sale on bags where their best customers were identified and invited to a two hour 30% off discount. The hitch is that you need to be “on the list” to get the bag promotion. There are no charge sends, no transfering of merchandise and no holds.

    One Bottega Veneta fan thinks that the sale will consist of styles that usually don’t get discounted. Another frequent shopper believes that their inventory is so low that they are trying to reward their best customers. (Click here to read Stephanie Rosenblooms fantastic article about inventory levels at luxury stores.)

    Us spies? We believe the private sale is a way for Bottega Veneta to confirm their standing at the top of the luxury food chain. Don’t eat it up. Regardless of what BV sales people say, there will be other sales and numours ways to spend your money.

    Oh yeah, ready-to-wear and shoes are 40% off.

    Bottega Veneta VIP Sale
    Friday, November 20th
    5pm to 7pm
    Contact: Angeline 212-371-5511