The Shophound

SAMPLE SALE PREVIEW: The New And Improved GANT Sample Sale Starts Today

To be honest, The Shophound was a little bit concerned that the GANT Sample Sale was going to happen while we were gallivanting around Los Angeles last week, but we were happy to discover that the sale would be taking place the week after we came home ...and spent all our money on vacation. Oh well... It opens to the public today.

This seasonal sale has become such a sleeper hit, that the folks at Gant have finally moved it out of their midtown showroom and into the popular facility at 260 Fifth Avenue that most seasoned New York sample sale shoppers will be very familiar with. Yesterday, there was a mid-afternoon VIP preview, but the folks at Gant kindly asked us not to encourage non-invitees to try their luck at early entry because there was, in fact a strictly enforced guest list, this season. At a quarter to three, there was already a sizable line outside in the light drizzle (above), but we got inside quickly ince the doors opened at three o'clock, and here's what we can report about the new version of the sale —mostly pros, and a few cons.

PRICES: You can click on the list below to see that the prices are a little bit higher than in past seasons (boo!) but not by much (yay!). The days of all pants for $20 each may be over, but $35 is still a pretty damn good deal for pants that start at around $100 and go up from there at retail. You can still take home a pretty sizable haul for a fraction of what you would pay at full price. And there are some steals to be had, particularly in accessories like belts for $20 including handmade pieces from Sweden's Tärnsjö Tannery that retail for $175.
Click below to enlarge as clear a shot as we could get of the price list.

SAMPLES: As regular shoppers of this sale know, the sale really consists almost entirely of vast amounts of showroom samples. That has usually meant only trimly cut Mediums from the Rugger and Gant by Michael Bastian labels and more generous fitting Mediums and Larges from the main Gant brand. This season, however, shopper will find a bit more STOCK (yay!) from previous seasons. That means there are a few styles in full size runs, particularly in outerwear from Rugger and Bastian. If you are a Small, XL or even an XXL who has been shut out of previous Gant sales, you may be in luck.

SELECTION: It's the same as you have come to remember: a TON of shirts, sweaters and pants. This time, thanks to more space, almost everything is hanging on racks, and there are now attendants behind some of the tables to help you rummage through cartons of accessories and boxes of shoes. Somehow, this makes it both easier and harder to shop, since sizes were almost instantly jumbled, and some of the racks were so crammed that it was difficult to see the merchandise, so have some patience, and hone your sixth shopping sense. The arrangement is somewhat random as well, with some jackets over here and some over there, etc. Thoroughness counts here, especially since all three labels are mixed in together.

All things considered, this is the Gant sale you have come to know and love, just in a more convenient location with more space. Will prices get slashed to Walmart levels on the last day? Are they ever not? Just remember, this season the last day is on Saturday instead of Friday, but if you had your heart set on grabbing a pair of the Michael Bastian Watermelon Camo cut-off cargo shorts, don't get your hopes up. We got what we're pretty sure was the only pair.
Sorry.

The GANT Sample Sale through May 19th at 260 Fifth Avenue between 28th & 29th Streets, Midtown.
Tuesday through Friday: 10 AM - 8PM
Saturday: 10 AM - 5 PM

NEW YORK FASHION WEEK FALL 2012: A Pack Of Presentations With GANT by Michael Bastian, Rachel Roy, Fotini & Alice + Olivia's Ice Cream Treat

At the corner of Tenth Avenue and 36th Street, Exit Art is convenient to exactly nothing, and yet every Fashion Week, someone lures The Shophound over there for one thing or another. This time, Michael Bastian used it for both of his shows. A few days ago, we gushed about his main runway presentation, and yesterday, we were back again to see his increasingly popular collection for GANT shown in a static presentation (pictured above). For him, we are happy to go out of our way.

The designer made good use of the snow machine that added atmosphere to the set of his runway show, repurposing it in the center of the reconfigured space, creating a snowglobe effect and sprinkling his models with fake flakes. This collection, called "The Lucky Ones", was a nostalgic look back at his college years in Boston during the '80s, and his friends who were all lucky to find each other. It's a charming backstory that happens to mesh perfectly with Gant's preppy, Northeastern heritage. Rather than making his models stand at attention like sentries, Bastian lets them move and mug for the cameras if they feel like it, and there's always one who can't help dancing on his platform to the music. The designer himself greeted guests and gave interviews looking, after two Fashion Week events under his name, like he just finished his last final exam. It's always a fun show, and there's a tons of stuff to want for next Fall especially if, like us, you can never get enough tweed jackets, striped shirts and slim cargo pants. Plus he serves cocktails, so there's no losing there. Click below to see the whole collection.

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It's true that not every designer should be putting on a runway show, particularly smaller, up and coming ones, but even some well established players prefer a more informal presentation. RACHEL ROY could easily fill a Lincoln Center tent at this point, but, apparently, prefers a low key event. Still, she had showgoers waiting on the sidewalk to get into her presentation at Alice Tully Hall, and letting people take a lingering look at the models does allow a better appreciation of her architectural, color blocked collection. It was among her most refined, and, as a plus, the venue allowed passersby to peer inside and get a little taste of Fashion Week for themselves.

For all the exodus from the Lincoln Center tents, showing there still has its advantages as designer FOTINI discovered when guests spilled out of the Naeem Khan show and passed by her modest presentation suddenly filling up the Box tent. Although we wouldn't want to be an eveningwear designer showing immediately after Khan's glittery tour de force (more on that later), Fotini had something Khan didn't, and that was a table piled with tasty macarons! There's no underestimating the power of a surprise afternoon snack, and we only ate, like, a dozen or so...

The last time we went to an ALICE + OLIVIA presentation, it was across the street from Bryant Park in designer Stacey Bendet's own shop, so it was a cramped but festive affair. In the years since, her label has grown, and so has her presentation style which took us to Chelsea late on Monday afternoon. She proved that she knows how to throw a party, and while guests had to wait outside on West 22nd street while an industrial elevator ferried them up to the show, once inside there were two full bars, tons of food and free Magnum ice cream bars for all. Clothes? Oh yeah, they were they were cute and lively, on models smartly lined up along the walls to make room for the party. There was even a special "red carpet" section where celebrity after celebrity was trotted out for photographers. Johnny Weir, ex-Real Housewife Kelly Bensimon and Kristin Chenoweth anong others all made their appearances while the models (below) patiently vamped yards away, hoping for a little attention to come their way. It's tough to compete with free ice cream.

NEW YORK FASHION WEEK FALL 2012: We Follow Kellan Lutz Around featuring Loden Dager, Simon Spurr & Master Showman Michael Bastian

Yes, folks, that guy in the picture to the left is The Shophound's new best friend, silver screen vampire and erstwhile Calvin Klein Underwear model Kellan Lutz —and by "new best friend" we mean movie star who kindly agreed to pose for a picture for us while waiting for the LODEN DAGER show to start on Saturday. We got to hang out with him on Sunday at SIMON SPURR, so we are practically like family now —and by "hang out", we mean exist in the same large, crowded room at the same time.

The folks at Loden Dager once again staged their show at the Hudson Hotel's subterranean Good Units nightclub, a comfortable walking distance form the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week tents. It is a perfect space for a small show, the kind where a triple runway configuration puts 75% of the seats in the front row. Of course, The Shophound would have gotten much better pictures of the show had we remained standing at the end of the runway, but greedy bastard that we are, we had to grab an empty seat anyway. The allure of the front row is not lost on us, even if we should know better. Loden Dager was also thoughtful enough to email out the run of show to attendees in advance, saving a lot of wasted paper. Their signature, colorful mix of classics mixed with innovative materials looked perfectly on-target for next Fall. Click on the thumbnails for some of our favorite looks.

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A year ago, we arrived a little bit late to Simon Spurr's show only to find ourself shut out from a fully packed venue. Not to repeat the same mistake, especially remembering the check-in debacle we had already experienced once this season at Milk Studios, we arrived extra early on Sunday evening to claim our seat, and entertained ourself by watching the room again fill to capacity. Our friend Kellan was joined in an impressive celebrity row by Spurr devoté Joe Jonas, Bravo's Andy Cohen and "The Walking Dead"'s Norman Reedus along with stylist Brad Goreski who we half count because, like the Top Model judges J. Alexander and Nigel Barker, he acts as both a celebrity guest and working fashion industry person and is seen all over the place. Spurr's collection took a turn towards stricter, classic tailoring with unexpected sleek twists like shiny leather panels and a blown-up, wavy houndstooth pattern that made a winter suit recall the patterned sidewalks of Ipanema beach in Rio. It was worth coming early to see, and though our own photos didn't come out too well though the crowd, the designer sent us a complete set of runway shots almost immediately after the show. Click below for our favorites.

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We also tried to get there early for MICHAEL BASTIAN's main collection show yesterday at Exit Art, and found ourselves waiting in line behind Broadway and "30 Rock" star Cheyenne Jackson for the venue to be opened. There are definitely worse places to have to wait (How this person did not get cast as Superman is beyond us). This was the first time we had scored an invitation to his runway show (Thanks again, Eugenia!) which is one of the most popular men's shows in New York. Like his colleague Spurr, Bastian hosted pretty much anyone who is anyone in menswear. While we knew from his Gant presentations, that Bastian has a knack for creating an atmosphere, we were still bowled over his dazzling runway showmanship. We knew we would love the clothes, a unique mix of sport and luxe that he has made his own with rich fabrics and an exclusive collaboration with Stubbs & Wooton for a burgeoning line of colorful slippers and loafers. He titled the collection "The Extra Man", and included in the program nores a reprint of a small 1974 New York Times item called "The Most-Wanted List", which detailed the city's most popular "extra men" according to the prominent society hostesses of the day. The list included names like Bill Blass, Charles Addams, Mario Buatta, Donald Brooks, Norman Mailer and the legendary "walker" Jerry Zipkin. Bastian offered no other commentary, so in terms of inspiration, you can make of that list whatever you will based on what you may or may no know about each person. What surprised and delighted us the most was the evocative set which gave the illusion of a snowy wooded park that the impeccably cast team of models wandered through before hitting the long u-shaped runway. A jazzy mix of music, crystal chandeliers and a custom scent from Aedes de Venustas wafting through the air completed the ambiance so well that we barely wanted to leave once the show was finished.