The Designer Drop at Century 21 NYC: Handbags $34.99, Up to 65% Off

A new designer drop just hit the floor at Century 21 NYC, and the handbag wall is the fastest math in the store: designer handbags start at $34.99. A JW Pei mini flap bag that retails for $99 is $49.99. A Liviana Conti knee-high boot that lists at $628 is $219.99. A Plan C woven top that runs $764 is $259.99. The drop spans men's and women's designer, handbags and shoes, at up to 65% off retail.

There is no code and no online listing. This is in store only at 22 Cortlandt Street in Lower Manhattan, in the sizes on the rack, while they last. The floor changes daily. What you find today is not guaranteed to be here next week.

What the Designer Drop is at Century 21 NYC

The Designer Drop is a fresh wave of designer and contemporary arrivals that just landed at Century 21, the off-price designer department store in New York's Financial District. This wave covers women's and men's apparel, handbags starting at $34.99 and shoes, from labels including JW Pei, Barbour, M Missoni, Plan C, Liviana Conti, Vince, IXOS and Collection Privée, all marked up to 65% off original retail value. It is in store only at 22 Cortlandt Street, across from the World Trade Center.

A selection from the drop. The floor holds far more than what is shown here, and it turns over daily.

Designer handbags starting at $34.99

Handbags are the entry point to this drop. A designer bag wall that starts at $34.99 is the kind of price most New Yorkers assume does not exist anymore, and it is the single reason to come in early. The bags in this wave come from JW Pei and Liviana Conti, in mini flap, shoulder and top-handle shapes.

JW Pei. The Los Angeles label launched in 2018 and built its following on vegan leather bags with sculptural hardware, the kind that show up all over Instagram at full price. The mini flap bag retails at $99 and is currently $49.99, half off. Smaller styles in the same wall start at $34.99.

Liviana Conti. The Italian womenswear house makes bags and boots in the same soft-leather register as its knitwear. Bags sit in the same $34.99 and up band as the rest of the wall, and the brand's Stivale Cuissard knee-high boot is $219.99 against a $628 value, a 65% cut.

What just landed, by brand

Barbour. The English heritage house has been making waxed cotton outerwear in South Shields since 1894 and holds royal warrants for it. Two pieces anchor the men's side of this drop: the Prep Logo Crew at $59.99 against $120, and the Caravelle Shirt at $109.99 against $200. Both sit around half off.

M Missoni. Missoni is the Italian knitwear house founded in 1953 by Ottavio and Rosita Missoni, known worldwide for its zigzag and space-dye patterns. The M Missoni graphic print polo in this drop lists at $460 and is $199.99, a 57% cut. If you have been watching for a Missoni sale, this is the floor to walk.

Plan C. The Milan label was founded in 2018 by Carolina Castiglioni and carries the same appetite for volume, print and unusual fabric that runs through her family's design history. The woven top in this wave retails at $764 and is $259.99, roughly two-thirds off.

Vince, IXOS and Collection Privée. The women's floor also picked up Vince, the Los Angeles label known for cashmere and soft tailoring since 2002, plus the Italian contemporary labels IXOS and Collection Privée. These move fastest in core sizes, so the rack you see in the morning is not the rack that is there at 6 PM.

How a $764 top ends up at $259.99

Century 21 is an off-price department store, which means the buying team negotiates directly with brands and their distributors for full lots at a discount, then passes that discount to the ticket. There is no coupon layered on top and no membership required. The price you see on the tag is the price you pay at the register.

That is why the discount is not uniform. A Barbour crew lands at 50% off and a Plan C top lands closer to 66% off, because each deal is negotiated on its own terms. It is also why the floor is unpredictable in the way regulars like: the buy determines what shows up, so the mix genuinely changes week to week.

Where to buy discount designer handbags and clothing in NYC

New York has a few real options for buying designer at a discount, and they trade off differently. Outlet malls like Woodbury Common carry deep brand assortments but sit 60 miles north of Manhattan. Off-price chains like Nordstrom Rack and Saks Off 5th are closer but skew toward a narrower band of labels. Sample sales offer sharp prices but run for a few days and are hard to plan around.

Century 21 sits in a different spot: a full designer discount department store inside Manhattan, open seven days a week, at 22 Cortlandt Street. You can walk from the World Trade Center in under five minutes, browse handbags at $34.99 and Italian designer boots at $219.99 on the same trip, and be back on the subway in an hour. For anyone searching where to buy cheap designer bags in New York, that combination of location and assortment is the argument.

What is in the drop, by category

Women's designer, up to 65% off. Barbour, IXOS, Collection Privée, Vince and Plan C, across tops, knits, shirting and outerwear.

Men's designer, up to 65% off. Barbour, Missoni and Plan C, weighted toward polos, crews and shirting.

Handbags, starting at $34.99. JW Pei and Liviana Conti, in mini flap, shoulder and top-handle shapes.

Shoes, up to 65% off. JW Pei and Liviana Conti, including the Stivale Cuissard knee-high boot at $219.99.

This drop sits on top of the store's semi-annual clearance, now up to 85% off storewide. Both are running at the same time, on the same floors.

Is Century 21 still open in NYC?

Yes. Century 21 is open at 22 Cortlandt Street in Lower Manhattan, one block from the World Trade Center. The store reopened in 2023 after closing in 2020 and operates seven days a week: Monday through Saturday from 9 AM to 9 PM, and Sunday from 11 AM to 8 PM.

Notes for visitors

• Come early in the week. New arrivals are processed to the floor throughout the week, and weekday mornings are the quietest hours to shop them.
• Check the handbag wall first. The $34.99 price point moves fastest, and restocks are not scheduled.
• Sizing runs Italian on several labels. IXOS, Collection Privée, Plan C and Liviana Conti use Italian sizing, so try before you commit.
• Fitting rooms are available on the apparel floors.
• Bring a plan, not a list. Nothing in the drop is guaranteed to be replenished, so if a piece fits and the price works, that is the decision.

The details

Where: Century 21, 22 Cortlandt Street, New York, NY 10007
Hours: Monday to Saturday, 9 AM to 9 PM. Sunday, 11 AM to 8 PM
Offer: Designer handbags from $34.99, and up to 65% off retail on new designer arrivals
Access: In store only. No code, no online listing, while supplies last
Subway: Cortlandt St (R, W), WTC Cortlandt (1), Fulton St (A, C, J, Z, 2, 3, 4, 5), World Trade Center (E)

Frequently Asked Questions

Are designer handbags really $34.99 at Century 21 NYC?

Yes. The current designer drop includes a handbag assortment from JW Pei and Liviana Conti starting at $34.99. Prices step up from there by style and brand, with the JW Pei mini flap bag at $49.99 against a $99 retail value. It is in store only at 22 Cortlandt Street.

Where can I buy cheap designer bags in New York?

Century 21 at 22 Cortlandt Street is the main designer discount department store inside Manhattan, with handbags starting at $34.99 in the current drop. Other options include Nordstrom Rack, Saks Off 5th and Woodbury Common Premium Outlets, though Woodbury is about 60 miles from the city.

What brands are in the Designer Drop?

The current wave includes JW Pei, Barbour, M Missoni, Plan C, Liviana Conti, Vince, IXOS and Collection Privée across women's, men's, handbags and shoes. The brand mix changes with each drop, so the labels on the floor next month will be different.

How much is Missoni at Century 21?

In the current drop, an M Missoni graphic print polo with a $460 retail value is $199.99, a 57% cut. Missoni pricing varies by piece and by drop. Century 21 has carried Missoni knitwear, apparel and eyewear regularly, and stock is in store only.

Is Barbour cheaper at Century 21?

In this drop, yes. The Barbour Prep Logo Crew is $59.99 against a $120 retail value, and the Barbour Caravelle Shirt is $109.99 against $200. Both are about half off what the same pieces list for at full-price retail.

Do I need a coupon or promo code?

No. The ticketed price is the price. There is no code to enter, no membership required and no additional discount to stack. Everything in the drop is marked at its final in-store price.

Can I buy the Designer Drop online?

No. This drop is in store only at 22 Cortlandt Street in New York. The pieces are not listed on the website, and there is no shipping, hold or reserve option for them.

How long does the Designer Drop last?

Until it sells through. There is no end date. Sizes and quantities are limited and the floor is restocked with new arrivals rather than replenished with the same pieces, so the earlier you come, the better the size run.

How does Century 21 compare to Saks Off 5th or Nordstrom Rack?

All three are off-price retailers. Century 21 is a single Manhattan department store that leans heavily European and contemporary, including Italian labels like M Missoni, Plan C, IXOS and Liviana Conti that the national chains carry less consistently. It is also walkable from the World Trade Center.

Is Century 21 the same as the old Century 21 department store?

Yes. Century 21 is the original New York off-price designer department store, founded by the Gindi family in 1961. The Cortlandt Street flagship closed in 2020 and reopened at the same address in 2023, still family operated.

What is the semi-annual clearance running alongside this?

The semi-annual clearance is the store's deepest markdown event, currently up to 85% off storewide across menswear, womenswear, kids, shoes, handbags and accessories. It runs on the same floors as the Designer Drop, so both are shoppable in one trip.

What is the best time to shop the drop?

Weekday mornings, right at the 9 AM open. The store sees roughly 2,000 transactions a day, and the size runs on new arrivals thin out fastest on weekends. If you want first look at the handbag wall, come Monday through Thursday.