Houston’s Most Fabulous Fashion Sale Promises Deep Designer Discounts — How Blue Bird Circle Will Salute Giorgio Armani

Blue Bird Circle volunteers scurried across the room assembling an homage to designer Giorgio Armani, who had died only the day before. The ladies searching through the racks of designer fashions for the Italian great’s labels were arranging the tribute as part of the third annual resale showcase of must-have, gently worn designer fashions.

The tony second-hand rose spectacular is set to take place this Saturday, September 13 from 10 am to 3 pm at the Blue Bird Circle headquarters and resale shop at 615 West Alabama. Admission is free and many will no doubt fill their shopping bags.

Formerly known as The Trunk Show, the curated happening has been renamed The Couture Boutique to better reflect the contents of the sale. Vintage fashions from Chanel, Burberry, Dior and more as well as jewelry will beckon. Collectors might want to pick up the vintage Roberta de Camerino velvet bag. On our visit, a woman dropped off two fab pieces of Gucci luggage that she had purchased in another decade while vacationing in Paris.

The offerings also include American labels such as Tory Burch, Lafayette 48 and Victor Costa. Most items are priced from $75 to $125, some for less. Shoes, handbags, dresses, jackets, blouses and even a few men’s jackets will be available.

There is plenty of merch to swoon over. We counted more than 35 fur pieces ranging from luxe full-length minks to faux jackets. Perhaps the highlight of that bunch is the full length tanuki (Japanese raccoon) coat, which has the highest price tag in the shop at $2,500. Then there is a new Rolex watch priced at $2,400.

But other finds will cost as little as $12.

“We want to make sure that we serve the entire community so that everyone can find something,” shop merchandiser Maggie Austin tells PaperCity.

Joining Austin in the sale are Couture Boutique event chair Dodi Willingham, shop chair Sally Barber, Blue Bird president Gail Branca and PR committee chair Helen Welk.

As Austin points out, there are plenty of retail therapy possibilities to be found throughout the shop known for its terrific home furnishings, crystal, porcelain and sterling silver pieces. Come for a jacket, go home with complete dining table set.

As with everything sold at Blue Bird Circle, all the proceeds support neurological research at Texas Children’s Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine. The resale shop opened in 1959 to help provide funds for the research and its major sales only have gotten bigger ever since.