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The Bottega Veneta sample sale opens to the public today at 11am, but we were able to get a look at what's on offer during last night's friends and family portion. And what's on offer will likely deplete your bank account, at least when it comes to handbags. Though discounts were up to 90% off on certain products, many of the signature weave-woven styles still carried four-digit price tags.
Bags are individually marked, and arranged on tables in the center of the sale space. Most are leather, though certain styles were made of snakeskin or crocodile skin, and came in a variety of shapes and sizes. The cheapest style we saw was a fanny pack for $250, while the most expensive was a purple crocodile carryall for $3,200 (marked down from $32,000).
In between, there's everything from a small white cross body style for $500 to a larger, rectangular-shaped woven bag with electric blue leather and black detailing for $1,500. Scroll through the gallery above to get an idea of what you'll find.
You'll also find small leather goods in this area, starting with iPhone cases for $30, toiletries cases for $80, and wristlets starting at $200.
Shoes are directly to the right of the entrance, and range in price from $100 to $250. There's a selection of flats, kitten heels, and black and white slingbacks with the leather woven pattern on the toe—the latter costs $150. There are some summery flats and low heels made with raffia and red or blue leather toe caps, and these are going for $100.
Other styles included black suede platform heels and booties for $100, pastel leather pumps for $100, and two crazy pairs that laced up in the front and had a super-chunky heel, also for $100. A sales associate said that what was out is likely all they have, so that leave a limited selection of sizes in most styles.
Most of the clothing is uniformly priced, posted on well-marked signs throughout the space. Dresses made up a majority of the women's selection and are $300 apiece. There was very little in the way of everyday wear—most of what we saw was heavily embellished, and very heavy to boot. Certain pieces in the lighter, silk styles also looked like they were beginning to fray.
If you're looking for a red carpet look, they've got about half a dozen of this dress, which Emma Watson wore to the New York premiere of the final Harry Potter movie. It's considered a "specialty RTW" piece on the pricing chart and should be marked individually, but a sales associate told us that this is also $300.
The rest of the women's selection included tops for $100, a selection of collarless blazers for $250, swimwear for $75 apiece, and a rack of pants for $100—plus a pretty badass jumpsuit for only $150.
The men's selection included several button down shirts for $100 in a variety of colors, plus some jeans, pants, blazers, and leather pieces. These items took up only a few racks in the far corner of the room.
Lastly, there's a small selection of accessories, including belts and ties for $100, necklaces for $125, bracelets for $75, and earrings and rings for $50—despite the affordable pricing, nothing stood out as a must-have.
Note that there's a limit of one bag purchase per customer (last year, it was two), so if that's what you're choosing to splurge on, splurge wisely. We were unable to get a clear answer of whether they'll be restocking today or tomorrow, but there is a chance that there will be markdowns as the sale winds down. Check out the Dealfeed below for location and times.
· Dealfeed: Bottega Veneta [Racked NY]
· The Bottega Veneta Sample Sale Hits Chelsea [Racked NY]
· All Sample Sales Coverage [Racked NY]
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