THIS WEEK ONLINE: Burberry, Rick Owens, Kate Spade, Roberto Cavalli, Raymond Weil, Michael Kors, Carven, Alice + Olivia, Frette, Ippolita, Prada & More

Here is your weekly sampling of some of the brands you can expect to find on the bigger online Flash Sale Sites this week. You should click over to the sites themselves for a full schedule of events, and be sure to check for the correct start time for each sale. Shop well!

GILT GROUPE

Burberry, Free People, Corneliani, Yves Saint Laurent Pour Homme, Bulova, Alexander McQueen, Missoni, Furla, Longchamps, Kendra Scott, Hudson Jeans, SPANX, Fendi, Ray-Ban, Joie, Michael Kors Watches, Christian Louboutin, John Varvatos USA, Thomas Pink, Australia Luxe, Martin Greenfield Robert Graham, J Lindeberg Ski —join HERE

RUE LA LA

Valentino, Ray-Ban, LAGOS, Michael Kors Watches, iRobot/Dyson, Breitling Watches, Frette, Joie, T Tahari, Movado, Pajar, True Religion, SodaStream, Andrea Candela, Meira T, TAG Heuer, Villeroy & Boch, Rochard Limoges, Sperry Top-Sider, Vera Bradley, Nanette Lepore, Lois Hill Jewelry, Raymond Weil, Sharper Image, Ippolita, Rachel Zoe, Max Mara, Joan Vass —join HERE

HAUTE LOOK

Hunter, Equipment, Burberry Watches, Jared Lang, True Religion, Alex and Ani, WIldfox, Escada, Pajar Canada, Brooks Brothers, Kensie, Alice + Olivia, Stuart Weitzman, Autumn Cashmere, Andrew Christian, Deer Stags, Clarisonic, Badgley Mischka, CZ by Kenneth Jay Lane, Tiger of Sweden —join HERE

MY HABIT

Carven, Saint Laurent, Valentino, ASH, Sofia Cashmere, MICHAEL Michael Kors, Portolano, Schutz, A.B.S. by Allen Schwartz, Raymond Weil, Kenneth Jay Lane, New Balance, Geox, Butter, Eton, Cerruti 1881, Roberto Cavalli, BLK DNM, Versace, Hawke & Co., Rick Owens, Byron Lars, Magaschoni, Terrain Couture, Loeffler Randall, Gucci Watches, Alicia Adams Alpaca, Donald J Pliner, Sam Edelman, L.A.M.B.,  Nic + Zoe, Kate Spade, J.McLaughlin, Alessandro Dell'Acqua, Hart Schaffner Marx —join HERE

MISSED MARKDOWNS: Don't Hold Your Breath Waiting For The Gucci Sale

There are very few designer labels that never go on sale. Tiffany & Co. and Louis Vuitton come to mind, but these are companies that mainly trade in non-seasonal goods. Even highly desirable luxury brands like Prada, Hermès and Chanel have seasonal clearances because there's always something left over that didn't capture a customer. Normally, one would add Gucci to that list, but not this season, or possibly the next one. Gucci's CEO Marco Bizarre has announced that the customer response to new creative director Alessandro Michele's first collections (pictured above) has been so unexpectedly strong that there simply isn't enough left to put on sale without leaving the store's racks bare. Michele's shows with their offbeat "dressed in the dark" eclecticism delighted critics and stylists, but were far from what any retailer would have called a commercial sure thing. Recognizing the potential need for an adjustment period for the brand's new look, Gucci kept its production levels conservative, but the degree of caution was unnecessary, as Bizzari told Business of Fashion, "The full price [sell-through] was very, very high, so we don’t have a lot left, frankly.” What will happen when the collection is finally out of season? it may go to outlets, or possibly be held over until June, when a decision regarding marking down the current Cruise collection will be made. If you thought you might pick something up at a multi-brand retailer, you may not have much more success. Gucci's in-store shops at Saks Fifth Avenue and Bloomingdale's are leased operations that will follow the same markdown schedule as the boutiques, and while the ones at Bergdorf's are not leased, the store is likely to be experiencing the same kind of sell-throughs with the collection as the boutiques.
Will there never be a Gucci sale again? Probably, at some point, the brand will return to the practice. Eventually, if demand for Michele's collections keeps up, production will be increased and there will be more left at the end of the season to put on clearance, but the brand could always choose to keep production tight and burnish its image with a no-markdowns policy which always helps profit margins. Gucci, after all makes its money from shoes and handbags which are less seasonal items.While the fashion collections get a lot of press, they are less of a revenue generator for a company known for leather goods. Sale shoppers may have to wait this one out for a while.

Michele Momentum Means No Markdowns at Gucci (Business of Fashion)

POP-UP ALERT: Gwyneth Goes Live At Columbus Circle's GOOP MRKT

For whatever reason, Gwyneth Paltrow has become one of those celebrities that "the internet" just loves to try to take down a peg or two. Is it just a result of being a successful flaxen-haired beauty who has an Oscar? Who knows, but when she started Goop, her email newsletter turned lifestyle enterprise, people really got their hackles up despite the venture's obvious success and warm reception among her actual fans. Paltrow has brought her business to another level today by opening Goop MRKT, a Holiday pop-up store at The Shops at Columbus Circle which will run through December 24th. This is her fourth Goop shop, but her first in Manhattan. We are sure that her band of critics will have their knives out, but, honestly, when The Shophound breezed by the shop earlier today, we couldn't find a great deal to criticize. The modestly sized shop neat the 58th Street entrance to the shopping center has been spruced up with a paint job, some judiciously applied moldings and a few eclectic chandeliers. While we will not exhaustively catalog the contents of the shop, we can say with confidence that if this is an expression of her personal style and favorite items, then the woman has some damned good taste.
There are three sections, with one each devoted to food, cosmetics and fragrances and fashion. The food section, which includes a cappuccino machine presumably installed to serve customers, features a combination of cookbooks, new items like Staub cast iron cookware and antique pieces like a particularly eye-catching set of green and white Bavarian chinaware in the window among other items. In the next section there are soaps, fragrances and other cosmetic items, but the main thrust of the store appears to be fashion and accessories, including an exclusive capsule collection of star-spangles separates inspired by Wonder Woman designed by Pierpaolo Piccioli and Maria Grazia Chiuri for Valentino. There are antique watches and jewelry items mixed in with brand new accessories, and the label roster includes labels like Nili Lotan, Carven and Stella McCartney to name a few. For a pop-up, it seems quite well merchandised, more like something that could sustain itself far longer than 31 days, perhaps indefinitely. Is it expensive? Sure, but so are about a thousand other stores in New York, so that's hardly much of a criticism. Really there was only one thing that we could find to criticize —that name, Goop MRKT. 
What? You're too good for vowels now, Gwyneth?

Goop MRKT through December 24th at 10 Columbus Circle at 58th Street, Upper West Side

THIS WEEK ONLINE: Maje, Splendid, Nanette Lepore, Gucci, LOVE Moschino, Victorinox, Christopher Radko, Vera Wang, Dolce & Gabbana

Here is your weekly sampling of some of the brands you can expect to find on the bigger online Flash Sale Sites this week. You should click over to the sites themselves for a full schedule of events, and be sure to check for the correct start time for each sale. Shop well!

GILT GROUPE

Maje, Splendid, Siwy Denim, Erickson Beamon, Pyrenex, Camper, Ilux, Dolce & Gabbana, Ernest Hemingway, Naked & Famous, Fred Perry, Z Zegna, Moods of Norway, Papi, Gucci, Vera Wang Home, Serena & Lily, Zwilling J.A. Heckles, Safavieh —join HERE

RUE LA LA

7 For All Mankind, Carolinna, Espinosa, NIC+ZOE, Eyebobs, Christian Dior Watches, AHAVA, Argento Vivo, Roncato, Mariposa, Via Spiga, Original Penguin, Aaron Basha, Palais des Thés, Karastan, Karen Millen, Christopher Radko, Salavetti Jewelry, Kenneth Cole, Victorinox Swiss Army, Anne Klein, Creed, Dolce Vita —join HERE

IDEEL

Joe's Jeans, NYDJ, Pajar Canada, Slate & Stone, Yummie by Heather Thompson, Adrienne Landau, Nanette Lepore, Arturo Chiang, Burberry —join HERE

HAUTE LOOK

Splendid, Joe's Jeans, LORAC, Philosophy, Free People, Dr. Martens, Pendleton Coats, Vince Camuto, Bliss, LOVE Moschino, Fossil Handbags, Stila —join HERE

MY HABIT

Gucci, CHARLES by Charles David, Laundry by Shelli Segal, Wacoal/B.Tempt'd, Armani Watches, C89 by Cullen, Ettika Jewelry —join HERE

FLAGSHIP FLASH: Muji's New Concept Fifth Avenue Flagship Opens Today

New York has had a few Muji stores for quite some time now, but the new 12,000 square foot, two-level flagship (pictured above) opening today on Fifth Avenue across the street from the New York Public Library is promising new departments and products that will bring the store much closer to the full Muji experience that customers in its Japanese stores have come to know.
For starters, it will have the biggest assortment of clothing yet seen in any of Muji's U.S. stores, including a full selection of children's clothes for ages 2 to 10. Customers will now be able to create a customized scent at the Aroma Bar, and, for the first time, personalize their purchases with monograms or a selection of other designs at the embroidery machine station. Other additions include a Cafe Grumpy coffee bar, plants sold in partnership with Green Fingers New York, and a book section focusing on Japanese lifestyle topics. Most notably, for a store so intensely focused on Japan and its day-to-day culture, the retailer is introducing Found Muji, a section devoted to merchandise curated by its creative staff from around the world, currently featuring France's Basque region (pictured below).
Muji almost always has a few opening day surprised up its sleeve, so today will definitely be a great day to check out the new store, but it sounds like we are starting to see more of full breadth of the products that has made the chain so popular back home in Japan.

MUJI 475 Fifth Avenue between 40th & 41st Street, Midtown
Muji Unveils Experiential Concept in Fifth Avenue New York Store (WWD)
See some more images of the new store after the jump

OPENING NOW: The Balmain Blitz Continues With A SoHo Boutique Opening Today UPDATED

Perhaps no designer brand has benefitted more from an H&M collaboration than Balmain. The publicity onslaught leading up to that launch has turned the it and its current creative director Olivier Roustieng from insiders' niche label to multimedia phenomenons in a matter of months, and, for New Yorkers, the cycle is now fully complete with a Balmain boutique opening on Wooster Street today. This store will have the real stuff —no more cut rate collaboration capsules— with staggering price tags to match, and it's the first Balmain boutique in the U.S., one of only a handful worldwide. Compared to the H&M launch, the boutique is opening fairly quietly, but its arrival continues to fortify SoHo's position as a premier alternative to Madison Avenue or Midtown for luxury brands.

CORRECTION:
Well, it looks like a misleading item on Vogue.com suggested that the Balmain boutique was opening on the 19th, but a stroll past 100 Wooster Street nearly indicated that is not the case. The store should be coming soon, though. We just don't know exactly when.

YOUR WEEKEND PLANS: See Jacqueline de Ribes' Spectacular Wardrobe At The Costume Institute Starting Today

The best result of the Anna Wintour Costume Center being built at the Metropolitan Museum of Art is that we can now regularly expect two exhibitions a year from the Costume Institute instead of just the one blockbuster show in the spring. Last November, it presented a scholarly show about mourning dress traditions the 19th and 20th Centuries which was fascinating and beautifully exhibited if a bit inherently morbid. Starting today, the Costume Institute has spun 180˚ in the opposite direction with Jacqueline de Ribes: The Art of Style, (pictured above and below) featuring highlights from the (mostly evening) wardrobe of the French countess turned designer who remains one of the best dressed women in the world, and a representative of the generation when fashion media celebrated stylish women who bought their own clothes and dressed themselves without the help of stylists. De Ribes is not an eccentric or trailblazing dresser in the way that we see other prominent women of distinctive style. While we have seen splashier, more extravagant gowns at the Costume Institute, we have rarely seen a collection of them as refined and representative of one person's singularly impeccable taste.
To fully understand the show, one must understand a bit about The Countess de Ribes herself (pictured at right). Born into aristocracy, she became the Vicomtesse de Ribes when she married her husband at 19. Fascinated as a child by fashion from watching her grandmother's haute couture fittings, she became as expert in design as the great couturiers she patronized including, well, most of them, but most notably Yves Saint Laurent, Emanuel Ungaro and Marc Bohan of Christian Dior. to supplement her haute couture purchases, she had her own designs made and, unable to draw, found a young sketch artist to assist her in bringing her ideas to life. That was Valentino Garavani for whom, like many of Europe's designers, she became a muse, or something more, really. Recognizing her flawless eye, designers allowed de Ribes to adjust and edit their designs to the point where they would occasionally just turn over their ateliers to her whims. Ironically, it was her privileged station in life that for many years kept her from going into business herself. It would have been considered unseemly for her to have her name on a business, even a luxurious one, so she quietly found work advising designers and producing theater and ballet projects. Finally, shortly after her husband inherited his title as Count in 1981, she was allowed to start her own luxury Prêt-à-Porter business which lasted until 1995. Many of her own designs are included in the show, showing up beautifully next to gowns from more celebrated couturiers, and if they seem to recall the style of designers like Bohan or Saint Laurent, it is hard to say if it is because she was influenced by them or, more likely, they were inspired by her for so many years. At the press preview earlier this week, outgoing Curator in Charge of The Costume Institute Harold Koda noted that it would be easy to breeze through the show and gaze at the elegant gowns, but the exhibition bears lingering scrutiny pointing out that de Ribes the designer always saw her work in three dimensions often resulting in sophisticated spiral cut creations meant to flatter from very angle. He even broke his own strict rule against showing re-creations of older designs when she presented him with a reproduction of a Dior gown by Saint Laurent from the 1959-60 season that was realized perfectly under her strict instruction. It only took Dior's contemporary atelier about six tries to meet her exacting standards.
Ultimately, the exhibition, probably unintentionally, serves as a satisfying companion to another current fashion exhibition focusing on another woman of unique individual style. If Jacqueline de Ribes represents the ultimate in rarefied taste, then FIT's Fashion Underground: The World of Susanne Bartsch, shows a deceptively complex woman at the other end of the style spectrum. Taken together, Bartsch's no-holds-barred costumes and de Ribes' supreme elegance seem like two different sides of the same coin with each one using fashion as a a form of expression in windy different ways. FIT's show runs through through December 5th, and seeing them together makes for a fascinating double header.

Jacqueline de Ribes: The Art of Style through February 21, 2016 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art 1000 Fifth Avenue at 82nd Street, Upper East Side

POP-UP PROLIFERATION: Nautica & Lands' End Pop-Ups Push Upscale

Let's just put it out there, The Shophound can sometimes be easily swayed by food.
The prompt offer of hot chocolate and cookies from the nearby City Bakery upon our entrance to Nautica's Holiday season pop-up store (pictured above) in the Flatiron District a couple of days ago was a smart move on the part of the moderate department store mainstay brand. We declined the cookies, mainly because we didn't want to look like too much of a hog, but who can pass up City Bakery hot chocolate? That's not some cheap cup of Swiss Miss, and besides, it forced us to browse for at least long enough to finish sipping our rich and creamy treat.
Oh, yeah, the store. Why we found there was a bit different from what you'll come across in pretty much every Macy's in America. Nautica, like nearly every middle of the road menswear brand is looking to capture an upscale customer who won't be caught in a moderate department store. That's why they have made a special collection for the shop, which features luxurious cabled cashmere sweaters and a sweet raw denim peacoat in place of the more prosaic chinos, windbreakers and polo shirts that the brand is known for. To complement the offerings, Nautica has added Jeans from 7 for All Mankind and Jansport backpacks instead of counterparts from their own brand to mimic the label mixing at the stores like J.Crew and Club Monaco whose customers it hopes to attract. In addition, the store is relaunching the Nautica women's line in the U.S. with similarly uplifted items. Will the gambit work? Nautica's signature navy and white palette has classic appeal at any price point, and boating as a pastime always has an air of the upper classes about it. It remains to be seen if Nautica will be embraced by the more affluent customer it is chasing after so many years of stylish runway shows snd presentations of collections never seemed to fully materialize at retail, but the store shows that the brand can make a case for a more elevated product line if they manufacture it and give people a chance to see it up close.

A similar strategy is under way on a larger scale at the Lands' End temporary store at the long empty Fifth Avenue site (below) that has been home to a string of former Liz Claiborne-owned brands (Liz, Mexx, Juicy Couture) for the better part of two decades until that conglomerate broke apart a few years ago. Most of Juicy's glitz has been finally erased from the space except for the elaborate wrought-iron and brass railing on the staircase connecting the two levels. Stripped down to concrete floors, the store's makeshift ambiance is emphasized by unfinished wooden fixtures and installations (pictured above) which is the perfect backdrop for. . . more cashmere!
Eager to shed the association with its former parent company Sears, Lands' End is also looking to upgrade its fashion image along with its customer base, and what better way to do that than with the multi-ply cashmere poncho that greets customers as they enter the store or maybe a surprisingly trendy navy and white sailor stripe crewneck? With some high profile new execs with tonier backgrounds, the company has hinted that it may stick around at its current Fifth Avenue home permanently. At the moment, it is offering a highly curated array of classic items from its vast inventory in addition to the cashmeres. Chief in the offerings is outerwear, a Lands' End staple. The menswear in particular is showing the touch of its new creative director with more colorful jackets and classic heavy flannel shirts in in updated prints. There are plenty of Holiday gift items, of course, but, more importantly, Lands' End has a whole bar and lounge serving hot chocolate along with its own chocolate mint and salted caramel cookies. After all it will be important to keep your energy up during the upcoming shopping season.

Nautica Pop-Up Shop 134 Fifth Avenue between 18th & 19th Streets, Flatiron District
Lands' End Holiday Pop-Up Shop 650 Fifth Avenue at 52nd Street, Midtown

SAMPLE CIRCUIT: Line Up For Serious High Fashion Sales With Proenza Schouler, Alexandre Plokhov & Marchesa + A Theory Double-Header & More

There may not be a more jam-packed week of sample sales than this one, so get ready. There's a sale for anything and everything somewhere, so here are just a few highlights to get your planning started:

Things have already gotten started in a big way with GANT on Wooster Street in SoHo (pictured above with price list after the jump) featuring a huge selection of almost entirely sample-sized goods (meaning size Medium on top and 32 on the bottom) and contemporary gave REBECCA TAYLOR at 260 Fifth Avenue. Both of these run through Saturday the 21st with likely price reductions toward the end of the week for the patient.

The big glamour sales start today beginning with PROENZA SCHOULER down at C21 Edition in the financial district. Officially starting today, reports feature an early opening for the public yesterday due to a mistakenly sent email but there still should be plenty of goods left including handbags and shoes at 70% Off and more.

Those in the market for a discount on dramatic eveningwear, and we're talking feathers and sequins here, will be heading west to the Starrett-Lehigh building for the 3-day MARCHESA sale. Look for the most expensive Couture line to still be expensive even at 65% to 70% Off, but the more affordable Marchesa Notte line should offer some more reasonably priced Holiday party-wear. A full size range, 0-12, is promised through Thursday the 19th.

Speaking of eveningwear, VERA WANG is kicking off her 7-day sale today at 151 Wooster street featuring her luxury ready-to-wear collection (sorry brides, you will get a different sale another time). Magnanimous lady that she is, she will be sharing the space with NEST Home Fragrances creating a unique opportunity to pick up a party frock and a hostess gift at the same sale.

But what about shoes? today also kicks off a 3-day SERGIO ROSSI sale at Metropolitan Pavilion offering 60% to 80% off the Italian luxury label's collections for Men and Women. 

Those in the market for something a  bit more every-day will be converging on Clothingline in the Garment District for the first of what is likely to be many THEORY sales. They are all a little bit different, and this one is expected to focus on Fall Womenswear —although that could mean anything.

Come Wednesday, there still may be time to make an appointment for the OSCAR de la RENTA sample sale at... Well, we don't know where, exactly. They only tell you where it is if you make an appointment, so you had be a serious customer. See the sidebar for details.

No such appointment is necessary at CHARLOTTE OLYMPIA's two-day sale at the Roosevelt Hotel starting on Wednesday. Known for whimsy, lavish decoration and especially vertiginous heel treatments, her shoes are not for the faint of heart, but brave footwear enthusiasts will get up to 70% Off what is promised to be a broad size range of 34 to 42.

Oh yeah, there's another THEORY sale starting on Wednesday, too. This one's for men only at the Chelsea Market through Sunday.

On Thursday, men after a more directional fashion look will be at ALEXANDRE PLOKHOV two-day sale in the Flatiron District. Plokhov is a longtime insider favorite who has also been gaining fans as the men's designer at Helmut Lang. Look for his brilliantly tailored menswear as well as his more recently launched women's collection.

More shoes? Stylist-turned-cobbler TABITHA SIMMONS will open her Starrett-Lehigh building showroom on Thursday for a two-day sample sale of her chic footwear.

Of course, there's soon much more including LELA ROSE, YIGAL AZROUËL, HANRO, PSYCHO BUNNY, JACK ROGERS, SHOSHANNA, and more, and if this is anything like last week, several more good sales that we haven't even heard about yet. Be sure to keep an eye on the SALE ROLL sidebar at left for details and the late breaking sales that we will try and post as quickly as possible.
Next week looks like a welcome lull before Thanksgiving, but last minute additions are likely to appear. In the meantime, shop wisely.

MORE SAKS NEWS: Saks Off 5th Coming To East 57th St.

Honestly, we didn't plan to be spending so much time on Saks today, but news is news and the New York Post is reporting that Saks Off 5th, the chain's off-price division, has signed a lease to take over the former Daffy's space at 135 East 57th street between Park and Lexington Avenues. This is significant not only because it will be Saks' second Off 5th store in Manhattan, once considered off limits to the luxury department store's discount division, but because it comes perilously close to the midtown luxury shopping district on Fifth and Madison Avenues. In fact, the new store will only be about a 20 minute walk from the Saks Fifth Avenue flagship at 49th and Fifth and a mere two blocks from Bloomingdale's. Saks has already announced its first Off 5th Manhattan store opening next year at 1 Liberty Place in the Financial District.
While the Post has no confirmation on the specific size of the lease, it reports that the former Daffy's store was estimated at 60,000 square feet and the store is expected to open sometime next Spring. The three level space includes some street level selling area with most floor space on two concourse levels below. Landlord Charles S. Cohen reportedly held out for three years to sign a tenant that met his requirements which on the one hand demonstrates a tenacious resolve, but on the other, represents a growing problem in Manhattan and other cities where prominent, high priced retail spaces sit empty for months and years on end while landlords wait for deep pockets tenants which may never materialize, creating rent blighted stretches of storefronts in otherwise upscale and thriving neighborhoods.
Anyway, that's all the Saks news we have today. . . until something else pops up.

Off-price division of Saks to open new shop at pricey NYC digs (NYPost)