Stopped by the Vivienne Tam Sample Sale over lunch today and as per usual, it wasn’t too busy. The sale was divided into 2 rooms – the large room for archival vintage pieces and the smaller room for stock from recent seasons. There were quite a few of ladies excitedly clamoring over racks of samples, so while it made taking photos a challenge, it wasn’t too difficult to shop. As per usual there are no fitting rooms but 2 large mirrors set up against the wall in both rooms.
This time around the sale is a bit different because the company has unearthed samples from the archives and are selling them to the public at outstanding prices. These are rare vintage pieces that date back to the 70s and 80s. Some of the rare samples that are marked with a large “SAMPLE” tag are actually worked on and crafted by Vivienne Tam herself. Can you imagine owning something that personal? Hand embroideries, mesh and coated paper pieces are just some of the signature Tam pieces you can find. Prices of archival pieces start at $30 and go up to $180. Everything is marked “As Is” so inspect your purchases if you are shopping from this section. Sizes for the archival pieces are sized Small, however there are a few pieces from the 80s that definitely look a bit oversized. Generally speaking however, unlike previous sales that carried sizes 0 to 10, most of the sizes above 6 have sold out already.
$30 will get you items such as a simple mesh dress, a crochet dress, coated paper zip vests, Buddha printed mesh blouse, oversized menswear inspired shirt by Vivienne Tam herself!
$80 will get you hand embroidered mesh pieces, a coated paper jacket, gorgeous venice lace dress, color block and lace dress or a Chairman Mao print mesh jacket (actually this one was $76).
As you get into more recent/modern pieces the prices go up and the unusual striped dress is $120, while the mesh print dress and cutout embroidered dress are both $180.
Finally as per the stock most of the sizes left were 0-6, with a particularly abundant selection of 0-4. Very recent pieces from Spring were marked down to $180 for a mixed material airy dress with macramé and lace. $120 for a simple drape dress, $90 for a slightly older butterfly print satin tank dress with zipper, $180 (?) for an adorable knit & eyelet dress. Around $80-90 for tops.
If you are a smaller size and want to get a rare vintage piece or floaty pretty Spring piece, this is a sale that can offer you a lot of selection with great craftsmanship. If you are a fan of Vivienne Tam and want to wear clothes that she actually had a part in crafting herself when she first launched her label – RUN for best selection!
Who: Vivienne Tam Sample Sale
What: Up to 75% off womenswear and vintage samples with over 1,000 pieces to choose from!
When: August 10-12, 2011. Wed (9am-8pm), Thurs (10am-7pm), Fri (10am-6pm)
Where: 260 W 39th St (b/n 7th & 8th Ave) - 11th floor
