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    Century 21 Clearance and Revamp

    By ManhattanMataHari

    Usually the thought of shopping at the downtown Century 21 fills us with dread. A renovation has turned the formerly cramped chaotic floorspace into a much more pleasant shopping experience, taking the edge off from dealing with pushy tourists.

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    Be sure to stop in at the new sunglasses display on the first floor where there are a whole slew of $130 Tom Ford (in mainly one aviator-esque style) along with over sized $100 Chloe, $120 Tod’s, as well as less expensive Marc Jacobs, Dolce & Gabbana and Versace.

    Head upstairs to the women’s floor and you will find lots of popular wool Missoni scarves for just $79. All silk scarves are still kept in the glass display which has been relocated. Classic large Pucci scarves are $130, but we also noticed some smaller silk versions for $49.

    On to the clothing, nearly everything in the European Designer area is on clearance with the exception of some new arrivals racks replete with loads of Lanvin (with some pieces marked as exclusives for RTW Charleston), Cacharel, Rochas and Derek Lam.

    Just because the shopping layout is better doesn’t mean you will get to avoid picking through the sales racks. However, with some time and determination you will be rewarded with great finds like a $480 Jason Wu black and red lace dress or a Stella McCartney frock just over $500. We found Carven dresses for about $175, a $282 Balenciaga, and a great little black Celine dress came out to $268. It was quite surprising to find some $289 Agnona for Bergdorf Goodman “exclusive” dresses. There are also lots of diffusion lines like McQ, See by Chloe, Moschino Cheap and Chic and Philosophy di Alberta Ferretti.

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    Shoe addicts should definitely head downstairs since there are discounted Missoni, Manolo Blahnik, Casadei, Lanvin, Oscar de la Renta, Dolce and Gabbana, and Tory Burch heels all 25% to 30% off the already discounted Century 21 prices. Oscar’s heels were heavily discounted at a top 65% off. Our favorite finds were $188 metallic leather Blahnik D’Orsays and black and jewel adorned Lanvin ballet flats for $268.

    With the much improved shopping experience now we can actually look forward to heading downtown for our bargain hunting!

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    Lila Dishes for the NY Post

    December 26th is historically the most popular day of the year for retail returns. You might have smiled when you received that oversized Frosty the Snowman sweater from your mother-in-law but the splendor of the gift quickly faded. What seemed ironically cool happens to take up way too much space in your closet. Back to the store it goes!

    The New York Post (12/26/12) reported on what’s officially known as the biggest return day:

    Lila Delilah, editor of MadisonAvenueSpy.com, recommends shoppers start early today for the deepest discounts on clearance items.

    “I’m a big proponent of in-store shopping,” Corwick told The Post, adding that many stores have incentives just to get you inside. “People might not have gotten exactly what they wanted, so they’ll go in to return something and pick up something extra, too. That’s the stores’ strategy.”

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    Nordstrom Markdown Hits 70%

    If you’re looking to shop the steepest discounts of the season we suggest you scope out a Nordstrom store. The department store’s half-yearly sale includes lots of designer merchandise that is reduced up to 70%– more than any local luxury retailers.

    Unfortunately, there won’t be a Nordstrom store in Manhattan until 2018 but that doesn’t mean you can’t score some amazing merchandise for top discount prices. If you’re interested in scoping out the Nordstrom with the finest brands you’re going to want to begin with the Nordies locations that carry Chanel. Those are Topanga, CA, Downtown Portland, Downtown Seattle and Mall of America.

    We sent some spies into the Topanga store and were alerted about the great Celine selection. A classic dress with a wide belt is $630 from $2100 a collegiate sweater is $600 from $1300 and an awesome sleeveless leather dress with an exposed zipper is $630. In addition, you can grab a Versace glitter cocktail dress for $595 and a Alexander McQueen dress for $794.

    Among the Chanel items, in Topenga, there is a print sweater for $900, a classic drop waste dress for $1219 and a hot pink tweed top for $1164. The best piece is a navy and teal tweed jacket with amethyst buttons for $2150 from $5700!

    Over at the Portland store, the Chanel section includes a gold toned jacket for $4700 from almost $12000, a three color cardigan is $1064 from $2665, and a classic outerwear jacket is $1874 from $4690.  (You can click here to see pictures of all the items mentioned above.)

    Those who are light on time and patience can always shop the designer section of Nordstrom.com. While browsing we found a Lanvin dress for $600 from $2000, a Thakoon print dress for $288 from $960 and
    Versus leather sleeve jacket for $590 from almost $2000.

    Nordstrom Topenga, CA
    (818) 884-7900
    Silvio in collections and couture

    Nordstrom Portland, OR
    (503) 224-6666
    Libbie in Chanel ready-to-wear

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    Ralph Lauren Final Prices

    By ManhattanMataHari 

    One of our favorite January sales is always Ralph Lauren. Right now, the Madison Avenue flagship is hosting a sale where prices that are already discounted 40% to 50% are an additional 30% off. The final discount on some items are as high as 80% off!

    We found $7500 Beverly crocodile booties for $2100 and a $3200 crocodile clutch for $1200. Winter white Gatsby-themed items are still plentiful as well as a fierce. A $4498 black leather sleeved dress is now just $1098. We suggest heading to the store rather than shopping online because that same leather sleeved Collection dress is $500 more on the brand’s website.

    Our favorite items in the boutique are always the cashmere sweaters– both men’s and women’s. A Collection women’s black cashmere crewneck is $250 from almost $1000 and a men’s classic cashmere cable sweater that comes in 13 different colors is under $200 from a starting price of almost $400.

    We suggest you call or shop the store immediately if there’s a particular item that’s peeked your interest. We were told that the merchandise will not be around for very long but we hope that shoppers will seize opportunity while it lasts.

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    Gap Acquires Intermix

    Homegrown Intermix is going Gap!

    Earlier today, Gap announced the acquisition of Intermix for $130 million. That’s a lot of J. Brand jeans and Givenchy jackets. The deal opens the door for the casual-centric retailer to expand into the lovable luxury market.

    Intermix currently operates 32 boutiques across North America, in addition to a dismal e-commerce site. One can only assume that Gap will quickly use their online expertise to make Intermix an e-commerce sensation.

    Fashion insiders haven’t yet weighed in the deal but we can’t help from asking about Piperlime, which has never seemed to create a fashion identity that extends beyond Rachel Zoe’s style picks. We might go as far to suggest that Gap should rebrand Piperlime to Intermix and give the site a bit more of a fashion focus.

    The Intermix stores on the other hand, will also need a bit of a fashion revival. Over the past few years Intermix has lost a bit of their cool factor while boutiques like Fivestory and Kirna Zabete have blossomed. For the retailer to remain successful it will have to continue to experimient with trends, which can perioutically mean a luxury misstep. Investors of public companies usually don’t like those. Perhaps we should coin that an InterGap.

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    5 UES Neighborhood Needs

    We feel a bit remiss about not putting together some sort of New Year list. (Really, can you call yourself a publisher without one?) Today, we’re making up for lost time and taking inventory of our neighborhood needs for 2013. The full list would normally run quite long but we’re just jotting down some basic needs that shouldn’t be too hard to fulfill. Let us know if you agree or if we missed any of the biggies.

    5 UES Neighborhood Needs

    1. Zara (with Kids)
    Sure there’s a Zara across from Bloomingdales but we can’t figure out why the company hasn’t stocked this location with a children’s department. The Upper East Side is one of the most kid friendly neighborhoods in all of New York City. Even J. Crew opened a Crew Cuts in the northern part of Madison Avenue. Why not a Zara with a children’s department … and housewares while we are at it?

    2. Barry’s Bootcamp
    Soal Cycle is so 2010. There’s even an outpost in Scarsdale and you know what that means! All the hard bodies have migrated to Barry’s Bootcamp, in Chelsea.  It’s unfortunate that this downtown health craze is so difficult to access. Up here, women are as serious about their workouts as they are about their private schools and you know what that means too. Come on Barry, can’t you envision a line Escalades out front?

    3. Homegoods
    Have you ever seen anyone throw $1000 into a trash can? We have! You don’t need to linger at S. Feldman or Gracious Home to witness a time pressed house manager grabbing a garbage can that costs almost a grand. An Upper East Side Homegoods would be a welcome oasis for foodies, decorators and, yes, that black card holder.

    4. Michael White’s, Ristorante Morini
    Finding a good place to eat on a Saturday night on the Upper East Side is as difficult as getting your Co-Op board to sign off on renovation plans. We are keeping our fingers crossed about Michael White’s Ristorante Morini, which planned to open in the space once occupied by Centolire, on Madison and 86th. Hopefully, the new restaurant is as good as Marea and getting the secret phone number to the inside reservationist won’t be too hard.

    5. Iviva/ Lululemon for Kids
    Lululemon may have taken the athletic category by storm but their kid’s brand, Iviva, has been much more sheepish. We only found out about the Upper West Side “showroom” after our kids inquired about tot sizes while shopping at the parent store. Turns out that Iviva carries a great variety of merchandise specifically for dancers, gymnasts and ice skaters. They even co-braded with Disney’s Shake it Up. (I know!) The East Side can definitely support this experimental concept store. Just one word of advice: Rebrand to look more like Lululemon. Kids, tweens and teens love the brand as much as their mom’s and dad’s and nobody can make sense of that Iviva logo.

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    Net-A-Porter.com Final Reductions

    Net-A-Porter started a their final markdown where many reduced items are about 70%. To get the most enjoyment out of your online shopping, go to Net-A-Porter’s prior magazine issues and browse from there.

    This season’s final reductions sale seems to be more limited than prior seasons. Yes, there is an assortment of merchandise that’s marked 70% off but not nearly as much as usual. That’s a good thing for the retailer but not ideal for sale shoppers.

    Nonetheless we were able to find some great items in the sale section. A cheeky Karl sweatshirt is $55 from $185,
    a Jil Sander sweater dress is $670 from $2230 and a fashion week must-have tee from Moschino Cheap and Chic that says “Only Front Row” is $124 from $415.

    There are lots of great bags, shoes and accessories in the sale section but we found most of the prices are the same or better in department stores or designer boutiques. For now, stick to clothing that’s 70% or more.

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    Intermix 70% Off

    While you’ve been basking on the beach of St. Barths and swishing down the slopes of Davos, stores have been strategizing how to best say good-bye to fall/winter 2012 to make room for spring 2013. Right now, most of the department stores are waiting to make a third markdown but many boutiques are getting aggressive with their discounts.

    Intermix is offering shoppers an additional 40% off one or two items but 50% off if you purchase three or more pieces. Winter clothing is currently discounted between 40% and 50% right now, so the extra discount brings the savings to 70% to 80% off.

    While browsing the uptown store, we found a Theyskens’ Theory sweater for $100 with the additional 50% off from an initial price of $400. A Thakoon Addiction dress is $80 from $450 and J Brand coated skinny jeans/ pants are $80 from $220.

    Although the store will likely have another markdown, we suggest picking up three items now and settling with the 50%. Sometimes you have to take advantage of getting back from vacation early.

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