• Duty Free Apparel

  204 West 35th Street, 2nd floor, 212-967-6548

  Sometimes, getting a bargain means getting grimy. That’s where Duty Free Apparel comes in: Located up a flight of stairs on a grungy garment district block, this 2,000-square-foot shop is bursting with current-season bags from Prada, Fendi, Ferragamo, Dolce & Gabbana, Tod’s, and Dior, all at 20 to 50 percent off retail. Merch varies weekly; owner Joel Soren goes on buying trips to Italy every six to eight weeks and returns with the goods, which often hit his sales floor before Madison Avenue. Shop as you would at a sample sale—grab what catches your eye, then edit as you go. Catfights are not uncommon.

From the 2004 Best of New York issue of New York Magazine