For a brand that prides itself on its posh, invitation-only aesthetic, Gilt's decision to price tickets to Saturday's Chicago Warehouse Sale at $10 is surprising. But the Gilt empire has always managed to come across as more exclusive than they really are—sure, their bands are high-end to a fault, but the prices are slashed; sure, you can have that beaded Haute Hippie gown, but only if you become a member first. It's an old marketing trick, but it works.
In that same spirit of accessible exclusivity, Gilt City Chicago's pop-up sale this weekend requires a ticket, but the cost of admittance is only a pumpkin spice latte or two. Saturday's massive sale will be held at the MCA Warehouse (1747 W. Hubbard), a concrete-floored space with a gritty past—it is, after all, a former pie factory—but a sleek, elegant present.
At the sale, that $10 buys you complimentary cocktails from Chicago-based SOCIAL, snacks and drinks from Snack Factory Pretzel Crisps, Popchips and Evamor water, and, of course, massive discounts on very fancy clothes. Paw through the crinoline skirts and velvet capes and you might even find clothes marked down to 90% off their original retail value. Expect gems from Zac Posen, Helmut Lang, Missoni, Vera Wang, Badgley Mischka, and Carolina Herrera, to say the least. And here's something you can't get online: a pop-up shop within a pop-up shop, where you can snag tailored, ready-to-wear clothing from John Varvatos's fall and winter lines—at a discount, naturally.
If Badgley Mischka and the concrete floors of a former pie factory aren't cool enough for you, pop over after the sale to check out the David Bowie Is retrospective at the MCA proper. Maybe you can even wear your new velvet cape.