Barneys New York - Fashion Company Profile
Barneys New York was America's most influential luxury department store: founded in 1923 as a discount suit shop, it became the store that introduced Armani, Alaia, Comme des Garcons and Louboutin to American shoppers and defined downtown-cool luxury from its Madison Avenue flagship. It filed for Chapter 11 in August 2019; Authentic Brands Group bought its intellectual property, the United States stores closed in 2020, and Barneys departments traded for a time inside Saks Fifth Avenue under licence. Barneys stores still operate in Japan.
Company Snapshot
- Status
- United States stores closed in February 2020 after a 2019 Chapter 11 filing; the brand is owned by Authentic Brands Group (Authentic Luxury Group since 2024) and Barneys stores continue in Japan under licence - the button below leads to the Japanese stores' site
- Type
- Private - a licensed Authentic brand
- Headquarters
- New York City, New York, United States (historical)
- Founded
- 1923, in New York City, by Barney Pressman
Company Profile
Because the American chain no longer trades, this page carries no shop box: its value is the record of a retailer that changed how luxury was sold in the United States. That full record is kept on the history page linked below.
The merchandise picture the profile gives for the luxury era is a designer roster: Giorgio Armani, Manolo Blahnik, Fendi, Givenchy, Marc Jacobs, Prada, Jil Sander, Diane von Furstenberg and Ermenegildo Zegna, with Barneys branded merchandise complementing the designer collections, and a signature look of bright red awnings and original window displays. This page is a historical profile under the directory's rule: a famous name's record is kept whole, with its ending stated as plainly as its beginning.
Barneys New York History
The earlier record for this company - its history, past brand line-ups, figures and photographs from the periods described - is kept on a separate page for historical reference.
Barneys New York History & Historical Profile →Common Questions
How did Barneys begin in 1923?
Barney Pressman pawned his wife's engagement ring for $500 to lease a 500-square-foot store at Seventh Avenue and West 17th Street, stocked with 40 brand name suits under the slogan 'No Bunk, No Junk, No Imitations.'
What happened to Barneys in 2019?
It filed for Chapter 11 on August 6, 2019, closing Chicago, Las Vegas, Seattle and twelve concept and warehouse locations; following the November 2019 sale, Authentic Brands Group took control of the brand name and licensed it to Saks Fifth Avenue.
What first is Barneys credited with in 1976?
It became the first clothing store in the US to stock the full line of Giorgio Armani, after signing an exclusive agreement that year; women's clothing was also introduced in 1976.
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