Saks 5th Avenue



This venerable New York establishment has been around since 1924 and is the epitome of grace, style and elegance. You can shop till you drop with their extensive collection of products from America and Europe. The information booth on the 50th street side offers quick tips on how to explore ten floors of pure luxury. Start at the basement where the waft of perfumes from the cosmetic counters set the scene. Then take a trip through the in-store designer boutiques namely, Chanel, Gucci & Louis Vuitton. Saks is still famous for its unique shopping experience and boasts the finest men’s department in New York, the best sales imaginable, great value and impeccable sales staff who treat everyone with genuine respect. For a look at the real ladies who lunch, take a peek at Café SFA on the 8th floor.

Bergdorf Goodman

Conservative sophistication with a twist! Bergdorf’s might have a classic air but it houses the most modern of designers, namely Jean Paul Gaultier, Chloe, and Kate Spade, also paying homage to the younger set with mid-price collections by DKNY, Marc by Marc Jacobs, and Bergdorf Goodman Special Custom Collection by the Fashion Institute of Technology. Located in the elegant Vanderbilt Mansion, this store boasts resplendent views of Central Park. The handbag department is one of the best in the city, stocked right through from Prada to Chanel. Stop at the shoe department for a coveted pair of Jimmy Choo’s or if you prefer your Manolo's you’re guaranteed the latest styles. The seventh floor houses gifts and antiques, bridal services and fur collections. Watch out for end of season sales which offer great savings.

Now you can drop your shopping bags and go upstairs to one of the city’s best kept secrets. The Susan Ciminelli Day Spa atop of Bergdorf Goodman offers skin products that not only turn back the clock but also imbue your skin with a radiant glow. Susan’s products are made of the purest essential oils, the finest botanicals and natural seaweed.

De Beers

A little South African diamond in New York: De Beers opened their store amidst great fanfare, joining the ranks of Cartier, Bulgari and Tiffany&Co. At the opening of this 6000-square foot boutique, guests got to walk on Swarovski crystal and delight in de Beers’s 203-carat Millennium Star, the largest pear-shaped flawless stone in the world. 1000 visitors frequent this store daily, enjoying the plush lounge area and the fact that no sales assistants hover. Selections range from $500 to $8 million, and include classic diamond jewelry, plus three fashionable collections of rings, earrings, pins, necklaces and bracelets. There is a bridal bar on the second floor where couples can pick out their engagement rings. The “beauty scan", technology which is unique to De Beers will provide your wife to be with a true picture of just how bright her diamond sparkles.

Prada Flagship Store

The coolest shop on earth for the coolest clothes in the universe! The collaboration between Miuccia Prada and Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas turns shopping into a theatrical experience with screens and media installations. 23 000 square feet of retail space at a cost of $40 million, offers you a more imaginative shopping experience than the usual stores. First stop is an interactive kiosk where you can find out all sorts of facts about Prada. There is a massive glass elevator that you can shop in, and plasma boxes flash images and information at you while try on impeccable designs. The whole design space looks like a giant wave and there are retractable display cages for merchandise. Computer-equipped dressing rooms have glass doors made with SGG’s Priva-Lite technology, which enable a two-way mirror experience. While you are trying on you can watch what’s going on outside. This is exactly the kind of space you would expect from someone charging $600 for a pair of shoes.

Butik

Danish supermodel Helena Christianson has opened her own signature store with Danish partner, Leif Sigersen. Butick, the Danish version of boutique, houses a heady mix of eighteenth century antiques set off with black roses, marvelous organic chocolates and Matthew Williamson candles. This quirky mix of vintage and modern is sourced mainly from Scandinavia and Paris. You’ll find Norgaard Paa Stroget’s striped maritime T-shirts, and one-off retro-print skirts by Rutzou. Camilla Staerk’s understated footwear, handbags by Ricka, and Veronica Civa’s jewelry. This shop is worthy of exploration and chances are you’ll bump into someone famous. Actress Maggie Gyllenhaal and Russian model sensation, Natalia Vodianova are regulars. Butik is a stone’s throw away from Nicole Fahri’s boutique, 202.

Barneys

All style gurus’ know that Barneys is a celebrity hangout as it has the hottest fashion, delivered fresh from seasonal shows. This is New York’s fashion capital when it comes to department stores, so come on in all you fashionistas. From fur and mile-high stilettos to the latest in jewelry and handbags by designers like Fendi and Hermes, this store has it all – women’s, men’s and children’s clothing with accessories, fragrances, shoes, cosmetics and tableware. Make use of their concierge services, personal shopping and services studio. Pamper yourself at the image studio with your own makeup artist and indulge your every delight at the resident spa. Shopping in New York City couldn’t be finer!