Going, Going, Gone: Living in the fashionista fast lane
October 1, 2009
“When I shop the world gets better, the world is better; and then it’s not anymore and I have to do it again.”
Rebecca Bloomwood, Confessions of a Shopaholic
Fashion student Angela Wales is Australia’s non-fictional answer to Rebecca Bloomwood- but without the creditors. Her bedroom walls are lined with brightly coloured, cardboard shopping totes emblazoned with names that will make any fashion-conscious girl salivate. She proudly takes me on a tour and amidst my wonder, nay jealousy, I vaguely hear her utter the magic words Marc (Jacobs), Wayne (Cooper) and Alannah (Hill).
If only, I remark to her.
With a twisted smirk, she pulls me in the direction of a flowered gift box. She lifts the lid and I am further reduced to incoherent stutters.
Inside are hundreds of clothing tags and, amazingly, all contain the words ‘SALE’ or ‘REDUCED’.
“All it takes is a little research and a little luck,” she shrugs.
“In my experience, most designers don’t publicise the fact that they’re having sales for their seconds, samples or last-seasons, but there is some promotion and talk that pops up every now and then.”
“But the number one rule is that you have to be super fast.”
I ask her how many ‘secret’ sales she has been to this year.
“About twenty proper sales [which are] the one’s where you can actually find a bargain. But I’ve been to heaps of other places where they say they are going to have a sale and when you get there, there’s only one rack or nothing at all.”
So I ask her, pretty please, whether I could tag along on one of her designer journeys. For educational purposes- on the effectiveness of bargain-bin sales- of course.
* * *
Day One sees us up at Glenferrie Road, Hawthorn, going to look at Cactus Jam, host to some of the best home- grown fashion. She shows me a flier from RMIT University, declaring an ‘everything is $99.00′ sale. I mention to her that I’d never heard of a Cactus Jam sale before.
“I was surpised as well trust me,” she says, “but we’ll see I guess, there’s probably only rubbish there.”
We find a carpark spot right in front. A good omen perhaps? Moreover, there’s a large SALE sign stretched across the glass window. An even better indication.
However, what I found once I had a good look around was the antithesis of ‘sale’. Among the racks and shelves I searched in vain for a hint of a red, or of a slashed barcode. And I found nothing. I inquired as to what the sale sign out front indicated to and was given a prompt “that’s always up there”. I then ventured to inquire into the mysterious advertisement in the flier and was given a blank stare by the shop assistant.
“I’ll give you a better sale,” Angela says to me, as we exit.
Cactus Jam
Day Two sees me on Brunswick Street, Fitzroy, credit card on the ready for the ‘Bettina Liano’ mass clearance sale. This one, Angela tells me, is the “real deal”; a friend of hers picked up a pair of ‘O-Jeans’ for half price three days earlier. She urged me to look up the sale on popular site Missy Confidential.
I confess, the sale began on 18th September, however I was not available until the 23rd September (the sale is advertised as finishing on 4th October). Nonetheless, I assumed that there would be enough stock to satisfy two-weeks of fashionistas.
Again, I was left disappointed. Not because there wasn’t a sale happening. Rather, because it had happened. The large sign posted across the glass entrance dramatically informed me that the sale had ended early due to the large influx of customers. Everything had been sold in five days.
Bettina Liano, temporary clearance outlet
In an attempt to produce evidence that she does find some amazing sales, Angela takes me back to Brunswick street a few days later, to an aptly-titled warehouse ‘Clear-It’. She insists I have something to write about.
“This is the place to find anything Alannah Hill,” she emphasises, “There are truly, truly always sales happening here.”
“I can’t say its a secret sales location, because everyone knows about it, but it’s aweome.”
I soon deduce that this is an Alannah Hill factory outlet. Almost everything is half price, accessories included. And oh, oh the dresses. Beautiful cocktail dresses line the middle racks made from luxurious silk-blends and chiffon. One in particular, Valentino himself would described as breathtaking. Consisting of Alannah’s signature beaded, strapless bodice, embroided with taupe, gold, silver, black and dusty purple gems and beads, it ends in a sweeping purple/taupe silk chiffon skirt, with vertically ruffled panels to the knees. The price? $585.00 reduced to $265.00.
'Clear- It', 195 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy, Melbourne.
The lesson I have learned seems to be thus: patience is a virtue and, with true perseverance, you will ultimately prevail. It seems very much the motto Angela lives by.
“If you want to find something, you have to look with eyes wide open.”
“You win some you lose some, but the point is, some are there.”
