Out & About
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.
OVARIAN CANCER RESEARCH FUND
Polo may be the most competitive sporting event in the Hamptons, but shopping claimed that honor momentarily over the weekend. On Satur day, 209 designers filled clothing racks and display ta bles with heavily discounted spring and summer merchandise on a field next to the Southampton Hunt and Polo Club for the ninth annual Super Saturday, a fashion and family event conceived by Donna Karan, Faith Kates Kogan, and the late Liz Tiberis. More than 2,000 shoppers (who had paid up to $600 for the privilege of being there) spent six hours scouring for bargains at markdowns of up to 90%.
The victory was in the thrill of the bargain, but shoppers had much more to think about: Thanks to the generosity of the designers, who didn’t keep a penny of the sales, the event raised $2.4 million for the Ovar ian Cancer Research Fund. “When we started we had 16 designers and we were in someone’s backyard This is the event that put us on the map,” the co-executive director of the fund, Jamie Boris, said.
At noon, the players entered the field, dashing to the Marc Jacobs and Lilly Pulitzer tables. Before long, there was elbowing, underhand hanger grabs, and outright hogging. It was vicious and violent enough that a security guard was posted to watch over the Chanel booth where a student at the University of Pennsylvania Jessie Della Femina, emerged unscathed with a classic jacket for $600. Meanwhile, her mother, Judy Licht took home a Dyson vacuum cleaner.
Preparation was key: Shoppers wore large sun hats and sunglasses, and some even wore bathing suits so they could try on clothes (dressing rooms were not provided). Many experienced consumers didn’t have to try on pieces because they already knew their sizes with their favorite designers.
The list of designers represented at the sale was im pressive. There was Juicy Couture, Nanette Lepore Nicole Farhi, Gucci, Ports 1961, and White+Warren, all placed alphabetically on the field (for next year, it’s worth remembering that Carolina Herrera was grouped under “C” and Tory Burch was grouped under “T”). The Donna Karan labels managed to slip in between Laundry and Le Tigre, and even more mysterious was the placement of Marc Jacobs between Rock & Republic and Scoop. Despite the confusing arrangement, the Marc Jacobs merchandise practically sold out in the first hour.
The event organizers provided diversions for those who could not shop that competitively for six hours straight. There was a family-friendly food tent with roasted corn and hamburgers as well as an adult food tent with grilled swordfish and lamb chops. A large section of the field was devoted to children’s activities At the Target reading room, Ms. Karan read Dr Seuss’s “Green Eggs and Ham.” Families also decorated cupcakes, made art, had their handwriting analyzed, and went on carnival rides. All in all, it was a satisfying shopping experience.
