Features

Dare we say that the linens lining your bed are a reflection of your taste? While they’re not the end all/be all when it comes to defining who you are, the way you style your home certainly speaks a little bit about you. For example, luxurious bed sheets made from exquisite materials demonstrate your appreciation for the finer things in life. Not to mention the deep sleep you’ll get as a result.

Anyway, if you subscribe to the notion that fine quality linens are a girl’s best friend, then you ought to get really excited about the SFERRA sample sale — and the brand in general. SFERRA, which was founded almost 125 years ago, is an innovated brand that sets the standard for beds, baths and tables around the globe.

Since its inception, “the company has evolved to become the most exclusive name in home textiles, crafting beautifully refined linens of uncompromising quality and detail.” The brand is committed to “unsurpassed excellence” and “continues to design for the times, creating a one-of-a-kind marriage of comfort and modern day elegance.”

If you’re new to the SFERRA brand — or have been meaning to try some of their luxurious linens for a while — now’s the perfect time to pounce. The brand’s holding a sample sale that lasts from April 9 through April 13th that features up to 70% off retail prices. In addition to sharing details on this don’t miss sample sale below, we’ve got an exclusive interview with the brand to better inform you about their quality products.

About The SFERRA Luxury Linen Sample Sale

The SFERRA Luxury Linen Sample Sale is held at 75th Ninth Avenue between 15th and 16th streets in NYC. The sale begins on April 9th and runs through April 13th. Hours of operation are Wednesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The sale features up to 70% off linens for your bedroom, bathroom and tables. Read more here.

When was SFERRA founded and whom was it founded by?

SFERRA was founded in 1891 by entrepreneur Gennaro Sferra, who began in Italy as a purveyor of fine Italian-made lace. Gennaro brought his company to the United States at the turn of the century, traveling up and down the East coast selling his fine Venetian lace cuffs and collars to discerning clientele.

How would you describe the overall vibe of SFERRA products?

SFERRA is renowned for its sumptuous, fine-quality linens. The aesthetic ranges from traditional to contemporary, but is always sophisticated and refined.

Who is SFERRA’s typical customer base?

The SFERRA customer is a well-educated, affluent, middle-aged woman with discerning taste and an appreciation of fine comforts for the home.

What sets SFERRA apart from other luxury linen brands?

SFERRA is known for a variety of good-better-best tiers of percale and sateen bedding, along with sumptuous yarn-dyed woven jacquards and exquisite hand-embroidered bed linens. Simply put, SFERRA uses only the finest of materials.

Tell us a little bit about how SFERRA products are made.

We primarily source extra-long staple Egyptian cotton fibers, creating linens of heirloom quality for the most discerning clientele. Our bed linens are woven by expert craftsmen in Italy, using state-of-the-art technology to spin, dye, and finish each individual yarn to the precise specifications and stringent standards required to create sumptuously soft fabrics. Our finishing process—where the fabric is washed, processed, and finessed to our exacting standards—is guarded as a trade secret.

How has the brand grown since its inception?

SFERRA has been the authority on fine linens for over 120 years. With its beginnings in fine Italian lace, SFERRA has grown to develop and master the production of soft goods for every aspect of the home: bedding, bath, and table.

What’s one fact about SFERRA that consumers should know?

SFERRA was the first company to weave a fine-quality 1020 thread-count sheeting, and the first to introduce Giza 45 Egyptian cotton within bedding. Giza 45 is an exceptional genus of Egyptian cotton producing the finest and strongest cotton yarns, weaving a textile that is exquisitely light and soft, but strong enough to last for years—it had been traditionally used as a luxury men’s shirting fabric before SFERRA debuted it for the home. In the luxury linens marketplace, we are the mavericks and the innovators—we offer sheeting and top-of-bed that no one else has, that no one else knows how to produce. Our best-selling Celeste percale sheets for example—we have one mill in Italy that runs 24/7 producing only that fabric for our bedding… that’s extraordinary!

Besides the sample sale, where else can people buy SFERRA?

Customers can shop directly on the sferra.com website, or visit one of our many brick-and-mortar stores. People can find a store that carries SFERRA on our website using their zip code in our store locator. Within North America, SFERRA is proud to count Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman, Horchow, and Bloomingdale’s among its stable of discerning retailers. The brand’s retail presence extends to our shop-in-shop boutiques inside the legendary ABC Carpet & Home stores in New York City and Boca Raton, and the H.D. Buttercup store in Los Angeles.

Find Sferra On The Web:

Website / Facebook / Twitter / Pinterest / Instagram

By Wendy Rose Gould

If you’re lusting for luxury, L.K. Bennett is the perfect place to venture. Named after company founder Linda Kristin Bennett, L.K. Bennett boasts a sleek array of apparel, accessories, handbags and shoes that all have that certain British charm to them.

While L.K. Bennett was founded in London — where its headquarters remain to this day — the retailer has become successful enough to have stores speckled across the globe in some of the world’s most stylish cities. New York City is lucky enough to be on that list. In addition to an office and showroom in NYC, L.K. Bennett has a retail store at Columbus Circle. You can also find some of the brand’s merchandise at Bloomingdales 59th Street.

So why are we on an L.K. Bennett kick? For several reasons. First of all, we feel like this international luxury brand doesn’t get enough attention. It’s certainly worthy of accolades and adoration. Secondly, they’re hosting a sample sale in New York City this week and we want you to get in on the action.

Details on the L.K. Bennett Sample Sale

The sample sale features up to 70% off ready-to-wear, shoes, handbags and accessories. Clothing sizes range from US 2 to 14 and shoe sizes range from 35-42.

WHEN: 3/9 – 3/11; Sun (11-5), M-Tue (10-6)

WHERE: 595 Madison Avenue, 13th Floor, New York, NY 10022 (NE Corner of 57th and Madison)

More About The L.K. Bennett Brand

When was L.K. Bennett founded?

The very first L.K. Bennett store popped up in London’s Wimbledon Village in 1990. At its inception, the brand was all about footwear. Their mission was to design and sell shoes that were fashion-forward, but never impractical. In fact, the founder quickly earned the nickname “Queen of the Kitten Heel” for her dedication to providing a glamorous shoe without sacrificing comfort. It should be noted that, while they do sell kitten heels, they’ve got heels of all sizes.

When was clothing added to the retailer’s stores?

In 1998, almost a decade after L.K. opened shop, L.K. Bennett formally introduced their first ready-to-wear collection. This move gave the store even more momentum, allowing it to rise to “fashion house” status. Since then, the store has continued finding success. They now have 166 branded locations around the world, including 114 in the UK and Ireland.

Which celebrities wear the L.K. Bennett brand?

It’s no secret that L.K. Bennett is a beloved brand by style icons and celebrities all over the world. Britain’s own Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, is a big supporter and wearer of the brand. Those nude pumps she’s always wearing? Definitely made by L.K. Bennett. Her sister, Pippa, also wears L.K. Bennett. Other celebs who’ve worn the brand include Poppy Delevingne, Rosamund Pike and Caroline Issa, who actually created a shoe line with the brand.

By Wendy Rose Gould

Giuliana Teso is one of those iconic fashion brands that screams sophistication and style. In fact, the fur pieces she designs–fur is her speciality, you see–are the kind you save up for and wear for years and year to come. The kind that, no matter how many times you’ve worn the piece, you still earn compliments regarding your exquisite taste.

Over the years, notable paragons of style have ambled in Teso’s luxurious frocks and look-at-me vestments. SJP donned some in Sex and the City (the movie) and Juliette Binoche looked marvelous at the premiere of Chocolat in her Giuliana Teso cape. Monica Bellucci, Gisele Bundchen, Stevie Nicks, Liv Tyler and many others have also worn her designs.

In anticipation of the Giuliana Teso Fur Blow Out Sample Sale in NYC–which starts on February 17th and is hosted by Shelly & Renee Productions–we’re gifting you a mini feature on the exquisite brand.

First, the Sale details:

WHAT: Get 50% to 80% off of fur hats, scarves, accessories, vests, and jackets. You’ll find furs from fox, lamb and mink. Shop shearling jackets and coats, leather jackets, cashmere and wool fur trim outerwear and more.

WHEN: 2/17 through 2/19; Daily (10-6)

WHERE: 224 West 30 Street, Suite 808, New York, NY 10001

CONTACT: 212-920-1211

If you miss the Shelly & Renee Giuliana Teso sample sale, know that you can buy Giuliana Teso at other places, too. The brand is also sold in Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Bloomingdales and Holt Renfrew Canada.

More About The Brand and Designer

When was Giuliana Teso founded?

Giuliana Teso established her company in 1980 in Vicenza, Italy. Her success in combining traditional skills and craftsmanship with a modern organizational structure has allowed Giuliana Teso to provide the finest quality furs to the world’s most demanding and sophisticated consumers. In only a few years, the brand achieved considerable success both in Italy and abroad.

What’s the quality of the fur and fabric like?

The Giuliana Teso Collections are crafted in luxurious fabrics, giving to clothing collection the same attention and the same handicraft care as to the fur production. The choice of materials combined with fur in unusual and extremely refined nuance of colors, results in a collection with a very high stylistic content, studied to satisfy and “spoil” the most demanding clientele.

When was the first Giuliana Teso ready-to-wear collection made available?

In 1998, Giuliana Teso launched her first Ready-to-Wear Collection. Crafted with the same attention to detail as her furs, this collection is produced with the best fabrics available today, often with fur inserts in its designs.

How has the brand grown since its inception?

Giuliana Teso’s luxury collections have expanded today to include accessories and lifestyle.  Her expertise, vision and high standards of quality have won her the praise and trust of the best stores around the world as well as celebrities such as Liv Tyler and Stevie Nicks–the lead singer of Fleetwood Mac–and socialites including Nina Griscom, Bettina Zhilka, HRH Princess Alexandra of Greece, HRH Princess Ira von Furstenberg and Petrina Khashoggi.

Nowadays, the company has consolidated its distribution 70% to foreign markets like: Europe, America, Canada, Japan and 30% on domestic market. These figures reveal a serious and strong management policy, based on rigorous work practices.

What’s the current Giuliana Teso line like?

At present, Giuliana Teso has a total look production which goes from fur, luxury coat, leather, knitwear, accessories and also new, unusual and sophisticated pieces for the house: carpets, blankets, pillows. The research for Giuliana Teso never stops. The concept that motivated the designer since the very beginning is stronger than ever. Fur is a must in every woman’s journey. The aim of every new collection is to create unique and stunning pieces both for design and quality.

By Wendy Rose Gould

If you thought Cyber Monday rocked, wait until you hear the news of H&M’s next collaboration with one of our favorite Italian brands, Marni. Founder and creative director, Consuelo Castiglioni, has created a spring collection for H&M for both women and men that captures the essence of Marni, known for the way they mix prints and accessories in a playful but chic way. The collection will be available from March 8, 2012 in selected stores worldwide and online, and it features both clothing and accessories.

“I wanted to create a true Marni wardrobe by revisiting all our favorite pieces in signature fabrics and prints. As always, I love juxtaposing prints and colors, mixing modern tribal with Bauhaus graphic and adding sporty utilitarian elements,” says Consuelo Castiglioni. Founder and Creative Director.

The women’s collection is true to the Marni style, with unusual but elegant combination of items with all-over prints, strong colors, and bold prints, African-inspired or simpler color blocks. The silhouettes are simple, with full pleated skirts, dresses, cropped pants and jacquard knits, completing the look with jewelry, shoes, bags and scarves.

The men’s collection is another Marni staple with colors and fabrics softened for a relaxed look.

The Marni collection is the latest designer collaboration for H&M, which has previously collaborated with brands such as Karl Lagerfeld, Stella McCartney, Comme des Garçons, Jimmy Choo, Lanvin, and most recently Versace.