Surprises at Century 21: Gareth Pugh, Rick Owens, McQ

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It hasn't even been two months yet since our last blow-out visit to Century 21, and yet we found ourselves back yesterday, and more shocked than ever as what designer brands lurk on the womenswear floor.

Although the winter sale is over, the prices are still discounted, and who'd have guessed they'd ever encounter a rack chocked full of deeply discounted Gareth Pugh? Not us, but that's what happened! Keeping it company are similarly bulging racks of Rick Owens, Issey Miyake, Comme des Garcons tricot, Herve Leger, Maison Martin Margiela (and his lower-priced MM6 line), Basso & Brooke, Ter et Bantine, Lanvin, Viktor & Rolf, Dolce & Gabbana, and both Vivienne Westwood Anglomania and Red Label. And let's not forget McQ by Alexander McQueen.

At one point, we were walking around clutching a $120 long silk polka dot skirt from Comme des Garcons and trying to untangle a rack of Yohji Yamamoto's Coming Soon from the rack of Rick Owns Lilies next to it. Talk about label name-dropping! It actually overwhelmed us for a second?us!

We can't say quite what happened to flood Century 21 with avant-garde designers and rare labels, but we have a few guesses. One hint comes from a few Ivan Grundahl designs still bearing their IF Boutique tag?a store which specializes in rare, avant-garde designers. Likewise for Aeffe showroom, who might be behind all of the Moschino and Jean Paul Gaultier, considering we saw their name on tags as well.

For many brands, Century 21's current selection beats the Barneys Warehouse Sale, so if you're still high on shopping adrenaline from that and you've got money to burn, it might be time to head downtown again.
· Why It's Time to Make Your Semiannual Trip to Century 21 [Racked NY]