I received the following postcard from Mayle on Tuesday. I believe they don't send these out to customers who live out of town (at least that used to be the case...), so I'm transcribing the (cryptic) text below. I don't know any of the items mentioned below, other than Avignon, so any descriptions--or pictures--welcomed. Here's the postcard's text:
Ten Little Indians
This is how we say good-bye. And it's backwards, we know.
With many of you waxing nostalgic over past collections before the shuttering had begun in earnest and then those favorite, hoarded fabrics proving impossible to just let go of, it seemed most fitting to say some sort of hello again.
From March 6th until, we're thinking, March 31st, a limited and numbered troop of re-editions (ten little, nine little, eight little indians) will compete for your last affections. Pass by often. One day you'll find the Clivenden top, still disheveled, still lovely, from the spring of Best of British birds, proving that her shape still makes sense. Another day, the Avignon dress from the fall of A haiku for Carlo M. will jostle cheek to silky cheek with the Therese dress, that dress, which could have fleshed out Bunuel's chambermaid even further. Then the lacy Lima top becomes lacy Lima dress. There's even talk of the monogram clog making a leopard print comeback sans monogram.
Not so much a collection as a series of fleeting reincarnations, a brief breathing of new life into old favorites. But, still, a little more to have and to hold on to.
A grand thank you for being there the first time around and proving it with your memories.
A grand thank you for being the most loyal band of customers a brand could ever hope for.
12 comments:
ok, my milk addled brain is having a hard time picturing the pieces mentioned in the text. i second moya, any photos would be great.
march 6th to the 31st? i'm pretty sure i won't be able to go to nyc until the end of the month, if even that. it would be so great to see the shop one last time, even if the pieces are flying off the shelves.
let's hope for good weather, then traveling with leon will be much more doable.
Sweet and cryptic at the same time I suppose. Hopefully, I'll have the chance to stop by between the 6th and 31st, although I highly doubt I'll be purchasing anything (I think there are more fanatic and wealthier mayle devotees than I). Nevertheless it will be fun to look.
In other news, it looks like a rudimentary version of the lyell site is up and running in case you want to have a look:
http://www.lyellnyc.com/index.html
Fingers crossed on the book introduction and IVF for you!
Thanks for the good wishes and the Lyell tip, KK.
I'm wondering how successful this will be. I know the editions are highly limited and they have some very wealthy fans (Mandy Moore, Sophia Coppola and Kirsten Dunst immediately come to mind). Then there are all the people I've seen in there with Amex Black cards. But the economy is poor and she has been effectively closing since August. Of course, I could be wrong--they have everything on computer and can likely assess what will sell.
But something doesn't sit right with me about this. Limited editions like this are out of my price range. I would rather spend the money on fertility treatments than one dress. I suspect the production costs involved in such a limited edition will likely cause prices to be even higher than usual.
Maybe that's what happens when you love a brand but are forced to be a bottom feeder and go for the discounts. Even then, I have spent an insane amount of money at Mayle, especially recently.
Erica, I hope you and Leon can make it in by the end of the month--I'd love it if we could get together again.
I agree, feel more anxious than excited. AND case in point,
I went to the store about 2o min ago. On may way, a woman in ludovine was literally running ahead (not bc she saw me but just running). I thought, she must be headed to the store and she was. Ugh, stressful
Update, the store is opening at 2pm today, there was a note on the door. A few women walking away from it (this is at 11:50).
I fear that the prices will be very high and am sad that I will likely not even be able to see them before they are scooped up. Even if I were to drop 800 for a dress, I fear the experience would be rushed and stressful, and leave a bad taste. not fun. But I guess, what else can they do? post the pics and have a lottery system?
I wish that Jane would post the pics to her site, more so from an appreciation standpoint for the majority of us who can not make it in/can not afford/will miss the items
Wow. I was actually beginning to think nobody would be there. Did you see anything inside or did they have paper up on the window? From what I gather there will be no photos of the collection anywhere as it isn't supposed to be a collection per se and it was all so last minute.
Did it look like the store would be beseiged?
Thanks for the info too. I don't know why but I had a strange feeling the store would open late today.
There was paper on the window. :-(
I think there will be a lot of people, I really do. But, if they do trickle out pieces, not making it today may not be the end of the world... I hope. I would really like to go there, check it out and have it be chill. Just nice convo wtih the shopgirls and smell the pretty candle-ha!
Not that there was a line or anything but the store is so small that even ten people feels like a lot.
I know what you mean--they are besieged if 10-15 people are in there. Also, it's not so much the number of people who go but their ability to spend thousands. I do know that the stock is going to trickle in (at least Elise said that was the case, the postcard also makes that clear) and I know I can't afford it anyway. I just want to look, try a few things on, smell the Votivo Red Currant candle and chat with the girls.
Thank you for the updates.
i agree it would be nice for them to post photos of the pieces for us 'bottom feeders' to enjoy. sigh.
you know something has changed when you spend $50 on a nursing bra and $2.50 on a striped top from old navy. i'm partially kidding, of course, but the economy is finally really beginning to frighten me. will try to make a better effort to buy handmade clothing if anything at all.
moya, leon and i will try our best to visit at the end of march. we're about to pull the trigger on a stroller, and hopefully the temps will be in the low 50s by then. is that too much to ask for?
i hope the writing is going well. i am eager to start up soon, feeling a bit tired of researching strollers and breastfeeding techniques...
That would be great, Erica. I'd love to see you again.
NYC is really changing. I went to see Eleni Mandell with Evan and our friend Gil last night. As I walked from the F-train to Joe's Pub, I noticed all these boutiques were closing. None of them were places where I shop, but I have friends who had liked their stuff. Even Elizabeth Street is full of shuttered stores. I don't think people are spending and I wonder how many really want limited editions of old Mayle pieces at higher than the original prices.
Agreed - in this economy, I can see only the richer, uber dedicated Mayle customer buying these limited edition pieces. The haves also have a wealth of other equally (or perhaps more so) covetable designers at their disposal, so I cannot imagine that everything will sell out immediately.
That said, I am visiting the store tonight just to look. I'll update later (probably with some tears in my eyes!).
Oh please update us, Cindy! I can't pop in tonight as some friends in Queens are cooking us dinner and they live way out (Kew Gardens). I was hoping to find the time to pop in to Mayle, but I'll have to wait until tomorrow. I agree with you about the super-rich. I suspect some people will binge out today but as I am only window shopping, it doesn't matter if they sell out in my size. I want to look, that's all.
Thank you all for sharing your thoughts about Mayle and the impending madness/frenzy? I too would love to see pictures of the "collection" because I can only make it into the city about once this month. Not that I will be able to afford anything either!
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