WEEKEND SPECIAL: Barneys Warehouse Sale Hits ½ Price

Well, now that we know rolling markdowns are in effect, The Shophound couldn't help checking back at the Barneys Warehouse Sale this afternoon where we found discounts rising to 50% off the ticket price on pretty much everything except the tiny table of home goods (Why even bother?) which is holding at 25% off according to the posted  update seen above. Men's dress shirts and ties are now $39 and $19 apiece respectively which led to something of a feeding frenzy that had customers digging through the backstock boxes under the tables , exasperating the attendants tasked with keeping the stock orderly. Most of it was private label basics —still a very good deal— but if you actually happen upon a stray Armani or Brioni piece, then you have really hit the jackpot. As for the rest of the merchandise, it was pretty picked over when the sale opened last week, so you can imagine how sad most of it looks now. However, if you do find something, now it's probably a really great price. Will there be another price slashing before the last day on Monday? Stranger things have been known to happen, so stay tuned.

Barneys Warehouse Sale Through Labor Day September 1 at the Metropolitan Pavilion, entrance at 110 West 19th Street between Sixth & Seventh Avenues, Chelsea
Previously:
Warehouse Update: There Are Markdowns At The Barneys Warehouse Sale

WAREHOUSE UPDATE: There Are Markdowns At The Barneys Warehouse Sale

To be honest, The Shophound nearly forgot that The Barneys Warehouse Sale was even still happening, but since we were in Chelsea yesterday afternoon, we thought we would stop in for just a second to see how things were progressing. To our surprise we saw something that really didn't happen at the sale last year: Markdowns! It turns out that the folks at Barneys actually learned a lesson from last August's poorly received event and decided to re-instate the kind of time-released discounts that Warehouse Sale shoppers have come to anticipate.

Yes, the pickings are still meager, and our initial assessment of general suckage still holds, but now there are discounts across the board which may make shopping more worth your while. Discounts run from 25% to 40% off the ticketed price (see details above), and certain categories like men's dress shirts at $59 and neckties at $39 are at an easy-to-calculate flat price making either purchase a good deal. Since the sale runs through Monday, the possibility of more markdowns is strong, so you may want to think about a visit over the weekend if you are in town. We will try and check again for more updates, so stay tuned if you are holding out for last day, rock bottom savings.

Barneys Warehouse Sale Through Labor Day September 1 at the Metropolitan Pavilion, entrance at 110 West 19th Street between Sixth & Seventh Avenues, Chelsea
Previously:
Return Engagement: The Barneys Warehouse Sale is Back And It Still Sucks

 

RETURN ENGAGEMENT: The Barneys Warehouse Sale is Back And It Still Sucks

Let's not bet around the bush here.
The Barneys Warehouse Sale that opened today bears no resemblance to the designer bargain bonanza that we had come to know, and is probably not worth your time. 

About a year ago, we weighed in on the newly relocated Barneys Warehouse Sale which had moved to the Metropolitan Pavilion for the first time after being turned out of its traditional 17th Street home as a result of extensive building renovations. We, and pretty much everyone else who had anything to say about it, agreed that this version was barely a shadow of the treasure trove of bargains that it had been in past seasons. The Shophoound even suggested that it was time to end it for good. Diverting the best of Barneys' clearance merchandise to the online, year-round Warehouse Sale site left the semi-annual Chelsea event looking like little more than a pointless exercise in maintaining a tradition that had outlived its usefulness.

This past winter, it looked like the folks at Barneys had heeded out advice, or at the very least, come to the same conclusions, and for the first time in years, there was no Winter Warehouse Sale. We and plenty of other people figured that as the end of it, and happily went on with out lives finding plenty of other places to shop.

But no.
It turns out that the sale was just taking a season off, or perhaps morphing into an annual, late Summer event, because, today, another Barneys Warehouse Sale opened at the Metropolitan Pavilion, and while it is slightly better than the last pathetic version, it isn't by much. We aren't going to walk you through the sale, section by section, picking out the few appealing designer items that could be found through some industrious rummaging. It's just not worth it. As far as we could tell, nothing was reduced further than its last final clearance price, some of which are only 50% to 60% off —scant savings for this type of event. There was an abundance of no particularly category except for men's suits and sportcoats, and even then, we saw nothing like the endless racks remembered from the old Warehouse Sales. Very little of what we saw appeared to come from the Spring 2014 season, and much of it was from last year or before. Clearly we were again seeing the dregs of what had already had a good run online and was finally being unloaded for good, which is not an inspiring prospect in a city where we can shop at the often bountiful sample sales of designers who sell to Barneys, and get better deals earlier in the season for current goods. Many things came from brands that no longer sell to Barneys, and in some cases, never did.

The old Barneys Warehouse Sale used to be a fun shopping adventure with great bargains justw aiting for the sharp-eyed, quick moving shopper willing to throw an elbow or two to get to the good stuff. As we pointed out last year, this sad excuse for what we have come to know as the Barneys Warehouse Sale should just end. Considering that Barneys' current management has shown little regard for most of the things that historically made Barneys unique and beloved by New York shoppers, it seems curious that they insist on hanging on to the Warehouse Sale, which has been made fairly obsolete by modern technology and e-commerce. Of all the things that the store's president, Mark Lee, and his management team have jettisoned (The Co-Op, the hilarious Holiday Windows, The separate but side by side Men's and Women's store concepts, the signature eclectic yet warm and inviting store ambiance) it is this pitiful, bedraggled Warehouse Sale that really should be discontinued.

Barneys Warehouse Sale Through Labor Day September 1 at the Metropolitan Pavilion, entrance at 110 West 19th Street between Sixth & Seventh Avenues, Chelsea
Previously:
Warehouse Update: Is It Time To End The Barneys Warehouse Sale For Good?

TICKING CLOCK: This Weekend Is Your Last Chance To See The Costume Institute's Blockbuster Charles James Show

There was a little question in the air this past May when The Costume Institute opened its current but soon to close exhibition Charles James: Beyond Fashion: Would visitors be lured in by a major exhibition's scholarly take on a revered designer despite his being little known outside of hard-core fashion circles?
The answer, as it turns out is a resounding yes.
Faring better than recent high-concept shows at the Met like 2013's Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations and 2012's Punk: Chaos to Couture, this show will end up as the 5th most visited at the Costume Institute in the past 25 years according to the New York Times. Stellar reviews certainly did their part, but word of mouth about the ingeniously designed exhibition that literally takes the viewer inside the designer's lavish gowns is likely what put visitor levels over the top.

If you haven't managed to get yourself to the Metropolitan Museum of Art to see it yet, then you still have a few days left to catch it. The exhibition closes on Sunday, August 10th, so get a move on. Luckily, thanks to the completion of the Anna Wintour Costume Center, we won't have to wait until next May for the a new show. Death Becomes Her: A Century of Mourning Attire will open on October 21st. That's about two and a half months away, so mark your calendars.

Charles James: Beyond Fashion through August 10th at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 Fifth Avenue at 82nd Street, Upper East Side
Previously:
New Looks: The Costume Institute Cleanses The Palate With Charles James: Beyond Fashion At The Metropolitan Museum

WEEKEND SHOPPING: Fivestory's Clearance Returns Downtown + Dover Street Market Transforms For Fall

The Sample Sale Season has tapered off by now, and if you haven't gotten your fill from Proenza Schouler's one day sale yesterday, then you might want to head to the Bowery Hotel sometime between today and Wednesday the 23rd for the return of FIVESTORY's Hotel Sale (pictured above). The Upper East Side's quirkiest luxury store has brought back its off-site clearance for what looks to be a seasonal event. The Shophound stopped by for a preview yesterday and found the unassuming basement space crammed with goods. A broad range of the store's exclusive range of designers was included on those tight rolling racks, but as with most such sales there wasn't more of one or maybe two of a particular style to be seen, so there is a little bit of luck in finding a great item in your size —but that's really what these things are all about. We saw notable pieces from labels like Balmain, Alexander Wang, Carven and Giambattista Valli to name a few. Spring '14 items were marked at 60% off the original retail, but the real deals were the previous season items at 80% off. There were greater size ranges for men, and many sportier items whose sale prices even fell under $100 from cult labels like Wings + Horns, White Mountaineering, Sacai and Visvim. Beautifully made leathergoods from Lotuff were standouts as well as bins full of cashmere knitwear from designers like Christophe Lemaire as well as classics from Fivestory's own label. What you may want to do first is check the shoe stacks, of which there was an abundance. Gianvito Rossi, Aperlai, Sergio Rossi were all well represented for women, and Mark McNairy New Amsterdam fans should head there immediately for the men's shoes which also offered Del Toro slippers, Ovadia & Sons classics and Maison Martin Margiela's Converse collaboration. The space is a bit cramped and can crowd up easily, but anyone hankering for just one more Summer bargain should make a point of visiting before the sale ends. Have a few looks at the sale in the gallery below.

For those of you who are sick of clearance and ready for new goods, DOVER STREET MARKET is undergoing its first tachaigari in New York. This is the Comme des Garçons-operated store's seasonal "new beginning" for the upcoming season in which a whole new look id created for the multi-level boutique. Promised changes include a redesigned 4th floor and new environments for Prada's and Nike's shops with new exclusive items throughout the store. Closed since yesterday, the store reopens on Saturday when it will introduce new collections like Hood by Air, Melitta Baumeister and J.W. Anderson's first collection for Loewe as well as a host of fresh collaborations including Sacai x Vans, Rick Owens x Adidas, Raf Simons x Adidas and the latest batch of Riccardo Tisci's Nike x R.T. sneakers. If that's not enough to entice you to Kips Bay, remember that on Saturday only, the store's popular Rose Bakery will be serving free drinks and snacks all day long, which is definitely not something that happens every day.

FIVESTORY Hotel Sale through July 23 at the Bowery Hotel, 355 Bowery, entrance on 3rd Street, East Village
Dover Street Market reopens on July 19, 160 Lexington Avenue at 3rd Street, Kips Bay. 

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POP-UP ALERT: Everlane's "Transparent" Pop-Up Store Starts Today In SoHo

We have been intrigued by the online retailer Everlane since their Holiday Pop-Up shop in appeared in the Meatpacking District a couple of Christmases ago. It featured not a typical fashion line, exactly, but a collection of basic but carefully designed items made from high quality materials whose prices were restrained by maintaining low business overhead costs. It was an innovative strategy, and it seems to be working because now they're back, and they have plenty of new products to present. This time there's a company philosophy to show off as well in what they are touting as their biggest pop-up shop yet. Starting today, the Everlane Open House has landed in SoHo where the label will not only offer its expanding product range, but also show the manufacturing progression of every single item including where the materials came from, where they were manufactured into the final product and every cost along the way. The brand hopes to encourage customers through this unprecedented level of transparency, and while most of the line will only be available to try on and order, their popular, meticulously made t-shirts and accessories will be available in stock for take-away purchase for the first time. In addition to general shopping, ther's a whole schedule of events throughout the two weeks with partners like Kaufmann Mercantile, simplehuman, and ABC Carpet & Home, which are filling up fast. The shop will run for the next two weeks, and though a permanent Everlane store might fly in the face of the brand's low-overhead philosophy, it certainly wouldn't be an unwelcome addition to the city's shopping scene.

Everlane Open House through June 28th at 199 Lafayette Street between Kenmare & Broome Streets, SoHo

SHORT BACK & SIDES PLEASE: Fellow Barber & Shinola Team Up To Give Dad A Father's Day Makeover

Last month it was flowers for Mom, and, now, for Father's Day, Shinola's Tribeca flagship (pictured above) is teaming up with Fellow Barber, the men's mini-chain (originally known as F.S.C. Barber) that is dedicated to the revival of time-honored barbershop traditions including classic cuts and straight razor shaves. In fact there is a barber chair in the Tribeca store right now offering barber services, apothecary goods and more. The event will be running through Father's Day on June 15th, and the special twist here is that it will be available by appointment only, which is a departure from the usual first-come-first-served policy at Fellow Barber's West Village, Williamsburg and SoHo shops. We have been told that Sam Buffa, the company's founding barber whose chair time is extremely coveted by loyal customers, will be among those providing cuts, so this may be a rare opportunity for barber shop enthusiasts to experience his skills without a long wait. Book soon, however. There is only one chair in the store, and you may not be able to breeze in at the last minute for a quick cut and shave.
Click through for full details and appointment instructions.

YOUR WEEKEND PLANS: Esquire Promises To Sharpen Your Style This Weekend

In case you missed last week's Pop-Up Flea, Esquire Magazine and Esquire Network are giving stylish or aspiring stylish gentlemen a chance to make up for it this weekend with their own set of pop-up shops in SoHo. SHARP - The Man Event will kick off tonight with a V.I.P. party and will open to the public on Saturday and Sunday featuring an exclusive group of "you-oughta-know" brands and designers selling directly to customers. the event promises "a distinct and cohesive retail aesthetic accented by custom fixtures, artistic installations and lounges to hang out and kick back in." While last week's Pop-Up flea had a narrower, connoisseur type of focus, Esquire's event has a a bit broader appeal with over 50 participating brands including Brooklyn Tailors, Ernest Alexander, Iasora, J.Press York Street, Marlon Gobel, Lucio Castro and many more. There will be contests and giveaways including a free Blue Claw tote for the first 500 guests on Saturday and Sunday. RSVP is not required, but it is recommended in case capacity is reached. Have a look at the video which promotes the event by showing a handsome model changing his very stylish clothes

SHARP - The Man Event May 17 - 18 at 82 Mercer Street between Spring & Broome Streets, SoHo RSVP HERE

AUCTION ALERT! J&R Is Auctioning Off Its Excess Inventory Today & TomorrowUPDATED

Exactly what will become of the J&R megastore which closed for redevelopment earlier this year is yet to be seen. It is promising to reopen next year, but, in the meantime, the store closed so abruptly that it did not give itself a chance to clear out of its vast inventory of computers, electronics, cameras, TVs, housewares and everything else. To alleviate that problem, the store is auctioning off its remaining inventory today and tomorrow. This is not usually the way a retailer who plans to stay in business would operate, which makes us wonder if J&R really will ever reopen when the redevelopment is completed. 

Details and photos can be found HERE.
The auction will be held at the Park Row store, and is CASH or Certified Check ONLY, so come prepared. Brands available include Samsung, Sony, Toshiba, Canon, Nikon etc., so basically all of the top brands that J&R sold except for Apple, which is not listed and probably not included.

This kind of thing doesn't happen every day, so if you have any electronics needs, get down there ASAP!.
That is all.

UPDATE: Here's a caveat before you head downtown. It turns out that the auction is geared more toward buyers who plan to resell. Very few items are available in single lots, so you may not be able to buy one laptop, but you will be able to buy a lot of three or four laptops.

J&R Music Consumer Electronics Superstore Auction Tuesday, May 13 & Wednesday, May 14, at 11:30 AM 1 Park Row New York, NY 10038

YOUR WEEKEND PLANS: The Pop-Up Flea Is Back Today

A seasonal shopping favorite is back today for one weekend only. The Pop-Up Flea, an event featuring a carefully curated collection of apparel, accessory and shoe brands along with other makers of generally cool stuff, is now up and running at The Metropolitan Pavilion in Chelsea. This season's participants includes regular repeat participants like Isaora, Alexander Olch, Billykirk, Lotuff and Rancourt along with exciting newcomers. Put money on seeing lots of vintage watches, and artisanally made things —and we wouldn't have it any other way. Despite its history of promoting Major Heritage brands, the Pop-Up flea has moved on a bit from its lumberjack-ish origins with some more modernist participants, so it's always worth a visit to see the latest products that have been fully approved by the menswear powers that be.

Pop-Up Flea through Sunday May 11 at the Metropolitan Pavilion 123 West 18th Street between Sixth & Seventh Avenues, Chelsea