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The Judith Leiber sample sale opens tomorrow at 225 Fifth Avenue, and at this afternoon's preview we were nearly blinded by all the encrusted minaudieres and clutches the sale has to offer.
Before you get too excited, be advised that although this is a sample sale, prices, for the most part, do not reflect. The majority of merchandise is 60% off, however, Judith Leiber bags can retail for up to $8,000—which means a large discount still leaves bags in the thousand dollar range. If you are a fan of Judith Leiber Overture, the brand's diffusion line, there's a nice selection from which to choose at $100 a pop.
The bags are divided by category, which includes classics, red carpet, art deco, tropical jungle, leathers, exotic skins, crocodile, floral, satin, bridal, ritz fizz, fizzy, novelty, slide locks, and large and small airstreams. On the classic table we found an amazing British flag minaudiere for $1,398, and simple jeweled pieces in several colors for $1,038.
There are two really beautiful minaudieres that reminded us of something Daisy Buchanan might wear in the art deco section for $1,998 and $1,798. There was also something much simpler nearby for $400.
All of the slide lock bags are $500 a piece, and the selection includes every color—from bright green to blush pink. If you were planning to spend some money, just not a grand, check this table out. Over in the exotics section there are clutches for $768 and $998, but making the jump to anything crocodile will run you something like $1,118 or $2,798.
There are leather clutches that are still pricey at $918, and some satin pieces for $873. The large Airstreams are $600, but two of the twelve on display were monogrammed, so unless your initials are MOL, or want to carry around something with Judith Leiber's initials, skip over these. Small Airstreams are $400, and none we saw had anyone's initials.
Fizzy clutches and the novelty bags are side by side. The Fizzies are $600 each, but the novelties are priced as marked. The pink bear from last year's sale made an appearance, and is still rather pricey at $1,797 .
Onto the Overture bags, which are $100 each. Naturally, the bags are not as ornate or lavish as the main line bags, but the prices are way better and the quality is still really good. These tend to retail for $350 and up, so $100 is a pretty good deal.
After that are the damaged Overture bags for $50, and the damaged Judith Leiber bags for $100. The damages mainly consist of hardware issues or crystals missing from the bags. We were told that if purchased, any of the bags can be sent to Judith Leiber to be fixed for about $50 to $60 depending on what is wrong.* However, the selection is rather small.
The stock is limited, so aside from a few styles, mostly everything is out on the floor. There are also other accessories, including reading glasses and sunglasses that are priced as marked, perfumes for $15 and $20, gloves for $100, satin coin purses for $10, belts for $150, and mirrors for $20. The sale runs until Sunday at 7pm, and no word yet on further reductions.
*Update: Our reporter was told that damages could be fixed for $60, but as a reader points out, damage evaluations start at $75 for Judith Leiber bags—a price that goes toward the final repair.
· Dealfeed: Judith Leiber [Racked NY]
· 33 Remaining Sales to Shop This Month [Racked NY]
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