SAMPLE CIRCUIT: Mulberry's Sample Sale Returns Today

Just because it's Fashion Week doesn't mean that the Sample Sale machine has gone on the fritz. In fact, today marks the long awaited return of burgeoning British luxury brand MULBERRY to the scene after a hiatus of several years. The sale opened th is morning at Soiffer Haskin on 33rd street with about a hundred people waiting in line according to our friends at Racked, who later discovered that they will be unfailingly nice to you at the sale until they discover you are a blogger, at which point nobody is allowed to speak to you, and if you try to take a picture, they'll throw you out a window or something. Also you have to check everything with no exceptions.
And yet, the tireless Mizhattan managed to get her self to a VIP preview yesterday where they took photos aplenty, so go figure.

Anyway, it looks like everything is about 70% off the retail prices, which is a pretty good deal, and they have lots of everything which isn't surprising since it has been soooo long since their last sale. Act fast, though, the sale closes on Thursday the 12th. Check out our SALE ROLL sidebar for details and locations.

Thursday Evening Spree

•Project Runway judge and Elle editrix Nina Garcia is the latest to take the quiz. (The Fashion Informer)
• Zara is looking to go head to head with arch-rival H&M on Fifth Avenue and 42^nd Street. (RACKED)
• The Tata Nano: Would you drive an Indian-made car?
Would you drive an Indian-made car that got 50 MPG and only cost $2,550? (Cool Hunting)
• New York is now requiring large retailers to take back plastic bags. China has banned them altogether. (PSFK)
• Club Monaco has started to sell vintage Rolexes on the Upper West Side. Sound a little too much like parent company Polo Ralph Lauren? (Material Interest)
• In the "What Took So Long?" department, Mulberry is finally dipping its toes in the footwear business. (See what we did there? 'dipping its toes into footwear'. We couldn't help ourselves.) (Vogue UK)
• The Wall Street Journal weighs in on the awards show cancellations' impact on the fashion biz, so it must be serious. (Wall Street Journal)
• And, as predicted, The Fug Girls are none too pleased about losing an opportunity to go to town on Helena Bonham Carter either. (Daily Intelligencer/New York Fugging City)

Mulberry's Double Header

British luxury leathergoods firm Mulberry is taking a gutsy approach to entering the U.S. retail market by opening two new stores in Manhattan almost simultaneously. The first shop, opened on Bleecker Street just before Thanksgiving to immediate success, and the second, larger showcase is set to open on Madison Avenue any minute now. Stores in Manhasset, Los Angeles and Atlantic City are set to open in the coming months. Mulberry's arrival in America has been a long time coming, The company was started in the '70s, and the new store offers the fullest selections of their English-made products including an expanded range of men's bags and accessories that have been taking off. In addition, it is one of the few Mulberry stores worldwide to feature a custom order program, so If you like their signature Piccadilly bag, you can choose a range from a range of leathers and have one made to your own specifications. Mulberry has often been described as England's answer to Coach, and designer Stuart Vevers' products have a similar, classic feeling, but with a much more luxurious and refined edge. They will look just as good going to work as they will with with your jeans.
The store's warm, leather and wood lined interior provides a perfect backdrop for the merchandise, but like most Bleecker Street stores it is very small. For now, it's an appetizer for the Madison Avenue store which will be about three times the size and is stocking its shelves as you read this.

Some gift ideas after the jump

And The New Hot Shopping Area Is...Wall Street?

Soon there will be another reason to go shopping way way downtown besides Century 21. Curbed  and WWD tell us that Tiffany & Co. will be opening its second New York Store in a 1906 Beaux-Arts tower at 37 Wall Street in April 2007. Heaven knows there's heaps and heaps of dough down there, but so far the notable retail scene has consisted mainly of the aforementioned discounter and business wear stores like Brooks Brothers and Hickey-Freeman. Expect a dramatic presentation as Tiffany will restore as much gilded age grandeur as possible, in efforts to outshine its new neighbor, Hermès which will open at 15 Broad Street next year.

It looks more and more like Hedi Slimane is on his way out at Dior Homme. Belgian designer Kris Van Assche has been tapped to wait in the wings should Slimane bid adieu. An obvious choice, the Belgian Van Assche whose own collection will be four seasons old next month, was assistant to Slimane at both Yves Saint Laurent and Dior, so don't look for a huge change in direction should the scenario actually come to pass. (WWD & Vogue UK)

Bleecker Street hasn't been eclipsed just yet. Mulberry, the British luxury leathergoods house is finally establishing a foothold in the US with its first stateside store at 387 Bleecker opening in August. It will be the only store oustide the UK to offer the Bespoke accessories collection, which allows the customer to chose what color and type of leather they want. Perfect for us because we like things the way we like them!