Lambertson Truex makes high-quality, sometimes over-the-top leathergoods -- beautiful bags, belts, gloves, accessories. If you need anything in that funny-named category, "small leathergoods," then here is your chance. Think Christmas, think Hanukkah, which is VERY early this year, providing a handy excuse for shopping, as if you really needed one. Merchandise is up to 80% off retail, and there is sure to be a little trinket here with your name on it.

This is another Soiffer-Haskin sale, but at a new location, at least just for this sale: Metropolitan Pavilion, 123 W. 18th St. (between Sixth & Seventh Aves.); from Wednesday, December 5th through Friday the 7th, from 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. daily. This time, NO cash (unlike the TSE sale last week); plastic only, no checks; no strollers, no children under 12.

While you're stocking up on your very practical work clothes (see yesterday's post), drop by Cassin for some luxury accessories to doll up those gabardine suits and coats. Cassin produces furs, cashmere sweaters, fabulous fun fur hats, and shawls and scarves and other accessories, and you're sure not to leave there without a small bag of goodies. Tell Santa you needed his stuff, too, and to just leave the cash for your purchases at both Linda Richards and Cassin.

Sale starts tomorrow, Wednesday, November 28th and goes through Friday the 30th, from 10am to 7 p.m., at the Cassin showroom, 150 W. 30th St. (between Sixth & Seventh Aves.), 5th flr., 212-564-0946.

Twenty years ago, John R. Sullivan left behind a high-powered career in event planning for both Revlon and Estee Lauder. Sensing a need, he decided to hang out a shingle to provide top-drawer party help. Today, his well-trained staff is totally at your service -- whether you need a coat-check person or a highly skilled chef. "We have everything, from soup to nuts," he tells us, although he adds jokingly, "We try to not send out too many nuts." Coat checkers are $20/hour, waiters $25/hour, and maitre d's are $40/hour (with a five-hour minimum). Tips, he confides, are at the pleasure and satisfaction of the host, but "taxi fare after midnight is much appreciated." Sullivan notes that even for a dinner party of 30 or cocktails for 50, you need to have a maitre d'. His clients range from simple folk who just need a few extra hands to boldface names and Social Registry -- including one doting hostess who tells him her "living room looks empty without 100 people in it." Staff will come attired as you request -- but he observes that the "current thing is for black and black and more black." Although for the holidays, "a lot of clients prefer white dinner jackets and colorful ties." By reservation only. 212-255-7596; www.thebutlerdiditnyc.com (This article originally published in the 10/05 issue of Manhattan Living.)

We're not sure just what this sale is promising today, but we're going to check it out later and we'll report from the front.  It's allegedly supposed to have Gucci and Pucci…and Chanel and Hermès.  We shall see just how much of each of these houses it actually has for sale…and for how much off.  The material sent to us by our friends at Lazar Media says that there will be clothing and accessories at 75% off.  Stay tuned for tonight's report.  But in the meantime, here is what you need to know:  It's today and tomorrow, at the Shoreham Hotel, 33 West 55th Street (between Fifth and Sixth Avenues), Ground Floor; from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.....credit cards accepted.

Tourneau is having a BIG sample sale, up to 70% off (so forget your cousin in the biz who could get you a "good" watch for 30% off).  It started on Saturday, but you have until Thursday, the 20th to stock up on all those Jaeger LeCoultres and Vacherons that you've lusted after for so long.  There will also be some estate pieces and some pre-owned timepieces.  Hey, it's worth a look-see, for sure, even if your pockets aren't bulging with moolah, or watches, for that matter. Daily, from 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., at the usual Soiffer Haskin joint:  317 W. 33rd St., just west of Eighth Ave.  Again, as usual, no children, no strollers, no cash (credit cards only), and come with time on your hands, so you can buy some more.   

Nancy Koltes Linens are among the finest.  (If you know her charming little NoLita shop, then you already know what treasures her linens are.)  So, here's your chance to snag some, at maybe 80% off retail…O.K., so not every style in every color in every size is going to be available, but there will be plenty from which to choose—sheet sets, duvet covers, towels, home accessories, and loungewear, in a variety of Jacquards, sateens, percales, and prints.  You already know the usual drill for those Soiffer Haskin sales:  No strollers, no kids, no cash, no checks (credit cards only).  Today, tomorrow, and Tuesday, from 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. at 317 W. 33 St. (between 8th and 9th Aves.)

If last night's rain didn't cool you off enough, you'll be able to lower your internal thermostat and escape the pervasiveness of the week's heat tonight, and any Thursday this summer, at the Okeanos Club Spa at 211 E. 52nd St.  (212-223-6773).  For the rest of the summer, through the end of August, Thursday nights are free jazz nights.  The spa/club has a small lounge area where clients can relax between treatments and enjoy complimentary Baltika Russian Beer (the top-seller in the Motherland) and "fashionable" Zyr vodka -- although we suspect that ANY vodka is a top-seller in the Motherland, this one is a very trendy one here in the States. Petrossian is even supplying free hors d'oeuvres, although we rather doubt that they will be springing for the Royal Special Reserve Persicus that is $9,800 for 1,000 grams.

With a birthday of national importance upon us, today seems like the perfect day to check out early. “Gone Fishing,” a notion we like very much, works for us. But at the moment, we mean “fishing” in a different fashion. Our hook is from MacDaddy’s Fishing Lures and it’s wrought from solid platinum (30 times more rare than gold, thank you very much) and accented with a pink ribbon crafted from rosy sapphires. It’s an alluring little trinket, at a price that is also a bit of a lure (just a tad under $5,000) for those with some loose change in their pockets…and 10% of the sale proceeds goes to charities dedicated to cancer prevention and recovery.  Forget about trying to catch flounder with it.  Just wear it around your neck.  Available at www.macdaddysfishinglures.com and at fine jewelry stores nationwide.

We somehow skipped writing all the stories we wanted to do on spring cleaning (we’ll get to a few of them still; we’ll just have to call them "summer cleaning"), but vowed to at least write up the new Dyson canister vacuum, which we test-drove recently.  (It sure sucked up all that Golden Retriever dog fur lurking around the old homestead, so we’re happy!)  We do, however, have a better Dyson product here to tout -- the Airblade Hand Dryer -- although, we hasten to add, this is assuredly not for anyone.

We think you have to have a major mansion, with a basement family level -- outfitted with a pool, spa, home-entertainment center/movie theater, billiard room, wine-tasting facility, wet bar, and game room, and Lord-only-knows-what-else -- and you have to use it a lot and have a lot of guests over who use it a lot.  Mirabile dictu!  We don’t have that kind of set-up in our less-than-a-thousand-square-foot domicile, but the mansions of the Antares Company in Greenwich, Connecticut (which we recently toured) sure do…so whoever buys those properties up there in Taconic Estates, listen up! (Also, for the record, these Airblade Hand Dryers are in the AMC movie theaters on 42nd Street near Eighth Avenue…go check them out if you’re going to take in a flick over the long holiday week/weekend.)

So we’re writing these Airblade Dryers up because we think they’re cool. They dry hands faster than you can say, “Evaporate the water, Sesame.”  And, they’re hygienic.  No more sort-of dry hands, with damp spots underneath your rings.  No more using your elbow to press the knob on the wall dryer to avoid getting germs.

The way it works: You put your hands into the dryer well and they are instantly surrounded by gushing power streams of hot air, coming at you at 400 mph. The air is funneled through slits no thicker than an eyelash, so the resulting hot air streams are like having invisible windshield wipers removing the moisture from your hands, drying them in 12 seconds! Of course, this nifty little gizmo is a little pricey ($1,400), but then again, as we said, it’s not for everyone, and it’s hardly an apartment must-have.  But, nice to know it’s around…definitely the cutting edge.

With Father’s Day approaching, time to start thinking about dear old dad…and truth is, there are traditional gifts and then there are wacky ones. But one of the most popular gifts is alcohol, to stock up the bar, and perhaps to offer something that Dad might not splurge on for himself.

So, if you are going to break the bank, then break it with Martell’s most dee-lish and dee-vine cognac, Creation Grand Extra, which is a reinterpretation of the Martell Extra that was first conceived two centuries ago. This is the smoothest, most mellow cognac you can imagine, with a delicate nose and an extraordinary finish -- like drinking a cloud. Sheer velvet. The color alone should tell you it is magical; it’s blended from cognacs ranging in age from 50- to 100-years-old. It comes in a stunning, arc-shaped, semi-circle, crystal-looking bottle, at $299 for 750 ml. This will assuredly tell dad that he’s the number one in your book.

For those dads who fancy vodka, Stolichnaya’s elit vodka is the ticket. It’s made with a century-old recipe, in the time-honored Russian tradition (and made in Russia): distilled four times, mixed with pure spring water, and then filtered using a patented freeze, a nifty process that causes the contents inside of the barrel to ice up, leaving only the best and most delectable vodka unfrozen in the center -- and that ultimately serves up unprecedented clarity and smoothness. This is for the true vodka connoisseur. It’s $75 a bottle for 750 ml.

Last, and assuredly not least, are the prestige wines from Wyndham Estate, Australia’s oldest continuously operating winery, and originally family-owned and -operated. An émigré from the U.K., George Wyndham first planted vines in 1828 and today the vineyard is home to countless award-winning wines, although the vintner is perhaps best known for its shiraz -- and for an extensive variety of shiraz, from a modest $9.99 for the BIN 555 (which won a Critic's Award at the Critics Challenge International Wine Competition) to the award-winning Black Cluster at $35.99. The company also produces ultra-premium Pinot Noir, Merlot, and Chardonnay, among others.

If want to spring for a really special gift, you can take dear old dad to Australia to tour Wyndham Estate; the tour features a visit to the historic cellars, open fermenters, and a 100-year-old operational basket press, ensuring that guests enjoy the traditional winery experience. There is also a 400-seat restaurant where tasting and sipping are definitely encouraged; the grounds further include a stunning natural amphitheatre that plays host to a number of musical and theatrical events. Overlooking the winery from a picturesque hill is Dalwood House, the original home of George Wyndham, which has been deemed a National Trust treasure.

Posted on Monday, June 11, 2007 @ 04:02 PM | 0 replies Start the Discussion

Browse: Luxury Goods | Gifts | Eat, Drink, and Be Merry

Kati Stern, a European-born-and-bred designer, is having her first-ever sample sale. Stern first showed here in the States at Seventh on Sixth in 2004 and has been a hit ever since, a choice of cutting-edge fashionistas.

Rev up those charge cards: Yesterday, a Valentino sample sale started. If you love the maestro’s clothing, shoes, and accessories, now is your chance to snag a great buy. (There will be some furnishings for men, by the way.)
 
We think that one of the finest -- absolute finest -- exhibits of haute couture we’ve ever seen was the Valentino show at the Park Avenue Armory. (We swear, you’d never have known it was an armory, the way it was “done up”; it was completely transformed.) The show was amazing -- all that luscious red -- and the catalogue Rizzoli published to accompany it is well worth hunting for on the Web. It’s called Valentino/Thirty Years of Magic, and if you find it, buy it. His work is masterly and the book imparts the tiniest flavor of that retrospective.
 
So, if you’d like to see something you own as a part of the next retrospective, buy something now -- this is just the place. The sale will run through Wednesday the 13th. Hours: Sunday through Tuesday, 9am to 6:30pm, and Wednesday, 9am to 5pm.  Place:  317 W. 33rd St., just west of Eighth Ave.  It’s another Soiffer Haskin’s sale, so you know that means credit cards only, all sales final, no kids, no strollers.  But plenty of wonderful merchandise.  DO NOT MISS THIS ONE!

Yesterday’s deluge reminded us that we had totally forgotten to complete our April umbrella cycle! That is to say, when the April showers started coming, we suggested picking up the mini-est of mini-umbrellas, Totes’ itsy-bitsy six-incher. But we had other umbrellas to share -- not tiny and not inexpensive, but VERY cool and very special. We snagged a picture or two of the ones we are eager to put over our head on a rainy day (or any day). But then again, our better judgment tells us that even when we become the proud owner of one of these rhinestone-encrusted brollies (just waiting to win the lottery, you see), to never take it out for a stroll, because we are sure to leave it in a cab, at the dentist's, or in somebody's office. And we'd just shoot ourselves. Because not only are these umbrellas, from an Italian company called Pasotti, singular and charming and stunning, but they’re also pretty $$$ up there. Some are $450. Yeah. Hang on to your rain hat.

But the ones with the ombréed scattering or deliberate pattern of rhinestones are breathtaking. And they’re all lined in different color fabric, too…so it's like having two umbrellas for the price of one. (Well, not really. That's just a rationalization, since you really can't turn them inside out!) But, on the plus side, the handles are special and jewel-like. As you can readily see, we are trying our damnedest to talk ourselves into running out right now and getting the hot pink one with all the rhinestones, sort of strewn over the surface. We’re not saying "Rain, rain, go away," but we are hoping it never rains again, so we won't feel "deprived" when next we open up our plain black brolly (probably this afternoon) and feel like a have-not. (Oh, are we sounding like Paris now? Do you think she had to leave one behind when she entered the Big House?)

You can see a huge chunk of the Pasotti line at BrellaBar (www.brellabar.com) and can even shop online. (We’ve even spotted some Pasotti umbrellas on eBay!) Otherwise, it’s a trip to 1043 Third Ave. btw. 61st & 62nd Sts., 212-813-9530. Bring a charge card, for sure, and be prepared for umbrella madness.

Two years ago, we hit the proverbial terrycloth jackpot at the Frette sample sale, paying something like $80 for a sumptuous robe that we know would sell for a few hundred bucks under normal circumstances. Not to mention all the other little “trinkets” we picked up. (Hey, you never know when you need to give a lovely house gift -- a few washcloths, divine soaps, a set of guest towels, whatever.) Starting Sunday, June 3, through next Thursday, June 7, Frette is having a great sale at Soiffer-Haskin, at 317 W. 33rd St. (just west of Eighth Ave.). Daily Sunday through Wednesday, 9am to 6:30pm, and Thursday, 9 am to 5pm. If you don’t know Frette, you’re in for a tactile surprise, as the goods are just sumptuous, Italy’s finest. Luxurious towels, linens, bedding, and home accessories, and even delicious lounge- and sleepwear. Absolutely worth the trip. As usual, no cash, no checks; credit cards only.

SOFA New York is a wondrous annual show of fine craft art; the acronym stands for Sculptural Objects and Functional Art, and if you've never been to SOFA, you must head over to the Park Avenue Armory (on Park at 67th St.), Friday through Sunday (June 1st through the 3rd) of this week. There will be nearly 60 international galleries displaying some of the most amazing, refreshing, beguiling work: jewelry, fiber art, glass, wood, ceramics, paper, and who knows what else. This is a serious show for collectors, it’s true, but it’s also a show for browsers who want to be educated, the curious who want to see outstanding, exciting art, and for shoppers, too. (There are many price tags that are very friendly to a pocketbook that isn’t bulging.) WE have never been disappointed by this show: It’s awe-inspiring and actually thrilling to see just what creative minds and hands can do with paper or yarn or molten silica.

Here’s another top-flight sale from Soiffer-Haskin. This time it’s Christofle, that French maker and purveyor of to-die-over silver, flatware, crystal, porcelain, hollowware -- and even jewelry. All suitable for gifts. Got any June weddings popping up? Well if so, here’s a great opportunity to find a fab present, at a huge savings. As we always advise: Go early, buy what you absolutely MUST have, and eyeball whatever else you want...then return the last day, and pray that those items are still there, 'cause if they are, chances are they will marked down further. You know the deal: Credit cards only, no kids, no strollers. 317 W. 33rd St. (just west of Eighth Ave.); Wednesday and Thursday, May 30th and 31st, from 9am to 6:30pm. and Friday, June 1st, 9am to 5pm.

Posted on Tuesday, May 29, 2007 @ 01:48 PM | 4945 replies View/Post Feedback

Browse: Gifts | Home Accessories | Luxury Goods | Sales/Sample Sales | Tabletop

(1) Lenox Warehouse Sale

Do you love Lenox? If so, get out to Cranbury, New Jersey, for the Lenox Warehouse sale. Expect to find selected patterns, seconds, overstocked and discontinued items, slightly irregular items, and special products. There is dinnerware (both fine and casual), crystal stemware, and flatware, as well as giftware and assorted tabletop items. The sale starts May 26th (this Saturday) and runs for nearly a month, until June 24th. Open daily, Monday to Saturday, from 9am to 8pm and Sundays from 11am to 6pm (Memorial Day, from 9am to 6pm). It takes place at 53 Commerce Drive (Route 535); take the New Jersey Turnpike to exit 8A, and follow the signs for Cranbury via Route 535 South. (800-587-7444)

(2) Lamberston Truex

Lambertson Truex is the maker of fine leather accessories -- handbags, gloves, belts, and so on -- all sold at places like Bergdorf’s. The sale is currently on (with values up to 80% off the original retail) and ends Thursday, the 24th, open from 9am to 5pm. 230 W. 17th St. btw. Seventh & Eighth Aves., 6th flr., 212-604-9494

(3) Valentino, Prada, Cavalli and more
Perennial favorites Valentino, Fendi, Dior, Dolce & Gabbana, and Prada are among the offerings at this sale, today and tomorrow. Look for values up to 75% off retail. From 10am to 7pm, at the Surrey Hotel, 20 E. 76 St. btw. Fifth & Madison Aves.; ask the concierge for directions to the sale. 917-330-9318