Mar 26, 2015

*SAMPLE SALE* Here, Kitty Kitty

Sometimes it's nice to find a pair of shoes that fit perfectly and are just plain fun. Enter Charlotte Olympia with their cheerfully amusing--and sometimes fabulously over the top--collection of footwear to inject a burst of color and playfulness into your shoe closet. This morning, the British label premiered their inaugural NYC sample sale and the thrill of opening day was noticeably apparent on the faces of Olympia fans who anxiously waited in queue inside the hallways of the Roosevelt Hotel.

First and foremost, I hate to start this report on a downer but the folks at Charlotte Olympia very kindly but firmly requested that no photos were to be taken inside the sale today. So, sorry to disappoint my fellow Mizhattanites as I value your readership immensely but, this time around, I had no choice but to follow their rules. I ask for your understanding and hope you enjoy this review nonetheless. Now, let's get onto the details.

From the company's iconic Kitty flats to old Hollywood glamour designs and vibrant towering heels, today's 1-day sale was chock full of discounts on the brand's past season collections. The inventory was divided into three basic sections: shoes, clutches, and totes. Each pair of shoes was placed inside their respective box and stacked on top of each other like towering skyscrapers. I noticed several shoppers were getting frustrated from having to open each individual box while trying to be careful not to knock over the stacks of boxes. But once they found a box which had hidden inside an irresistible pair of Kitty flats, it all seemed to be worthwhile.

In the footwear section, sizes ranged from 34 through 42 and there was enough inventory in each size to go around amongst the morning crowd. The label's most popular Kitty flats were $130 and there were various styles like Glow in the Dark, Love Kitty, Lucky Kitty, Pouting Kitty, Glitter Kitty, Hippy Kitty, Party Kitty, Clever Kitty, and Pretty Kitty. In addition to these quirky felines, there were Birthday shoes marked down to $145. Shoppers should also note there was a 10 item purchase limit.

Other shoe styles included Carmen espadrilles for $200, fringe wedges for $485, Jasmine sandals for $500, Miranda wedges for $205, All I Want sandals for $260, Minerva booties for $235, Stella sandals for $515, car detail Dollys for $200, Daphne pumps for $185, nautical Debbies for $170, Domina pumps for $185, Pitch Perfect wedges for $320, Unleash the Dragon for $395, Dynasty sandals for $365, and Tom Binns Dolly Riot for $350.

Charlotte Olympia's novelty clutches were in abundance and were placed on large tables in the center of the room. Prices ranged from $90 to $685 and I spotted Pandora boxes, Chastity clutches, Lotus clutches, Flamingo embroidered raffia clutches and Magazine clutches. Over at the handbag section, the sale offerings included leopard canvas shoppers, Sunny baskets, Plexi Hulas, Enigmas, and Chinese Girl shoppers. Totes and shoppers were $70~$515.

As I mentioned, today's Charlotte Olympia sample sale is for 1-day only and will end at 7pm today. Though the line was manageable when I dropped by this morning, I've been told the queue to enter the sale has now stretched quite a bit and is currently wrapping around the floor. So expect a significant wait if you decide to drop by during lunch.

{Image credit: Neiman Marcus}

24 comments:

  1. if you didnt get there in the first 2 hours, good luck. massive hoarding by the typical types. prices are good, but pickings are slim.

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  2. Do you think its worth going to at 5:30? commuting from far away, i dont want to be disappointed! im going for shoes. Thanks Miz!

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    1. Probably not. The line is intense and the floor staff said no restocking. Selection is probably limited at this point.

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    2. Just popped in myself, the line isn't bad at all anymore. The pickings are slim, but there is still quite a bit left!

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  3. Most flats including Kitties are gone. If you're 34 or 40-41 there were still a few pairs around noon but these won't last. Many heels and wedges in $150-$350 range but very few shoppers were even looking at them. I got in around 10am even though I was number twenty something on line but thanks to a bunch of last minute VIPs had to wait 45 min longer to get inside. But not all was lost since I got to see a cockroach on the wall! (Never stay at the Roosevelt)

    When I left there was a huge line of shoppers eagerly waiting to get in but by the looks of things that line wasn't moving much and will probably grow even longer during lunch time. For those still on the fence about going I'd say if all you wanted were flats then don't bother. If you're interested in heels or clutches then there is still a large selection in all sizes. As others mentioned there will be no restocking so chances are that popular sizes 37-39 will be depleted by evening.

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  4. Oh, Miz..you're too courteous. No need for apologies! We appreciate your reports no matter what. We don't want you to sneak in pictures and possibly get banned from the sample sale next time. Besides, you've detailed all the style names, so one can just easily google them to find an image. No worries at all. Thanks again!

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    1. Hi Sarah,

      You're so kind! Thank you for understanding :)

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  5. Did anyone see zodiac flats?

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    1. Only ones I saw as of 11:30 were Taurus in multiple sizes. Must not be a lot of Tauruses attending!

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    2. Thank you! This saves me a trip!

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  6. I got there around 9am and waited in line until 10:30. By that time, there were no more kitty flats in 39 and very few flats in general. I don't think it's worth it to check it out at this point, unless you're into heels and wedges.

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  7. First, let me say the men and women working the sale were amazing, super nice and very helpful.

    The selection of 41s and 42s was not great, and I went in at 8:35. However, the prices were insanely good. I got a pair of supposedly limited edition boots that were originally $1595 for $160. I went into kitty overload!!

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    1. The staff were very friendly! Hope you enjoy your new goodies!!

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    2. Totally! I got the party kitty and the kitty with the red glasses. (They are the front two in the image above.) I wear red glasses as my day to day frames and they match me.
      (Btw, not sure if we were there at the same time, but in case we were, I was the woman wearing the purple suede skirt. Wanted to say hi, but I have no idea what you look like)

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    3. That's awesome! Love that your glasses match your new shoes. I was too focused trying to get all the sale details that I don't remember much about my surroundings but nonetheless...HI!!! And thank you for your readership!

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  8. Miz as always, thanks for the great recap.
    Great sale...helpful staff!
    Although no flats in a size 38 by the time I got in at 11 am (I was on line at 9:30) , I left happy with my 3 pairs priced at $200, $155, and $155. Not bad for items that retail over $895.

    In addition, the group of shoppers today were quite pleasant too. None of that snatching and pushing I've grown to expect at NYC sample sales.

    If you are into the novelty (heavy prints/& satin) of Charlotte shoes then there was a variety of STANDOUTS to be had and a lot still available. If your style is a bit more classic, at this point I would pass. The good stuff is gone. Happy shopping!

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    1. Thank you so much for your in-depth commenting!! I think it will help lots of readers who are on the fence about going after work.

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  9. Hi everyone, I'm my wife's personal shopper, I got there about 8:40, Kindle in hand cuz it was gonna be a long wait. I was number 18 on line. There were a number of folks going in before the open, I guess employees, friends, etc. Around 9:30 or just before, they let in the first ten people. The second ten on line didn't get in until the official open at 10AM. I was vaguely looking for some kitty stuff, (which seemed to be gone by then), but we buy shoes as wearable art, we don't necessarily need the latest or trendiest. I had no trouble finding three pairs of lovely shoes, in 38.5-39, which was about what I had in the budget. There were a lot of shoes and at least at that time, a fair amount of room, unlike some sales. Overall a very pleasant experience, even with the wait. I finished the better part of a book, thank you Kindle!

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    1. We were standing behind you in line being anxious about the wait. Very glad to hear you had success!

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  10. Thanks! I see you did pretty well yourself, you were just behind me on the way out!
    :-)

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  11. anyone know if there are anything left? is it still worth to go now?

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