How Long's the Line?

image from Racked.com

In the last couple of weeks there have been over 50 sample sales in New York City- many of them big name designers. I personally went to the Alexander Wang and Helmut Lang ones and decided to skip the Calypso- usually on my list for colorful, bohemian looks for summer to offset my layers of black for winter. There were others I'd have liked to have braved but the idea of the crowds was just too intimidating.

The amount of merchandise at these sales can be astounding. Yes, there are the clunkers of the collection- a sore reminder of listening to Anna Wintour and putting into production a  coat she bought off the runaway that looks good on no one else or the crazy prints that are interesting but not very commercial- but there are also plenty of pieces that are just "extra". This extra merchandise is money, a LOT of money and it needs to be liquidated. In my job as a managing director of a small retail chain, I had this problem once, and let me tell you- the longer you keep it, the harder it is to move. Fashion has an expiry date and your loyal clients know when things came out and they are interested in it when either new or vintage and a lot of time passes in between those.

The secrets of outlets stores and sample sales are another one of those fashion insider things. We insiders know that brands manufacture garments that are solely for the outlet stores although the general public does not. There is also another rumour that brands are overproducing to stock their sample sales (they still make money even with the discounted prices) and I just heard that a well known Paris designer was told to "stop" with her seasonal sample sales or she'd be dropped from one of the major department stores as they felt it cannibalized their full price sales- a pretty serious request for a supposedly secret sample sale.

A friend of mine who is relatively new to NY asked me how everyone knows about them (especially considering I knew about one that the company her husband works at was having and she didn't). Racked.com was my answer. Websites like Racked and SampleSally report on all things shopping and give views (sometimes real time) on what is happening on the front. Photos of pricelists, available merchandise, progress reports on lines to gain entry- readers constantly email them to keep them up to date. Sample sales used to be a thing of knowing people and paper flyers but the internet of course has changed that- although it does help to know someone to have access to the Friends & Family preview which usually takes place a day before opening to the general public.

I love sample sales and as a long-term fashion professional rarely pay full price for anything bar special editions (Jil Sander at Uniqlo etc)- I just don't need to. And my designer-heavy closet is proof of it.

So I ask:
- is it worth brands cannibalizing potential full priced sales to purge excess merch at a sample sale? is this good business?
- do you think it matters if it's only the "insiders" who know about it and can get to them? Or do you think the word is out- everyone know about them?
- do YOU shop full price or wait for sample sales to get your designer goodies?

update to last post: And So It Begins

Well, just as we were discussing speeding up the fashion cycle and access for all... It was recently announced that NY Socialite Lauren Santo Domingo has partnered with an ex-Gilt founder to launch a site- Moda Operandi- that will allow shoppers to buy from the runway 48 hours after the show has taken place. It will work like a trunk show- they'll take your orders (with a deposit of course) and you'll receive the pieces when they're ready.

Is that quick enough for you?