The Dennis Basso Sample Sale Is PETA's Worst Nightmare

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The crowd at the VIP opening of the Dennis Basso sample sale today was light, but those who did show gravitated toward the fur and gowns. Racks of mink, shearling, sable, and raincoats populate the room, and sizes range from two to ten. Styles varied—from long to cropped, boleros to capes, and vests galore—but the prices are unforgiving. If you're looking to land a fur, be prepared to lay down some serious, serious cash.

Longer sable coats range from $15,000 for camel to $38,000 for more expensive dyes, such as opal. Capes fall around $6,825, boleros come in at $8,400, and vests range from $8,400 for the golden print to $15,750. There are a few sable knitted wraps for $10,500, down from a whopping $30,000.

If you're in the market for a shorter style, you may want to check out the cropped sables, available in sizes 2 through 8 in light brown, dark sculptured, and dyed blue for $4,995. As for the mink, there's plenty. Some rarer items include a mocha mink with sweater sleeves for $6,600 in a size four. On the same rack you'll find red and orange dyed mink vests in sizes 2 and 4 respectively, clocking in at a price tag of $2,200.

As for the men's selection, there's a fair amount of grafite criceto raincoats for $2,495 in most sizes, as well as some super sheared mink raincoats for $10,600—not for the faint of heart. We did spot a few shearling coats in sizes 40-44 for $1,250.

The gowns are spectacularly hiding out on the back wall of the room. Although there aren't a ton, there are a few really amazing pieces. The racks are well organized by size, 2 through 10, with a small selection of sizes 12 and 14. There are a lot of 3D florals, taffeta, and a fair share of nylon thrown into the mix.

Styles vary from A-line to full skirts and, in true Dennis Basso fashion, a heck of a lot of beautiful material. Many of the gowns come from the fall and spring 2012 collections, including an incredible taffeta bow black gown available in sizes 2 and 4 for $1,500, reduced from $30,000. Another notable was the gold level lace gown in sizes 2 for $1,145, and a beige floral plaid mini for $3,300.

With accessories, steer clear if you aren't willing to drop $995 on a trooper hat or $1,000 on a broadtail clioche. There's a table of pretty wild boots: a hot pink raccoon style ($995) and a few lynxes ($335) in sizes 7 through 10. There are a bunch of belts with equally hefty price tags, including one beaded number that rings in at $700, while "cheaper" buys, like the wraparound pony belt, will cost you $195.

The polar vortex may be testing our patience, but perhaps not enough to drop the $760 on earmuffs. We did spot a few bags, including the Blackfox alligator bag ($1,400) one black Croc tote ($5,500), and a couple of python handbags ($995).

The sale opens to the public tomorrow and runs through Wednesday. We were informed that as of now, additional markdowns will not be taken, but past sales have shown that this tends to happen towards the end.—Esther Levy-Chehebar
· Dealfeed: Dennis Basso [Racked NY]
· All Sample Sale Coverage [Racked NY]