Sample sale season in London and Paris is ahoy and I'm really trying to be selective seeing as I don't have a bottomless bank account.  However, I've been very good and haven't REALLY shopped in the past month what with the weekends away from London.  Therefore, the stash of cash is coming rather handy this week.  Especially when it was the Relative PR sale yesterday.  I'd click through on the link just to see what wares the sale was touting but in short, it's one of London's biggest fashion PR offices getting rid of their press/catwalk samples mainly from SS08 from the labels they represent (ok... I'll list for listing's sake...Christopher Kane, Jonathan Saunders, Jean Pierre Braganza, Emma Cook, Louise Goldin, Nathan Jenden, Nicholas Kirkwood, Poltock & Walsh, Todd Lynn, Emilio de la Morena... all the goodie stuff that I like to harp on about...).  So unlike other public sample sales, this is truer to the real definition of sample sale in that, the sizes are all pretty much modelsque.  Someone trying on Christopher Kane's SS08 frayed jeans squealed 'What model could get into these?!?', herself being rather svelte.

Still, racks and racks of all those labels' very recognisable collections with prices that are up to 90% off... triple quadruple perusing was necessary.  Christopher Kane's SS08 denim tiered ruffled skirts were popular buys at £150 a pop.  Jonathan Saunders AW07 gradiated maxidresses were tempting.  A lot of Todd Lynn sharp black blazers were snapped up.  Emilio de la Morena's SS08 patchwork denim coloured waistcoats and skirts were also skimmed over quite a bit.  Antipodium had the bargain buys.  So, I could have been a bit smart and gone for perfect Todd Lynn tailoring, on-trend (urgh... no, not that word....) light denim to see me through the summer, shirt dresses from Miki Fukai, Jean Pierre Braganza skinny trews or some Nicholas Kirkwood 'fierce' black pumps for the new season.... ok, must stop listing and get to the point. 

In the end, I did what I always do at these affairs and plumped for what the heart desires and not what the head thinks I need.  'Umming' and 'Ahhing' and not wanting to queue for changing rooms mean that these Pierre Hardy for Louise Goldin ankle boots that were used in the AW08-9 catwalk show, were pretty much instant-love.  The funny thing is, as soon as I saw these, I remembered the story behind them which was that Louise Goldin begged Pierre Hardy to collaborate with her for AW08-9 and he kindly obliged, and these shoes represent the collaboration between something of a 21st century shoe king and an up and coming designer whom Hardy DIDN'T have to help... plus, they're peep toe, in grey patent combined with a wicked space-knit stretch fabric and of course...there is that signature Hardy engineered heel...

The second buy was again a bit of a catwalk showpiece but deceptively versatile.  Only a few days ago KOS heaped some love on Poltock & Walsh's SS08 ruffles and likened their take on this seasonal trend to 'Beth Ditto' proportions...as in big and bold.  So this Poltock & Walsh ruffle neck piece (chest piece?) was a no-brainer.  I had accidently left my Forever 21 clear paillette grey dress at my boyfriends house and having been back at home too try it on over some other things, it seems this ruffle piece can go over a great number of things with the fit of the straps providing a very elaborate way of belting things up.

A decorative haul that will look very pretty once I move out of my hovel and I start arranging things more artfully than um .....the shitty pile on the floor that is in front of me....