We got a delightful email in our inbox inviting us to the Prada Friends and Family Sale! When it comes to shopping, we personally think we’re all frenemies, but we can tackle the renaming of the sale later.

Prada Mini Nappa Bag

Location: 609 West 51st Street between 11th and 12th Avenues

Dates: Saturday, October 17th - Friday October 23rd

Hours: Saturday, October 17th and Sunday, October 18th, 9am- 6pm

Monday, October 20th - Friday October 23rd, 10am - 7pm

Registers close promptly at 6pm and 7pm respectively

Prada Men's Shoes

NO APPOINTMENTS NECESSARY.   ADMITTANCE WILL BE FIRST COME FIRST SERVE.

Merchandise: Prada & Miu Miu Ready-to-Wear, Footwear, Handbags, Wallets and Accessories-Women's and Men's up to 75% off!

Season: FALL/WINTER 2008 and Select Merchandise from earlier seasons

Payment: CREDIT or DEBIT/CREDIT CARDS ONLY (NO cash or checks)

NO Returns. All sales final.

Miu Miu Belt

Tips for this sale...

1.) Get there early! Don't be surprised if there is  a crazy line but it will be worth it!

2.) Bring your credit cards and check your limits on them because if it declines or if there is a security verification on your card, Prada will NOT be allowed to swipe that same card in case you STILL have the funds! (And they will take your first born.)

3.) If you see something you like...GRAB IT! and DON'T put it down! once you release an item physically just to free your arm, it's fair game.

4.) Shop on a full stomach (but not too full, lest the bloat depress you and keep you from buying anything), so that you are focused and you don't get overwhelmed by the vast selection or the crowds.

5.) Wear comfy shoes and if you try clothes, make sure you're wearing the right undergarments because all sales are final!

GOOD LUCK AND WE’LL SEE YOU THERE!

The Italian design house of Luca Luca, purveyors of pretty party frocks is having a sample sale starting today, with prices slashed up to 90%! Wowza!

Luca Luca Spring 2010

Deets:

Through 9/28.

19 W. 36th St., nr. Fifth Ave., fourth fl. (212-644-5568)

Thurs.–Fri. (8:30–6:30), Sat.–Sun. (11–6).

We’ll check it out and report back, but we suggest taking the morning off work and heading down there as early as possible. Party dress season is about to come upon us…and one must be ready.

So I first spotted this gray polish color at Urban when I was convincing my friend to buy some amazing shoes. (I later convinced her to buy this shade to compliment the shoes) Seems that it’s popping up everywhere these days! Is it me or is Dashing Diva kind of stepping up their game and bringing on some edgy colors?! I think with a (well cut!!) boyfriend blazer and a bottle of this you are good to go for fall.

Following up on the success of the original Soiree, our affordable indie pop-up shop is back with even more new designers that you can’t find anywhere else. Fashion insiders have long known that Williamsburg is a veritable secret stash of bargains and recession-friendly pricing on amazing indie designers and brands on the cusp of editorial stardom. And now they can all be yours!

On Saturday, September 26th, from 12pm-7pm, the fashion experts at The Arsenal are curating a brand new crop of wildly talented local designers to sell their clothing, accessories and jewelry in our gorgeous loft space for one day only. From high-end to handmade, you’ll have the chance to grab a complete variety of hard-to-find pieces that you won’t see anywhere else, for prices that make you smile.

What: Williamsburg Indie Designer Soiree V2.0
When: Saturday, September 26th, 2009
12AM to 7PM
Where: The Arsenal
153 Roebling Street
4th Floor, Studio 4B
(between Hope & Metropolitan Ave.)
Brooklyn, NY 11211
Nearest Subway: Bedford L Train
Details: {Affordable} Handmade clothing, accessories and jewelry by local designers, music throughout the day, yummy 2 for 1 mimosas, and DIY bloody mary & beer specials.
Cost: Free!!
Website: www.going.com/indiesoireev2

As if Housing Works wasn’t already known for having the most upscale thrift wares in the NYC, they had to go and drop a couture bomb on us in the form of The Vault–couture and designer clothes and accessories to die for (refer back to bomb reference–har). They keep this room locked up at their Soho location Anyway, I had to drop by to make sure women weren’t fainting over the deals and it turns out, I was the one who fainted. Check out what they had:

Yes, those are Gucci boots in the middle

Dior gloves and Balenciaga boots

Dare I go on? I seriously think Housing Works has a deal with the designer devil. How else do they get their hands on so much designer and couture clothes and accessories? OK, I ended up making a deal with the Chanel devil, but guess what? The platform suede Chanel ankle boots with metal toes normally would cost four figures. I PAID $200!! (And, I’m not telling anyone where I live or what size they are, lest I get robbed.)

Kicking couture ass!

My Chanel boots were a little lonely all by themselves, so I had to get them a friend in a form of a vintage Gucci woven clutch…

This only cost $100

BFFs

I also ended up buying a pair of raspberry-colored elbow length leather gloves, which will also be quite friendly with my Chanel and Gucci.

Luckily, The Vault will be restocking every week with 50-100 new designer items. I almost went home with both Stella McCartney and Alexander McQueen, but felt like a fashion whore. For those of you with no shame, you can make an appointment by emailing thevault@housingworks.org. Appointments are available Tuesday-Friday from 10-6. For those unfortunate souls who don’t live in NYC, you can check out fab deals online at shophousingworks.com.

If you have stepped outside your house lately you would have noticed that the boyfriend blazer is alive and well. I have a navy one, but need a black one asap. So I have been scouring the internets for a reasonably priced one. In my search I came across this rendition from Newport News and had to share:

No!!

This actually looks like it belongs to a man, not a well tailored menswear inspired piece but something you might find in the attic of your parents house. The only hope this dreadful frock has is the  Glambulance!!

25% off from September 23- October 12.

cku.com

Need we say more?

So much happened last night, that we are going to break up the posts by location. First stop was Dior where we got to go in early for the VIP/press shenanigans. (I just spent two minutes figuring out how to spell that.) One of us (hint hint not moi) knows how to be on time and came early enough to get her make-up done by a Dior artist (I was so jealous!) and get Vogue’s September issue signed by cover girl Charlize Theron! I, on the other hand, was very late and as soon as it was my turn to get my Vogue signed, someone came over to Charlize and told her it was time to go. Oh well. The champagne was not flowing in the fashion we require, so we set our sights on Bergdorf’s. That was a j.o.k.e. See picture below:

The unwashed masses huddled in front of Bergdorf's

As this Iphone picture unclearly shows you, there were way too many peeps and we feared way too few drinks. Undeterred, we then went to Prada and met Grace Coddington (The creative director of Vogue and the redhead who provided all the laughs in The September Issue) She was amazing and when we asked her to sign our Vogue–in true Grace fashion–she told us it was the woman next to hers cover (oops, we forgot her name) and thought she should sign it. So both Grace and the unidentified Vogue staffer autographed our mag. Most people would have taken credit and signed it no questions asked, this is why we heart Grace. My blogner got Grace fever and spent the rest of the night telling me how she thinks she should frizz out her hair a la Grace.

Grace Coddington of Vogue

The screaming teeny bopper next to me had Grace sign her t-shirt and as we were trying to not get trampled, who do we run into you ask? Patrick Robinson, head designer for the Gap. He was uber-adorable–pictures do not do this man justice! He even kissed us goodbye and massaged my blogner’s shoulder to “examine” if the shoulder pad in her blazer was sufficient. (Score!) In a champagne haze my blogner said she could have “had that,” and I think she was probably right. On a totally different note when it comes to dating men with connections one woman has trumped all others, Salma Hayek. She’s boning the head of LVMH! Get it, girl. That spells all the Dior, LV, and Marc Jacobs you can handle for a lifetime. We can dream… There goes my ADD again.

Ok back to Prada! As we were about to leave we ran into Michael Urie.  A few months ago I went to a fundraiser for Julliard and he was the host. The place was crawling with bankers who had no clue who he was, I was pretty much the only person who recognized him from Ugly Betty and subsequently the only person who approached him when he left the stage. (He called my name when I won the raffle and butchered it so badly I figured I could use that as an icebreaker). So we talked to him and I actually said “Do you remember me from the Julliard event? We spoke after the raffle.” haha. There goes self-importance for you. He said yes, which I initially thought was a lie, but he probably did since I was the only person there that knew who he was. Then we headed to Henri Bendel, which is exactly the type of store that could benefit from this event. (Case in point: I bought a lip gloss.) It was a bit of a madhouse, but after a few glasses of champagne the average woman can be talked into buying some make-up. Unfortunately, this is the closest we ever got to a drink at Bendel:

Tear...

We then stopped into Just Cavalli, where they were ALSO out of drinks, but had this to offer us:

Chocolate selection at Cavalli

Who eats chocolate during fashion week, in front of models no less!?! Has anyone ever heard of a CHAMPAGNE CAMPAIGN AROUND HERE!?!??

Everyone in New York’s been abuzz since the brain trust of Mayor Bloomberg, Anna Wintour and DVF decided to come up with Fashion’s Night Out, where over 700 boutiques in NYC will stay open late and have “parties” where you can shop, be entertained and –if you get to Bergdorf’s at the right time–be served drinks by the Olsen twins.

OK, having just eaten a peanut butter and banana sandwich, I have no business poking my head into any establishment that sells clothing, but that’s a moot point now. Willing to consider the cocaine and champagne campaign during Fashion Week (just kidding, Mom! The DARE program worked on me). Read on for our picks for the coolest, most insane and plain lame events/people that will be taking place in order to lure the dough from your wallet (or suck the credit from your AMEX).

Agent Provocateur: Free champagne and canapés and special gift with purchase. What kind of special gift, huh? Use your imaginations.

Alexander Wang: He will be cloning himself and showing up at  Bergdorf Goodman’s, Opening Ceremony and Barney’s, all in one night. We still like Alex, even though he tries to hawk $400 spandex bike shorts.

Armani: Rosie O’Donnell reading from Nora Ephron play “Love, Loss, and What I Wore” in-store. Wow, that’s exactly what I want to see–an angry, overweight lesbian reading chick lit at the Armani boutique at the start of Fashion Week.

Band of Outsiders: A THAI TIE TRUCK–a retrofitted Thai street vendor cart– will be open for business outside of Opening Ceremony and will sell Band of Outsiders ties made exclusively for the evening, as well as a special Thai-inspired dessert prepared by Christina Tosi of Momofuku. Just don’t get any of your dessert on your Band of Outsiders tie.

Barneys New York: at Madison and Sixty-first will be transformed into a street fair of designer personal appearances and creative events. Customers will have the opportunity to shop and mingle with Isabel Toledo, Marcus and David from Rag & Bone, Narciso Rodriguez, Thom Browne, Jonathan Adler, Lisa Perry, Alexander Wang, the Row’s Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, and more. In addition to the personal appearances, Barneys will stage a roster of happenings. Wool and the Gang will teach knitting, Lipstick Queen Poppy King will offer “lip readings,” Vogue editor Tonne Goodman will curate a fashion green market,  Adam Kimmel will show a Gerard Malanga video installation, Loomstate will customize T-shirts and Rodarte sponsors a special performance by Justin Bond. I’m getting a headache just thinking about it.

Bergdorf Goodman: Now, this is the shit! Victoria Beckham will be signing shirts, André Leon Talley will be hosting a life-sized version of the new game Fashion Rules!™, with teams led by Donna Karan, Linda Fargo and Robert Verdi. Olsen twins will be bartending and Zac Posen will be painting one-of-a-kind creations in the Fifth Avenue windows. Earlier in the evening, Padma Lakshmi, host of Bravo’s Top Chef, judges a designer cook-off with Cynthia Rowley, Edward Bess, Gilles Mendel, Lela Rose, Naeem Khan and Peter Som.  Additionally, a conversation with Isaac Mizrahi and tunes by the Ben Waltzer Trio.  Music by DJs Andrew Andrew, Johnny Dynell and Jon Jon Battle.

Billionaire Boy’s Club: Pharrell ringing up sales. Coolness!

Burberry: Lily Donaldson DJs, more champagne and canapés! (by this point, you should be slightly twisted).

Diane von Furstenberg: Tracey Anderson, Madonna’s trainer, leads exercises. Oh, yeah, let’s do crunches while other people are drinking champagne and buying fabulous frocks. Next!

Dior: Fashion photographer Arthur Elgort will be in-store taking portraits of Dior clients, which Arthur will personally sign. To be eligible, a minimum purchase of $2500 must be made that evening (yeah, ok). Clients will be selected for a portrait on first-come-first served basis. Alexandra Richards will be in-store DJing during the evening (Is EVERYONE a DJ these days?!).  Charlize Theron, the face of Dior’s J’Adore fragrance and September Vogue cover girl, will make a personal appearance in the boutique from 7-8 PM to sign copies of the September issue of Vogue.

H&M: Miss J from America’s Next Top Model will be giving runway lessons and will still keep you guessing as to what gender he/she is.

Missoni: Margherita Maccapani Missoni will host a cocktail party at the Missoni boutique and offer guests her style tips on creating their own personalized Missoni tote bags. Ummmm, why not just GIVE AWAY Missoni tote bags instead of teaching people how to make their own?!

Opening Ceremony: Block party with Alexander Wang (or one of his clones), the Rodarte girls and the dudes from Proenza Schouler who will all be selling custom wares out of the back of befitting custom cars.

Saks: Lots of crazypants events at Saks, including Justin Timberlake and Trace Ayala at a William Rast pop-up store (like THAT’S not going to be a shitshow), Carolina Herrera with a magician (I’m just as confused as you are) and lots and lots of other designers including Shoshanna Gruss, Eli Tahari, Christian Cota and Peter Som.

OK, I need another champagne to continue. Hold, please.

Tory Burch: Hosting a neighborhood block party at her boutique in the Meatpacking District. DJ Cassidy will be spinning, La Esquina will be barbecuing, and the Street Peeper will be snapping pictures of all the guests! The Tory Burch boutique at 257 Elizabeth Street will also be open late for a special evening of champagne (yay!) and shopping. A limited-edition camouflage tote bag will be given to every customer who makes a purchase that night.(Please note, Missoni: Tory is not making customers MAKE their own tote bags.)

Vera Wang: Vera Wang will celebrate the night with American Idol judge Kara Dioguardi and other special guests at her ready-to-wear boutique located at 158 Mercer Street in SoHo. Vera will offer advice and tips as she styles guests. For those shoppers who are camera-ready, pose for a photograph with the designer in the “Studio Booth.” Sip the signature drink of the night, “Vera Vodka,” while grooving to the beats spun by DJs Prince Peter and Jacob Dekat from The Box. Giveaways include Vera Wang Lavender Label shoes, Vera Wang Fine Papers stationery, Vera Wang Rock Princess and Vera Wang sunwear. Lotsa swag and vokda! This is one of my top picks.

Versace: Musical artist Ciara, Leigh Lezark of The Misshapes, nightlife doyen Amy Sacco, Vogue contributing editor Lauren Santo Domingo, actress Taylor Momsen and supermodels Chanel Iman, Jessica Joffe and Hana Soukupova (to name a few) create personalized looks for the models to wear throughout the evening. View these looks on live models while sipping Double Cross Vodka martinis and listening to The Misshapes. BTW, who wears Versace anymore?

So, what can you take away from this, my friends?  That if you time it right, you can get twisted by the third shop you visit, listen to umpteen celebrity “DJs” spin, attend several block parties and feel like a proud American supporting the economy by shopping. After all, if Carolina Herrera shows up to Saks with a magician and Anna Wintour makes it out to Queens–all in the name of saving fashion–you have a duty to show up and take advantage of the swag and the spectacle.

Photo: 80s Purple

Photo: 80s Purple

Just perusing one of my fav sites 80spurple.com and stumbled upon a few items I wanted to share with you. First up the flouncy  Aryn K dress on top which is only $78! The Charlotte Ronson booties below are $176 but well worth it. I die for anything suede.

Photo:time.com

So I took a few things away from this film and made a lovely list for you:

1.) I want Andre Leon Talley’s job.

I had a sneaking suspicion he served as Vogue’s gay-fur-wearing mascot, and this film confirmed that Andre is probably where he is do his fun flamboyance (funbloyance?) and ability to tolerate Anna. Besides the fact that Andre does not have to come to work everyday, gets designer freebies, and gets invited to fabulous events he gets to do something women in fashion never get to do BE FAT. I know that sounds bitchy, but if you can come up with some high level women in the fashion game who are overweight holla at us. He gets all the fun of fashion plus the carbs! (I’m not hating Andre, I’m just trying to learn the game.) Although Anna did advise him to lose weight, his hilarious attempt at tennis leaves me feeling that we will not be seeing a svelte Andre anytime soon. Anyone who can still have a career in fashion after putting Jennifer Hudson in that awful bolero wins points with me. While Andre is experiencing “a famine of beauty”, I’m pretty sure that’s the only famine he is familiar with these days.

2.) Grace Coddington needs a new conditioner.

It’s hard to believe that someone who works in an office with such an incredible beauty closet, full of the most up-to-the-minute beauty products on the market can’t swipe a tube of Kerastase every once in a while. (I worked at an office with just an ok beauty closet and I was all over that shit.) While you spend most of the film laughing with Grace not at her, this hair situation needs to be remedied. After Anna tells the camera man to get himself to a gym, tells Andre to lose weight, insults Sienna Miller’s hair and teeth, you would think she would make a biting remark about Grace’s hair, but she never does! Although Anna is horrible to Grace in so many other ways, it’s probably a simple case of forgetfulness on her part. Anna is too busy cutting all of Grace’s amazing photo shoots out of the magazine to notice she has hair similar to an orange Brillo pad.

3.) Anna Wintour is cold.

If you want to see the warm and fuzzy side of Anna, you have to come to the wrong place. (This movie will leave you wondering if that side even exists.) It’s hard to imagine Anna cuddling with her kids, or eating ice cream in her pajamas. She usually just walks around the office looking like she just smelled shit and criticizing anything with a pulse. But would we have it any other way?

WARNING: Do NOT take your husband, boyfriend, one-night-stand, friend with benefits, etc to see this: They will die of boredom and if they don’t they will never allow you to pick the movie again. Consider yourselves warned ladies.