The Criminally Chic

Elle Netherlands December '09

Cover: Dutch model Cato Van Ee

PS - Love that the cover is handwritten!!

Label: Yigal Azrouël
Deal: Up to 70% off women's and men's clothing, YYigal, and accessories.
When/Where: Wednesday, November 18th and Thursday, 19th. Daily 9am—7pm. 225 West 39th St between Seventh and Eighth Aves, seventh floor (212-302-1194 x516) NYC

Label: Strenesse
Deal: 80% off outerwear and sportswear
When/Where: Tuesday, November 17 through Thursday, November 19. Daily 10am—6pm. 50 W. 57th St at Sixth Ave., eighth floor (212-920-1211) NYC

Label: Kooba
Deal: Up to 80% off current and past-season handbags
When/Where: Tuesday, November 17 through Thursday, November 19. Tues—Thurs 10am-8pm. 141 W. 36th St at Seventh Ave, 19th floor (no phone) NYC

Deal: 75% off retail prices on women's ready to wear (pants, skirts, tops, knits, dresses, coats from various seasons)

When/Where: November, 17th 10:00 AM - November, 20th 7:00 PM 260 Fifth Avenue, Street Level NYC

Warehouse Sample Sale / Ella Moss, Splendid, Splendid Mills and more, Cooper Building, 860 S. Los Angeles St., 8th fl., Los Angeles, CA
Friday 9a-4p
Sat 9a-4p
Sun 10a-3p

Last night at SLS hotel in Los Angeles, Aston Martin introduced Rapide, the sexiest car ever! The car is being introduced to compete with the Maserati Quattoporte and Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class, along with the upcoming Audi A7. First presented as a concept car in 2006, Hollywood socal butterflies like Candy Spelling were on site to explore the possibility of picking up the aproxametly $260,000 car. I know cars aren't my usual postings, but this car was just too fly to pass up!

XOXO,

The Haute Chick

Tracy Reese Fall Sample Sale!

Yes you are reading this right! Tracy Reese is having her sample sale next week so do what you have to do to check it out. If this means skipping lunch or not paying rent, do it! (Can you tell I heart everything from TR?!)

Thursday, November 19^th & Friday, November 20^th

9am-7pm

260 W. 39^th Street, 5^th Floor (btwn 7^th & 8^th Aves.)

· Featuring Tracy Reese, plenty by Tracy Reese and frock! by Tracy Reese in sizes 0-12

· One of a kind samples from $30-$50

· Prices marked up to 70% off retail

· First 150 customers receive a goody bag of full sized beauty products

What: Steven Alan Sale
Why: Signature button-downs for men ($68) and women ($58) along with big deals on goods from Demylee, Relwen, Sophomore, Generic Surplus, and others.
When: Thurs. & Fri., 8:30 a.m.-8 p.m.; Sat., 11 a.m.-7 p.m.; Sun., 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
Where: Siren Studios, 6063 W. Sunset Blvd., b/t N. Gower St. & La Baig Ave., Hollywood (323-467-3559).

What: A.P.C. Overstock Sale
Why: Up to 75 percent off past seasons’ women’s and men’s clothing, shoes, and accessories.
When: Sat. & Sun., 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Where: 715 S. Los Angeles St., b/t W. Seventh & W. Eighth Sts., Downtown (323-297-0414).

What: Decadestwo Shoe Blowout
Why: The final day of the weekend-long pop-up shop affair has new and gently worn designer (Louboutin, Prada, Marc Jacobs, Louis Vuitton) shoes marked $150 and below.
When: Sun., noon-5 p.m.
Where: Post26, Brentwood Country Mart, 225 26th St., at San Vicente Blvd., Brentwood (310-451-0950). For a chance to be one of the first 50 in line, e-mail rsvp@decadestwo.com.

What: Amenity Home Sample Sale
Why: Half off current collections, 75 percent off Belgian linen pillows, organic cotton duvets in test colors for $50-$100, nursery samples for $15-$60, and more.
When: Fri., 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sat., 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sun., 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Where: 453 S. Spring St., b/t W. Fourth & W. Fifth Sts., ste. 918, Downtown.

What: Kimberly Ovitz Sample Sale
Why: Samples, overstock, and one-of-a-kind pieces from spring and fall collections going for $10-$600.
When: Sat., 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
Where: 2601 Colorado Ave., b/t 26th & Princeton Sts., Santa Monica.

Sales via dailycandy.com

Model: Isabeli Fontana

Photographer: Patrick Demarchelier.

XOXO,

The Haute Chick

After recently moving, I decided to revamp my closet and I was a little shocked when I separated out how many items of clothing still had tags or just haven't been worn since I moved to Los Angeles from NYC last year. I spend a lot of time searching through boutiques and stepping on other women's backs with my stilettos at sample sales to acquire the small oasis I call my closet.  Sure, some people may call me an impulse shopper, but there were so many places I imagined myself going in that to die for Luca Luca dress. I only wore it one time, but somehow it managed to find its way into 5 people's facebook albums! Sometimes I blame facebook for bringing many beloved items to an early back closet grave.

Lucky for me, the process of taking it in is pretty simple once I managed to let my goods go! I simply brought in my old party dresses and walked out with a check for my beloved items that they felt would fit the customers of that store. *Disclaimer: I did also walk out with a simple, black Herve Leger dress for $350, but who could let it sit there at that price? It doesn't even get that low at the Las Vegas store and they send all their sale items to that location!*

In a time where many women are spending more attention to what they are spending, designer vintage boutique shopping can allow them to still get the fashion-forward designers they love, but for a fraction of the price! One women who is helping to support trend setters everywhere is Bianca Kaplan. She just recently opened a designer vintage boutique in San Francisco, CA. During a time that many people are getting laid off and struggling to find work, she still took a leap and created her own opportunity to do something she is passionate about. How can you not find inspiration in that? Through entrepreneurial workshops put on by Woman's Initiative, a non-profit organization that helps women open up their own business, she put together a plan and executed it flawlessly.

CC: When did you know fashion was what you wanted to do for a living?
BK:  I always had an eye for fashion.  I tried sewing and I was really bad at it.  I love putting clothes together that aren't necessarily my own designs.

CC: What inspired you want to start a boutique? 
BK: I have always dreamed of owning my own boutique.  My husband and I owned a bar in SF for five years and we sold it at the right time.  After the sale, I decided that I was going to open up my own business.  I took a class at Women's Initiative to help me get my business plan together.  They are a non-profit that helps women who want to start their own business.

CC: Your boutique is very unique and innovative for San Francsico.  How do you select the brands and merchandise for your store?
BK: I am always looking for a label at BIANCA*STARR.  I am trying to remain selective and vintage items are what I am really looking for.

CC: What sets your boutique apart from the others in your area? 
BK: We dry clean everything which is unique in SF.  We also do not carry any pants whatsoever.  I handpick everything.

CC: Can you virtually walk us through your store, What do we see? What should we expect?
BK: Bright red door, pink walls and a gorgeous chandelier.  We have all of shoes in a row on the floor and one rack on either side  with many many dresses, skirts, blouses, sweaters etc.

CC: What is the price range in the store?
BK: Anywhere from $12.00 to $150.00

CC: If you could give advice to women who are thinking about starting a boutique what would it be?
BK: Go for it!  It may not be easy at first but it will get better! Follow your dreams!  I have friends stuck in a cubicle and their life is just that!  With my new job, I make my own schedule and live freely!

CC:  That's very inspirational advice! For someone who hears you say that and finally decides to follow her gut and open up her own store, where do they begin to look for funding in this economy?
BK: Their are so many small business loans out there.  You need to do some research.  As for me, I took a small class in my neighborhood that showed me where to get those resources.  They are out there!

CC: Tell me more about Women's Initiative and their role in your boutique.
BK: They were great. They guided me through the process of opening up my own business.  From getting the permits, licenses you name it.  It was great to have women who have done this before guide you through this process.

CC: How long did it take you to open your doors once you decided on opening a boutique and scouting locations? 
BK: My current location was available about 3 weeks before graduating from women's initiative.  I jumped on
it.  It needed alot of work.  We did all the work in one month and now here I am sitting in my boutique writing you!

CC: What are the biggest challenges you face as an owner of a discount designer clothing boutique?
BK:  I am on a side street from the main drag. I would say the foot traffic is good but could be better.  Other than
that I am keeping hopeful if what the future has to hold and couldn't be happier with my decision.    I also have 2 boys and a husband who I couldn't have done this without!!!!  I love you boys so very much. You are my world!

For more information on BIANCA*STARR, check out her website at www.Biancastarr.com. Make sure you click on her blog too and check out the play by play of the start up of her new store if you need a little extra inspiration to open your own boutique in your city! And for those of you who are inspired to start shopping, check out her San Fran boutique!

BIANCA*STARR
3552 20th Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
open everyday 11am-7pm

XOXO,

The Haute Chick

If you have been searching for a bag to obsess over, your search is over. Check out this Boyy bag Slash, limited edition beauty in sweatshirt grey lambskin and black python flap. There are two other color ways you can have it in, carmel/white python w/ combat lamb skin leather body or military grey python w/steel lambskin leather way. Anyway you grab it, this is sure to be a sexy addition!

Price: Retails $1100

http://www.boyybag.com

XOXO,

The Haute Chick

Current/Elliott, Oliver Peoples, Kinara Spa, Black Halo, Michael Kors and Free People will be among the 40 deeply discounted brands at the first L.A. shopping event Billion Dollar Babes has thrown in forever.

The membership-only fashion company will be returning to its live-sale roots this weekend by throwing a two-day sale at the Petersen Automotive Museum (6060 Wilshire Blvd). And if it ends up being anything like the old sales the company used to throw — where you could pick up designer jeans for $30 — it’s definitely worth your time.

There’s a VIP shopping day on Friday, Nov. 6, from 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. 
But if you didn’t get an invite to that, Saturday is a come-one-come-all day with free admission, open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. But you must RSVP to get in on the action: 

Visit www.billiondollarbabes.com/events.html.

xoxo,

The Haute Chick