All stories about "Lauren Merkin"

The line outside Botkier at 10am this morning.

As promised, we bring you an update on this week's stellar handbag sample sale lineup. Yesterday, we said run to Rafe, stroll to Lauren Merkin, and just nix Hayden-Hartnett entirely. Today's contender is Botkier, the high-end designer renowned for buttery soft leather bags and a major sample sale following.

We have to admit, we don't really get die-hard Botkier enthusiasts. As reported earlier, there were around 70 shivering women in line by the time the doors swung open at 10am, and those at the front had been outside as early as 8:45am! Why, ladies?! The plush leather bags are lovely but do not substantiate hypothermia...or the $200-400 discounted prices. We browsed the selection and say save your cash and freezing toes. Head to Rafe instead.

The sample sale scene is swinging this holiday season, and there are several designer handbag listings in our Dealfeed files. So many metallic totes and beaded clutches…so little time! This week’s schedule of top indie handbag designers makes it particularly difficult to choose where to head on your lunch break. For your convenience, we've compared the findings among a few of our faves.

Bags galore at Rafe

Rafe: Sample sale done right! We dropped by their sale last December (awesome) and this past spring (blah), so we weren't really sure what to expect today. We are pleased to report that this is a major winner. Their amazing fall collection is heavily discounted. Bold, beautifully-crafted totes, clutches, shoulder bags, and even yoga bags are priced between $50-300, although most are around $100-200. Rafe offers a spectrum of styles, including beaded, patent leather, suede, linen, soft leather, and fur...and that's just the bags! There are boatloads of shoes priced at only $50. If you are a (Euro) shoe size 37, you've really hit the jackpot. The flats, pumps, sandals, boots, and mules are particularly abundant in this size. This is Rafe's best sale ever.