By Erika Luft

It is impossible not to get at least a little excited at the mere mention of those oh so magic words: sample sale. These sales are usually very private and for only the designer’s very best clients, but if you discover an ‘in’, you have hit the jackpot, because merchandise is usually 30 to 60 percent off. And we’re talking high-end designer clothing and accessories. Thankfully, Lucky Magazine held a semi-public sample sale, and I was able to attend.

This event wasn’t just about clothing, although there was plenty of that at the event. The event, sponsored by Ford and In: NYC, featured designers such as: Catherine Malandrino, Marc by Marc Jacobs, See by Cholé and Tory by TRB, to name a few. There were shoes, handbags, designer vintage and home accessories all over half-off. My head was spinning with possibility.

I dragged my friend from home up to the Big Apple for this big event. We trudged to Gotham Hall with our credit cards ready for whatever we could throw at them.

We were not prepared for what was before us. This was the biggest sample sale I had ever experienced. Normally, sample sales feature two or three designers, but not this one. Lucky had truly outdone themselves. This was more of a trade show than a sample sale, with a professional eyebrow-waxer on hand at the Sephora booth, and a psychic to tell your fortune based on your handbag. There was an entire level dedicated to handbags and shoes. And oh the shoes… I went into over-drive as I flitted from designer to designer, gobbling up Cholé tees for $20 and a Marc Jacobs bag for $75. The best part: the gift bag. It was an Oscar-nominee worthy gift bag, with samples from Bliss’s new skincare line, Clinque’s new lip-plumper and Happy perfume, a travel set of Sephora beauty brushes, and L’Occtaine moisturizer just to name a few of the highlights. The bag was so heavy I had to stop and switch shoulders half way to the train station on the trip home.

For those of you who are unaware of the power of Bliss beauty products, I would like to enlighten you. Bliss is more than a product line; it is also a spa with three locations in Manhattan and one in London. And, my friends, it is not just any spa; it’s the ultimate spa. Their line of products includes skincare, body care, make-up and hair care. These products make every girl and a few gentlemen feel like a million bucks. Among my favorites are the Body Butter in vanilla and the hydralock lip crème. These products don’t come cheap, but are worth the investment.

Marc Jacobs is not a new name in the fashion world. He is the brains behind the frenzy that was the multi-color Louis Vuitton bags, along with his own signature line bearing his name. But what is new is the success of the Marc by Marc Jacobs line. It is a more affordable line aimed at the younger generation. Most of the Marc line has a slightly vintage feel to it; it makes college girls feel cutting edge and it makes 20-somethings feel in style while still being age-appropriate.

My new personal favorite is TRB by Tory Burch. It is the kind of sleek, elegant and understated clothing every girl wishes she was born to wear. The classic shirts come in vibrant patterns and colors and fit perfectly with tailored pants in traditional fabrics. This is the type of clothing Jennifer Aniston covets, but with a ping of New York eclectic. Tory Burch is a New York socialite and renowned philanthropist who has been a familiar face on the New York scene for years. She designs with an audience in mind, which is always a helpful design hint.

Many people think sample sales are an urban myth of fashion, but the truth is, finding them just takes a bit of work. There are many E-lists dedicated to informing fashionistas everywhere of these sales. Sophisticated Shopper is a very popular list, which personalizes your E-mail updates, depending on where you live and which cities you shop.

So the moral of this story is if you stumble across a sample sale, take that extra minute and have a look around. Even celebrities covet sample sales; Sarah Jessica Parker, who plays Carrie Bradshaw on Sex and the City, and other household names frequent these jackpot sales. These can truly be the goldmines of fashion.