NYC Fashion Designers and More Detail Their Biggest Splurges, Cheapest Finds of 2015

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Michelle Smith, fashion designer, Milly: "My biggest splurges were my layered Hermés bracelets and my Apple watch. My favorite cheap finds were a treasure trove of handwoven bracelets from Capri — we got them for the whole family to wear."

Phillip Salem, handbag designer, Owen: "A gorgeous art deco vase from this antique store in Chelsea. The owner said it's from the 1930s, which is pretty fun to know!"

Whitney Pozgay, fashion designer, Whit: "My biggest splurge was a pair of extremely tall Prada heels — I got them specifically for an event — then ended up wearing them all of the time. My cheap find is Olay Total Effects face cream. It works better than the ones I overspent on."

Amy Yee, owner, Maeven Vintage: "You'll normally find me in a vintage coat because it's basically all I buy, but this year I bought a Jacquemus felt coat. It's super clean, but also playful and experimental, I couldn't help myself! Hopefully we'll have some winter weather so I can actually wear it."

Karen Lord, Pilates instructor and owner, Karen Lord Pilates: "The $2 succulent situation at Home Depot this year has been insane! I never find anything so cheap that gives me so much joy, but then I want like a Ming Vase to house the collection, so I go crazy on these beautiful ceramic vessels. My favorites are by Romy Northover, seriously the most perfect ceramics — [and] not just for gorgeous cacti, she's an incredible artist."

Cynthia Sakai, jewelry designer, Vita Fede: "My biggest splurge was this amazing set of antique burl wood side tables for my new loft in NYC. My favorite cheap find of the year were two vintage Hermés scarves at a flea market in Italy. I had them transformed into new pillows for my sofa."

Rebecca Perkins, makeup artist and owner, Rouge: "I splurged on a private hospital room when I had my baby. That was money well spent. And a babymoon to Langkawi, Malaysia.  My favorite cheap find is the Shyp app. It allows you to mail anything for way less than you would pay a la carte and they even pick it up and do the packaging for you!"

Jessica Schiffer, senior online editor, V Magazine: "My biggest splurge was Proenza Schouler's medium Elliot bag — and Uniqlo heat tech tees will forever be my favorite cheap find."

Desiree Verdejo, owner, Vivrant Beauty: "My favorite splurge was to reinvent my late-grandmother's vintage mink coat into something that I wear frequently today. While I wouldn't usually reach for fur, it's amazing to have something in my wardrobe that my grandmother wore on her most special occasions.

"I thought that once I opened my own boutique, I'd wear all of my favorite four-inch heels since I was setting the dress code. Silly me! That lasted about two weeks. My favorite cheap find was a colorful pair of Puma Suede Classics that I love to incorporate into my shoe wardrobe these days."