Sak's 5th Avenue, the NEW Houston Flagship Store.....

WOW !!!

showing exterior of  building, with valet parking entrance,

the canopy covering the entryway leads one down a serene, citified atmosphere,

this is touted to be the MOST extravagant Sak's in the USA,

don't know, but it's certainly impressive.

200,000 sf of luxury

walking in, the shoe salon is on your right, the designer handbags on the left, as you walk into the front door.

the Shoe Salon seems as long as a football field, with ONLY top designer names available,

which leaves a lot of us OUT.

the store.

well, it's on 2 levels, and it is gigantic.

all the accessories are on the 1st floor, along with the Men's Department, also large.

the curving stairway is the home of a real bar, with real bar stools, and a TV,

I guess for the guys who are with the lady shoppers.

it's very inviting I must say.

up the escalator, not the stairs, we went...

 to the 2nd floor which houses the women's apparel.

the designers are all in their own vignettes or boutique-like settings,

reminding me of Bergdorf-Goodman (the ultimate store on Earth),

and it is beautiful to behold.  nothing is hanging close to it's neighbor, there's lots of space

between hangers, which makes the merchandise seem even more exclusive and beautiful.

& then there is this:

a shot of the Reception Area of the 5th Avenue Club,
my former home...  taken from the back wall of Reception through the sliding wall, viewing into one of the designer areas.
it's so much larger than it appears in the photo, and it's luxury X10 !! makes me want to go back to work there.  seriously.

of course, being normal, there is ONE big complaint I have.... at the top of the escalator, getting off on the 2nd floor, they've located the "Bridge" price point merchandise:  Milly, Vince, Alice&Olivia, etc. etc. etc.
it's so close to the off-ramp of the escalator it's confining to the clients... & it reminds me of Macy's. that's not a good thing !!!
all of this same merchandise can be found almost everywhere else in town, who doesn't have Lafayette? who doesn't have Vince? who doesn't have Joie?

But. the store is beautiful, exciting and has to be seen to be believed. the restaurat is full-service and even has a private party room...


however, the luxury of space on the 1st Floor of the store  makes party-giving delightful & elegant at the same time.
now, for the reason I went, as this is a good Texas story:
one of my best girlfriends, Tish Jett was her houseguest when she was in Houston,  is good friends with a woman of substantial means. my friend recently sold the other woman's home in River Oaks for full price. needless to say, the woman was thrilled.
so, to show her appreciation (in addition to the 3% commission she received), the woman proceeded to GIFT her. or should I say, OVERGIFT HER !!
we are talking about designer handbags, many many many of them, designer nightgowns/robes, 4-5 sets, & on & on & on.
my friend wanted to keep some of the most beautiful handbags, but simply did not have a use for so many of them. + the nightgowns/robes were all too large...
my assistance was needed so we could return these items without the buyer EVER knowing. the purchaser bought everything online, and my friend had all the gift receipts, + the hangtags were all still attached.
in the end, my friend had received $9300 in Store Credit, and we still have a Nancy Gonzales Crocodile Bag to return.
+ there is merchandise from Neiman-Marcus.....
now, don't go on & on about the use of her money, as the giver was brought up with this wealth, and was the sole beneficiary of her parents... she has 3-4 adult kids, grandkids, great-grandkids, and the family has a charitable foundation to handle all the money they give away.
I think what I'm saying is that she spent this money as I would spend $20 per gift, she loves my girlfriend as a sister, and it makes her feel good to give great gifts.
I think she also gave her a Dale Chihuly glass sculpture of poppies, now in my friend's breakfast room, as she discovered, upon moving into her new home, that she didn't have the proper place for it.
as I said, it's a Texas story !!!
Penelope, I know you won't laugh, but you should.