saks fifth avenue

Best Jewelry Line
Each of the Readers' Choice nominees for Best Jewelry Line is a leader in the industry. One is not only known for its signature jewelry, but also for the blue box that it comes in. Another is known for its handcrafted pieces, but it is also known for its many innovations. Another nominee is a newer designer on the scene who is inspired by Florentine jewelry-making, but also astronomy, celestial, mythological and astrological influences. Another nominee is synonymous with glamour and fame and has ties to some of the world's most famous jewels. Finally, there's a nominee known for the panache of its founder, as well as its vast collection of the world's finest diamonds.
Graff Diamonds
Harry Winston
Temple St. Clair
Tiffany & Co.
Van Cleef & Arpels

Best Watch Line
The Readers' Choice for the Best Watch Line nominees include a perennially favored brand among the watch-loving elite that is known for making the most complex wrist watch in the world. Another nominee is known for its functionally-themed luxury sport watches. The third nominee, while an historic brand with almost 200 years of heritage, is known for being a forward focused luxury watch maker of the future. A fourth nominee is perhaps the best-known luxury watch brand in the world, with a stellar reputation to match. Lastly, there's a watchmaker that epitomizes Swiss haute horology with its modern classics and technical innovation.
Audemars Piguet
IWC
Jaeger-LeCoultre
Patek Philippe
Rolex

Best Leathergoods Line
The Readers' Choice for the Best Leathergoods Line for a Luxist Award include award-winning brands from France, Italy and London. One started out making equestrian equipment in 1837, and still makes its goods by hand; some of its handbags are so coveted, there's a two-year long wait list to buy one. Another was started in London by a former fashion editor who partnered with a couture shoe maker to create a company now synonymous with the "red carpet". The third nominee is known for its clean lines and simple classic color palettes while the fourth is a global force of tradition and innovation. And finally, the last nominee epitomizes luxury with its delectable designer bags and vaunted luggage--some of which command five figure prices.
Bottega Veneta
Gucci
Hermes
Jimmy Choo
Louis Vuitton

Best Department Store/Boutique
Nominees for Readers' Choice for Best Department Store/Boutique include one based in London that has no fewer than 330 different departments, a staff of 5,000 from 50 different countries and is visited by as many as 300,000 people on a single day. Another, with roots in Texas, is known for its superior customer service, in addition to its luxury merchandise, including some of the world's most extravagant items. One New York-based store has a shoe department that is so large, it was given its own zip code. Another Manhattan-based store specializes in hard-to-find international designers, many of which it will help launch into fame. Lastly, there's an upstart from London that is so cutting-edge and up-to-date, it launches 300 new styles on a weekly basis.
Barneys New York
Harrods
Neiman Marcus
Saks Fifth Avenue
Top Shop

Best Clothing Designer
Readers' Choice nominees for Best Clothing Designer are award-winning fashion designers from Italy, England, France and the United States. One was started by a wunderkind who was named chief designer of one of the most respected fashion houses when he was still in his 20's. Another has been one of the leading names in fashion for nearly 100 years. A third nominee, known for its timeless style, has outfitted First Ladies on both sides of the aisle for decades while the fourth is famed for its understated elegance. The final nominee is synonymous with high fashion though its roots are in luggage and leather goods.
Alexander McQueen
Chanel
Gucci
Oscar de la Renta
Prada

A bastion of classic New York grandeur, Saks Fifth Avenue's latest accolade is a nomination for the Luxist Readers' Choice Award for Best Department Store. The century-old purveyor of luxury goods boasts 53 stores in 25 states, as well as a handful of foreign franchise stores. The New York flagship's shoe department is so large that it has its own zipcode.

That same store opened in 1924 under the supervision of owners Andrew Saks and Bernard Gimbel. Within five years, Saks added stores in Palm Beach, Fla; Southampton, N.Y.; and Chicago. Openings followed in West Coast locations like Beverly Hills, Calif., and by 1940, Saks was operating ten stores across the country.

Though the New York flagship's location on Fifth Avenue between 50^th and 49^th Streets was a residential neighborhood when it opened, the area was transformed into Manhattan's midtown business district by the middle
of the 20^th Century. Over the years, Saks' sumptuous window displays became a crucial cog of the Big Apple experience, especially during the holidays. Located next to St. Patrick's cathedral and Rockefeller Center, and only a few blocks from other major attractions like Times Square and Central Park, it's a convenient shopping destination for tourists and New Yorkers alike.

In 1998, Saks was acquired by department store holding company Proffitt's, Inc., which subsequently changed its name to Saks Incorporated. The 2000s brought a handful of franchise locations abroad, including the most recent in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, a year ago. Today, the company has 53 stores throughout 25 states.

Cast your vote for the Readers' Choice Awards at http://www.luxist.com/awards-vote/accessories-awards.

Gallery: More from Saks Fifth Avenue

It looks like luxury retail is getting ready for a comeback. Shoppers in enviable tax brackets are doing a better job of prying their wallets open, at least if you can believe their stock prices. Tiffany, Saks and Nordstrom all showed signs of progress heading into Black Friday, meaning that investors were willing to bet on the wealthy.

Dan Greenhaus, chief economic strategist at Miller Tabak, explained to USA Today, "We're resting our (upbeat outlook) on the upper-income consumer, who seems to be holding up pretty well." This group, he continued, "is where the vast majority of spending in this country is done."

Research firm Penn Schoen Berland weighed in with agreement: "Well-to-do Americans are feeling much less of a crunch." Households with incomes of greater than $70,000 a year, the firm found, planned to amp up their holiday spending by 27 percent this year. Those with incomes below $40,000 are cutting their holiday joy by 14 percent.

While the bargain hunters turn to the discount retailers, which are expected to do well this year, look for the higher-income consumers to spend more at places like Williams-Sonoma and other mid-range to upscale retail establishments.

So, with deeper pockets starting to open this year, it looks like the wealthy will turn last year's holiday bust around. A good holiday season for Saks shows that those with the bucks are starting to open up, and recoveries start at the top.