Though the doors to today's Proenza Schouler sample sale opened a little later than scheduled, shoppers (about 100 in line) waited patiently. As always, entering the showroom required a crammed elevator ride. But this year, the sale was on the 7th floor instead of 8th. A very narrow hallway on the 7th takes you to a room full of Proenza Schouler's spring collection. Even though I was part of the first group to enter, I spotted 3~5 VIP early birds already scanning the sale.
The most coveted section of the Proenza Schouler sample sale--the bags--were snatched up faster than the speed of light. Although there were no PS1 bags in sight, people were still grabbing what was available. Fish print totes ($100 & 13th photo below), beach bags ($485), and messenger bags ($75 & 14th photo below) were in the center of the room. I heard a group of ladies giggling after seeing someone cleaning out a whole table of messenger bags. At only $75 each, this person's hoarding level was maxed out. BTW, I found out those $485 beach bags were not at all discounted. They are currently sold online for the same full price. So, word to the wise is to be wary that some items mixed into the sale weren't marked down.
The RTW section, in my opinion, was priced higher than I would have liked to see. The Proenza Schouler duo's polished & feminine approach for their Spring 2011 was available along with a small selection of last fall's graffiti print denims (looks like no one picked them up at the sample sale back in December). So, what was available and for how much? I found tangerine/white A–line tweed dresses for $525 (5th photo below), purple heavy lace tops for $1,450 (8th photo below), metallic brocade dresses for $550 (3rd photo below), and beautiful chiffon gowns for $645. Delicate sheer blouses modeled in their spring/summer campaign were $205 (6th photo below), while off–white tweed dresses were $630 (9th photo below). Sizes varied but I did notice they carried more 6 & up than size 4 & below. As you can see, prices weren't so spectacular in the RTW section. The only glimmer of hope for bargainistas is a '$100 & under' rack full of lightweight tanks & t–shirts in neon colors.
The accessory tables were located by the checkout register. Here I found $70 & $130 belts, $50 wallets, $230 wide cuffs (these were extremely heavy!!), $120 delicate chiffon bras, and $80 bow pins. In conclusion, as much as I appreciate the design duo's creative work, I was not sold on their deals today.
