We started off brimming with bright ideas and enthusiasm, and ended up abandoning a pair of $430 Lanvin heels at checkout and wearing our dress on backwards. The crowd was ridiculous, but the finds were equally amazing.
We hit the shoes first -- warning: the folks at the sale are seriously intense about you having to tie up and practically buy the shoes before you can proceed on to clothes -- where Christian Louboutins and Lanvin really dominated. Everything's still over $200 -- we even spotted a pair of lizard-skin Alaia sandals that were still over $800. There were still a few platform Louboutin patent Mary Janes, though, which quickly became the most coveted items.
Onto the clothing: The designer fare is always the most intoxicating -- we found two entire racks of Balenciaga, including several pieces from the 1960s edition. There's a small but pitch-perfect Derek Lam section, and tons upon tons of Giorgio Armani.
In the ready-to-wear section, we were surprised by the sheer amount of Phillip Lim still remaining -- did none of these sell? A gemstone-bedecked cocktail dress was $399, while cream fringe cocktail dress was about $300. We picked up a Vena Cava silk cocktail dress for just $175.
In many ways, the Barneys sale is a litmus test for what just doesn't sell -- yellow suede Louboutin booties, Nina Ricci gowns ... the sort of stuff that, perhaps, back in 2007, Upper East Siders would have picked up at Barneys without thinking. We weren't surprised that the high-end stuff was available in bulk, while the mid-priced labels seemed to have more scarcity of selection.
Read all about our trip to the sale on our Twitter feed: @nythread!
