The ever–so–discreet Rodarte sample sale was held at the Ace Hotel (20 W. 29th St.) today. Just like their last sample sale, prices were surprisingly reasonable. But, don't get your hopes up just yet because everything was downhill from there.
The biggest letdown was that there was only 1 rack with 10~12 pieces of RTWs. Till this morning, I was befuddled as to why confirmations weren't sent out to the many shoppers who had RSVPed. Now, I am guessing that the limited merchandise might have had something to do with that. But, I have to say, the items that were available were lovely.
The shoes available were from both the Spring & Fall 2010 collections. Designed by Nicholas Kirkwood, shoes were priced $500. I was able to spot 2 pairs of Repettos. As for their accessories, prices were really great. Jewelries were priced $30~$80 and a pair of white socks (6th photo below) with fur trim were $30. In addition, a beautiful fur bolero was priced $300 while an illustrated canvas bag was only $20. Finally, the special t-shirts to celebrate the 50th anniversary re-release of the film Breathless were also on sale (last photo).
Going back to my disappointments. Other than the lack of inventory, I thought the sale was very disorganized. After taking the elevator up to 10th floor and meandering about to find the suite, I was asked to wait by the door although the room was not at all crowded. Several shoppers, including myself, had to wait about 20 minutes while only 2~3 patrons were allowed inside. Those who had a fantastic shopping experience last time and expect the same this time, will to be disappointed. Even with the reasonable pricing, it wasn't worth the trip due to the lack of merchandise.