Big Sale at Catherine Malandrino

Holy Moly!  60% at Catherine Malandrino in the Meatpacking.  A day of surprises ended with this one. Hint: If your size isn't on the floor, they might just have it in back.  My $260 bill was whittled down to $104. 

May 5-8: Catherine Malandrino Sample Sale & Extra 10% Off!

WHAT: Sample Sale featuring CATHERINE MALANDRINO Spring/Summer styles and MALANDRINO Runway collection

WHERE: NEW LOCATION
155 Fifth Avenue
(21st - 22nd Sts)
Storefront

WHEN: May 5th – 8th
Thursday & Friday 8am - 8pm
Saturday & Sunday 10am - 7pm

WHY:
Blouses – were $395… now $95
Skirts – were $275… now $65
Dresses – were $525… now $155
Leather jackets – were $1,200… now $295

BONUS DISCOUNTS!!!
To receive an additional 10% off RSVP to http://blog.catherinemalandrino.com/uncategorized/springsummer-2011-sample-sale/

All credit cards and cash accepted

Men, Stripping, Sample Fatigue, Sticker Shock: Sample Sales 2010 in Review

The Men - are they all out of work, or turned into jobbers? They are running amuck at sales - Vivienne Tam - so many it felt like a construction site, and at Cynthia Steffe - men appeared, like apparitions hoarding with abandon. Would you like us to storm your sales while you are down to your skivvies or Man Spanx?

Most Improved Sale - Thanks to Cynthia Steffe for installing guards.  Boo to women who had no dignity and insisted on stripping as it was against the rules and the pleas of male security who begged women not to display their Victoria's Secrets.

Pushing and Shoving - More women MUST be working out. Wouldn't sample sales be a better place if it was a little bit more "Glee," Gwynnie Paltro guest appearance and a little less "Jersey Shore"?

Sample Prices? - Just so we're clear, a 60% off retail reduction is simply not an old-school sample sale (off of wholesale), especially when Fifth Avenue stores were already offering the same.
Leifsdotter was the swankiest sample sale setting, but not deepest discount!

Professional Place Holders - Everyone has a thousand friends on Facebook, but at a sample sale, 1-3 max.
Are people setting saving spots for cash like Merchant of Venice tickets at Central Park?
Beware the angry shoppers behind you.

Bragging Bloggers - Stop the line blogging about how you clocked the sample sale at a preview before the die-hard devotees! And how they won't be restocking.

Best Insider Access - Kudos to Gilt City for offering early access for $5 to Catherine Malandrino and others. It’s worth the investment.

True discounts - The $20 for anything and everything Cynthia Steffe and the Lafayette 148 with $40 skirts along (props for plus size finds) with the $50 Shoshanna samples, $5 intimates at Natori are just about the deepest discounts.

A-List Designer Treatment - Rebecca Minkoff, Isaac Manevitz, Kokin, Colette Malouf, Vivienne Tam treated discount-divers like full-price customers.

Indie designers - No not the ones plastered in Vogue.
Patronize smaller ones that sell in boutiques like Anni Kuan that are well-made and priced.

Consignment shops - Sample sale-aholics worked themselves and their credit cards into a frenzy will be probably be dumping their sample sale slip-ups in the consignment shop after-market.

Soon we'll need a clock keeping track of the number of samples sales, like the one for National Debt... hmm any correlation? The unofficial count was 200 sample sales in the last week causing sample sale fatigue to set in. Stock, but fewer real samples.

Women feeling pressure to buy after they've waited in line in extreme weather, fought off opponents, defended their finds and held in their bladders. Even if a friend tries talk you out of buying a La Perla bra with feathers at a “steal" of $80, it can be easy to make rash decisions on a post-Starbucks bladder, an empty stomach and exit waving a “V” sign to the nearest blogger interviewing you for her VLOG.

~Nancy Brenner

Nov. 10-12: Catherine Malandrinio Sample Sale!

This might be worth taking the morning off from work and camping outside for:

Savvy & Co. is hosting CATHERINE MALANDRINO's Fall/Winter Sample Sale:

What: Sample Sale featuring CATHERINE MALANDRINO Fall/Winter styles and for the first time – MALANDRINO Runway collection

Where: Metropolitan Pavillion
123 West 18th Street
New York, NY 10011
212.463.0200

When: November 10th – 12th Wednesday - Friday 8AM – 8PM daily

Why:
Blouses were $395… now $95
Skirts were $275… now $65
Dresses were $525… now $155
Leather Jackets were $1,200… now $295

Cash and all credit cards accepted.

BONUS DISCOUNTS!!!
RSVP to samplesale@catherinemalandrino.com to receive an additional 10% off!

Score a gift certificate to Catherine Malandrino NYC boutiques:
$25 when you spend $250
$75 when you spend $500
$125 when you spend $1000

THE FASHION CENTER SIDEWALK CATWALK

THE FASHION CENTER SIDEWALK CATWALK PRESENTED BY LF USA is a one-of-a-kind public art exhibit, featuring New York City’s top fashion designers and free to the public all summer long in the heart of New York City’s Fashion District.

Patriotic fashionistas celebrate the 4th of July strutting down Broadway posing next to patriotic designs displayed runway-style on custom built mannequins. 32 designers are participating, including Nanette Lepore, Carlos Falchi, Catherine Malandrino, Elie Tahari, Rebecca Taylor and Diane von Furstenberg,

That being said, the mannequins' flashy leggings, custom armor-like metal patterns, and the fresh flowers festooning Betsy Johnson's very sparse ensemble are guarded - so don't pick the daisies!

And Tommy Hilfiger designed the pictured flag outfit (why is the woman's face totally obscured - are all women faceless?)

For more info http://www.sidewalk-catwalk.com/

~Nancy Brenner reporting, GSNYC editing...

Gird Your Loins: Report from Catherine Malandrino

Long lines for "early" entry into the edifice, the elevator, bag check and dressing rooms. Gilt go-getters expected a more expedient process. experience. If you are a petite, this is a chance for you to find flirty tops  for $80 at size zero or petite (usually $300 and up in the stores). A must if you are a Malandrino fan who will love the $150 feminine frocks. Have patience and come with a small cross-body bag to avoid the check-in and check-out lines. Also, walk up the four flights to avoid the elevator line.
123 West 18th Street.
 
~nancy brenner.

June 21-23, 2010: Catherine Malandrino Sample Sale

I am so excited, I may actually GO to this!

CATHERINE MALANDRINO SAMPLE SALE EVENT
HOSTED BY SAVVY & CO.
JUNE 21 - 23

The Catherine Malandrino sample sale will feature the designer’s Spring Summer 2010 collection. The sale takes place Monday, June 21 through Wednesday, June 23 at the Metropolitan Pavilion, 123 West 18th Street (btw 6th & 7th Aves).

When:
Monday, June 21: 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Tuesday, June 22 – Wednesday, June 23: 8:00 AM – 8:00 PM
 
Prices include:
Yellow dress: Regular Retail $495, Savvy Price $145
Print dress: Regular Retail $695, Savvy Price $145

Dec. 14-16: Catherine Malandrino Sample Sale Event Hosted by Savvy & Co.

Oh how I wish I didn't have a day-job!  Maybe Nancy can visit in my absence (and buy me stuff)--

CATHERINE MALANDRINO

Sample Sale Event Hosted by Savvy & Co.
December 14 – 16, 2009
New York, NY

The Catherine Malandrino sample sale, hosted by shopping event company Savvy & Co., will feature the Fall Winter 09 collection.

The collection reflects the great attention to detail, color, and silhouettes that Catherine Malandrino has become known for. It takes place Monday, December 14th through Wednesday, December 16th.

Merchandise at the sale will be marked down up to 80% below retail.

What: Ready-to-wear pieces that showcase the classic Catherine Malandrino style aesthetic.

Where: Metropolitan Pavilion
123 West 18th Street (btw 6th & 7th Ave.)
New York, NY 10011

When:
Monday, December 14th 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM;
Tuesday, December 15th – Wednesday, December 16th 8:00 AM – 8:00 PM

Report from Cynthia Steffe Sample Sale

From the Guerilla Shopper's Guerilla Shopper, Nancy Brenner:

Let me tell you about the fabulous Cynthia Steffe sample sale - I bought five items for $75 including a black patent leather jacket that still had the $550 tag hanging from it and the dress was $265 from the holiday collection. It will be a holiday for me next year when I rock this $15 frock! These are not recession prices. These are depression prices. There were tons of people on line waiting to get in this morning - even in the torrential rain and the women were hemming and hawing about hitting Tracy Reese, Catherine Malandrino, the Spade sale, etc. It was one of the most hectic sales I've ever been to - hardly anything except for coats and leather was more than $25. Women walked out with whole wardrobes. The mirror situation was tight - only four and hard to find - hogged over by a few women - as is usually the case in these situations. Two were totally hijacked by groups of friends or frenemies and acted as if they brought the mirror with them to the sale - you know the type. Again, if you are the sample size, go to the sale in-person, otherwise hit the Gilt Group one online.

A report from the front (To sample sale online or brick and mortar?)

Another re"tale" provided by the prolific Nancy Brenner:

I feel like I won the sample sale lottery last night. I must report that I snagged the Michelle O cover of People Tracy Reese pink eyelet kimono for a mere $50 at a garmento sample sale . It retailed for $395. A true sample sale price. Only the week before, Gilt, where I have a credit following an errant purchase, had an online sale and I compared the wares. Many of the items I saw at the sample sale were also online, but at substantially higher prices. Why shop online? If you're not a sample sale size, you may be better off buying online where you know you can get your size in 30 secs without the hassle and hustle of getting there in person. And even though sample sales are starting earlier (a good number now at 8 am and some open until 9 pm - formerly unheard of), it may still be hard to get to given your work schedule, parenting or social commitments since it's almost summer (even though it feels like a London fog one at that). If you're an out-of-towner, online still works unless you want to use your vacations for mini-shopping trysts to New York for sample-sale packed weeks like this one where you can catch Shoshanna, D&G, Catherine Malandrino, etc..... The deals online are still good compared to full-on retail and hand to hand combat at Berdgdorf's, but they are not steals compared with brick and mortar. And the shoes were a mere $45 - why don't they start the line with a size 5? Petite feet need to be shod too! Even men were snapping them up, presumably as gifts. I've noticed way more many men at women's sales - without any women in tow - are they shopping for themselves, a girlfriend, or to flip it on eBay? And please stay away from the dressing rooms! Readers, what say you on online versus in-person?

June 17-18: CATHERINE MALANDRINO Sample Sale

Savings from 75%-90% below retail on ready-to-wear pieces featuring dresses and tops that showcase the classic Catherine Malandrino style aesthetic as well as rare vintage pieces from the Malandrino Runway Collection.

Where: Metropolitan Pavilion, 123 West 18th Street (6th – 7th Aves), New York, NY

When: Wednesday, June 17th 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM; Thursday, June 18th - Friday, June 19th 8:00 AM – 8:00 PM