Barneys Files For Bankruptcy

Lauren Hirsch @LaurenSHirsch

Barneys has filed for bankruptcy. Rent is an issue, but so is the business model. CEO Daniella Vitale previously told employees “the entire industry is in survival mode.”

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – After weeks of trying to find a buyer or investor, luxury retailer Barneys has filed for bankruptcy protection.

The chain also put itself up for sale and secured $75 million in financing to keep operating during the bankruptcy process.

“For more than 90 years, Barneys New York has been an iconic luxury specialty retailer, renowned for its edit, strong point of view, creativity and representation of the world’s best designers and brands. Like many in our industry, Barneys New York’s financial position has been dramatically impacted by the challenging retail environment and rent structures that are excessively high relative to market demand. In response to these obstacles, the Barneys New York Board and management team have taken decisive action by entering into a courtsupervised process, which will provide the Company the necessary tools to conduct a sale process, review our current leases and optimize our operations. While doing that we are receiving new capital to help support the business. Pursuing a sale under the Court’s supervision provides the quickest and most efficient means of maximizing value while ensuring we continue serving both new and loyal customers,” President and CEO Daniella Vitale said in a statement. “I would like to express my deep appreciation and profound gratitude for the continued support of our employees, vendor community and customers – truly the lifeblood of Barneys New York. Our decadeslong partnerships and relationships will continue for many years to come. We are unwavering in our commitment to executing our forward thinking vision on what retail should look like today.”

Barneys flagship stores on Madison Avenue and Seventh Avenue will stay open.

Stores in Chicago, Las Vegas and Seattle are set to close, along with seven Barneys Warehouse locations and five smaller concept stores.

Oh, fuck!

It's long been a shitty store. Some of the products are first rate. Some are absurd. ALL of the prices are too high.

It's just not a model that could survive. The coming stock market crash would have finished it off, anyway. It still might.

On-line retail is killing brick and mortar. There will be no stores in 5 years. Everyone will shop from home. No one will ever get dressed again. The streets will become desolate. People will only interact via text and social media. Voice boxes will atrophy because they won't be used anymore. Fingers will become twice the size that they are.

But what about my pension?

I only buy their sale items which are also priced too high. Feeling sorry for the bitchy bottoms who’ll be out of jobs if Barney’s really closes for good. Running out of stores similar to Barney’s, can’t think of anything close to it.

I read the headline as "Barney Files for Bankruptcy" and was really puzzled.

Barney’s is Rubble.

[quote]Feeling sorry for the bitchy bottoms who’ll be out of jobs

Well, at least the summer season is nearly over and they won't put even more of a damper on Fire Island than they normally do. Now, they're barely tolerable. But, with this development they will be insufferable

Weren’t they almost out of business in the 90s? No one is here for that store.

With all the money going to the uber rich, there just isn't enough uber rich to buy Barney's highly-priced stuff.

The middle class is the engine to the economy because there are many in the middle class and when they have money they spend.

They don't have money and so are not spending now

Sorry but their shit is way overpriced, despite their attempts to market the Barney's brand in other online storefronts. And from what I understand the quality has gone down hill as they've tried to cut expenses and save money.

Bankruptcy is simply a tool. You can't stay competitive, if everyone else is doing it and you're not. It's like the airlines, when one went bankrupt they were now at the advantage of not owing as much money, so the others had to file suit, because why should they pay their bills if everyone else isn't.

Hehe R9. And Betty is pissed.

OMG! I thought it said Barney Fife is bankrupt! I'm so relieved!

It's too late now but Barney's should have marketed itself much better. It should have been closely aligned itself with Anna Wintour, sponsor as show like Project Runway, run contests that would let the average Joe experience its exclusivity ie custom made shirts for teachers. The store just sat on its laurels regarding its brand.

I think Barney's demise is partly to do with where fashion is right now, it's too celeb-focused and not very creative. There are no fashion style tribes anymore, last decade for that was the early1990s with grunge, now everyone just play it safe. Fashion has always drawn influences from street style, music, and organic style tribes that arise from cultural movements. Now everything including music and pop stars are so watered-down and derivative so there's nothing to be inspired nor excited sartorially by them.

R11. Yes. 1990 they essentially avoided a prepackaged Chapter 11 filing by refinancing their debt with sub debt and the family had to sell off a huge chunk.

Although they ultimately had to file in 1996

It's all her fault.

Damn. I love Barney's. It's my favorite American store to shop in. I hope it survives.

Stone her!

R22- Same here- LOVE Barneys as well-

This explains why this years sales were not remotely as good as prior years- Mark downs were not nearly as generous-

This sucks.

They are probably using Bankruptcy to get out of paying pensions and benefits. If you just shut down low performing stores, you cannot do this. Most likely, the potential investors (aka sociopaths) want this.

Agree with r25. It's a way of erasing "undesirable" debt like pensions, especially in older companies.

Horrible snobby sales bottoms. Good riddance.

I just looked at their website for the men’s stuff and they had an ugly ass hoodie selling for $1,195 and a lame ass graphic T-shirt for $895. Many similar items were around the same price.

And they wonder why they’re bankrupt???🙄 They’re delusional if they think people are paying that much for ugly shit.

Why is it that large stores allow their sales help to be vicious snobby sales bottoms, especially in this day and age where so few people shop on line? I can understand a fancy boutique like Tom Ford's wanting it for the snob appeal, but I cannot understand a large store like Barney's (or a relatively inexpensive store like Nasty Pig) benefitting from nasty attitude among the sales help.

When I was a fat kid, my mother took me to Barney's. They were PC back then, calling the section for fatties and chubbies, the "Husky" department.

^^^ just like Sears.

Cher is shook!

So, is there such a thing as a career in retail any longer?

The malls are mostly still in business, so I think they'll survive.

Frankly the malls should play up the whole experience angle, shopping with friends and try to make it more of a fun experience than a billion harried shoppers waiting in line at the food court Taco Bell.

[quote]The malls are mostly still in business, so I think they'll survive.

Really? Where?

I'm in the New York metropolitan areas and malls are suffering BIG time.

I said "mostly". And New York doesn't really count.

The mall closest to where I live in SF has turned into a food destination more so than shopping destination. They say the trend is towards the food halls that sell everything even groceries like they have in Japan.

R48 that's a good idea. Food halls with a farmers market type area attached.

R36 I think that in the southwest malls are doing just fine. I travel constantly around the area and malls always seem to be packed with shoppers.

Not in Southern California. I worked at South Coast Plaza from 2010 to 2017. All the flagship stores like Nordstrom, Bloomindales & Saks are struggling. Every year got worse. Now they go to the mall when it's hot outside.

malls arent doing all that well in my area, the upper mid west. You ve got to have a niche like the mall of america being the largest or you ve got to be a newer mall with all the dwindling remaining popular stores......mid priced dept stores are on the skids........barely hanging on. Retail you have to go highly discounted with knock offs and sell stuff cheap to people that use to shop and kmart and sears or very current and hip and on line only. or..............still factory oulets seem to be doing semi ok.

In the other Barneys thread, I had posted that I had boycotted them years ago during "Boycott Dubai" 10 or more yrs ago... I cannot believe gays feel good about spending so much money with them. Dubai is horrid to gays, and G-d forbid, some femme straight or gay boy or man gets raped there... Victim goes to jail. Rape of young boys and men is rampant there. Perhaps the Dubai holding company is part of their demise. Sick twisted Emirates. Stay away.

Soon, 99% of Americans will only be wearing overseas Walmart crap. And we're fine with that.

I bought three ties at Barney's in NYC back in the 1990s.

I remember when they opened the Chicago store on Oak Street. It was a big deal at the time.

It, and an outlet store at a suburban outlet mall, are both closing.

For the Barney's bitchy salesbottoms: We're expanding and hiring over here at Nasty Pig!

People aren’t paying for overpriced clothing any longer. I was in medical sales for years. We all wore suits and ties everyday. Now, it’s “business casual”. Times have changed. Sad.

Actually, those bitchy queens at Barney's, who still wish to remain in apparel sales, could all go to Marshalls or Ross Stores.

Both of those companies are comping (YOY) very well and expanding.

To R47 - The thing is that no one is impressed by a suit and tie anymore. It's unnecessary to conduct business.

I am not bankrupt!

When I lived in Boston, I shopped at that Barneys from. 2007-2010-

The salespeople were genuinely helpful, nice- and they had GREAT sales. And the company/store has a very interesting humor/point of view.

I hate everyone being so nasty about the reps at Barneys.

Neiman Marcus in Copley on the other hand?? What a bunch of TOOLS.

Saks was like the "trashy" store of those 3, but the reps were fine. The store at that time was not nearly as nice as the other two.

I do not want these stores to close down. It is a slippery slope-

R50, go to the Barney's on Madison Ave and report back about the 'customer service.'

Are they bitchy sales bottoms there, R51?

The one place I think malls are doing well is NEw Jersey. I’ve been shocked at how packed they are at all times of day. There are lots of ladies of leisure that shop in NJ. Short Hills, Paramus, you name it. And now the biggest mall in America is opening next to the Meadowlands. It’s hideous, but I bet it will be full. Barney’s collapse has been a long time coming. Who’s shopped there since the nineties, their heyday?

[quote]For the Barney's bitchy salesbottoms: We're expanding and hiring over here at Nasty Pig!

They ah e been in and out of bankruptcy multiple times. Bankruptcy is simply a game used by hedge funds - and people like Trump - to let them walk away from the millions of debt they used to “buy” it out of bankruptcy the last time. Individuals are still on the hook and have to pay back debt in bankruptcy, corporations can just walk away. People need t wake up to how corporations have special rights - they are the true common enemy,

"The one place I think malls are doing well is New Jersey."

You might want to rephrase your statement to refer to a very specific area of New Jersey.

Off the top of my head, I can think of Seaview Square in Monmouth County, Burlington Mall in Burlington County, Echelon Mall in Camden County and Shore Mall in Atlantic County that have been torn down, are being torn down or are dying a slow death.

R36- Here in the Southwest (Phoenix) malls for the most part aren’t doing well either. One of the “fancy” malls, Biltmore, is slowly turning into a food court as mentioned upstream. The largest mall (Scottsdale Fashion) is doing an expansion with primary emphasis on food and bars. The former Barneys building was torn down and replaced with a smaller Apple store further eroding the shopping percentage. So the mall space is growing but it is moving away from shopping.

R57 I remember the Biltmore being so glam back in the day (the Fashion Square too). I haven't been in Phoenix for quite some time, but I heard the Biltmore lost a lot of higher-end tenants and its glitz generally. Although I heard the Fashion Square got significantly more grandiose after I left AZ. As for Barney's going under, I don't find that particularly surprising, mostly because no one I know still goes out and buys super high-end fashion clothing anymore. A few women I know still buy higher-priced handbags (LV usually), but I can't recall the last time anyone I knew was sporting a new pair of Gucci shoes or a Prada outfit fresh from Milan. And quite frankly, the number of women I see out carrying obviously expensive bags seems to have dwindled greatly. Back in the 90s and 00s, that type of shopping seemed to be a bit more mainstream. However, it seems like going out and spending hundreds (or thousands even) on fashion items is somewhat outdated now. Does anyone on this board know of anyone who still shops stores like Barney's, Neiman's or Saks consistently? I live in a wealthier area and do pretty well myself; I truly don't know of anyone who shops like that at those kinds of stores any longer. And although I do like clothing and fashion (and admittedly spent a lot on those items in the past), but I wouldn't spend money on things Barney's carries. In all honesty, I'd feel rather embarrassed walking around in some expensive outfit. And that's not to say that people are buying garbage, most people I know buy medium-priced brands from nicer stores, like Rag & Bone or Hugo Boss purchased from something like a Nordstroms. But who is still going into a Barney's or Neiman's and buying a $200 T-shirt or $70 underwear or whatever?

I really don't know anyone like that anymore, R58. I think that people are becoming much more judicious with their purchases. What is luxury? There are a couple of really good threads here on DL, (or, so I think), that has some serious good debate about the subject.

Shopping at Barneys, Sachs, Neimans, et alia isn't a guarantor of luxury and/or quality. I still buy such items but I pretty much do everything on the internet and I am very knowledgeable about what I am buying. Then you have those who don't put much value into what is luxury or quality. They're the wash, wear, and throw away, types. There's nothing wrong with that but who wants to pay a lot of money for any type of item like that which won't last?

The hottest fashion brands, rodarte and vetements, are referencing 80s and 90s fashion in a way that doesn't easily translate to the market. They aren't doing bags and makeup that will translate...yet . That's a big problem for retail. Louis Vuitton and other brands will start to copy/absorb and the gross cycle will begin again.

R60, that's interesting. Can you elaborate more? In what ways do 80s and 90s fashion not well translate? Do you mean the buying public at large doesn't like the styles?

Thoughts and prayers.

Millennials aren't into fashion, they're only into derivative fashion hence copying from 70s-90s styles. Plus Millennials have less spending power than previous generation the Gen-Xers who were the last generation to have style tribes. Fashion is exciting when it draws inspiration from style tribes and street style. Also Millennials are the most obese generation, so don't think that doesn't affect fashion sense or lack of it, and I say this as an old Millennials in my late 30s.

No one has money for high fashion. Even mid-range fashion isn't all that, it's all made in Vietnam and not worth the money. The thing I like about the athleisure trend is that it's kind of proletarian. Luxury branding is for "newer" capitalist societies like China and Russia or the very economically segregated in the Middle East and Africa.

As for Gen Z and Millennials, they would rather spend money on experiences - food, holidays, party, WiFi and devices.

R5 - I love your dystopian vision of the future. x

"hottest fashion brands, rodarte"

Bitch, please. Rodarte has not been hot in years.

Young < 40 year old Hetrosexual female CEOs always fuck up companies. The post menopausal ones fair much better!

[italic] fare [/italic] much better

Here in NYC all my girlfriends that have the money for high end designer clothes mostly buy them on Net-a-Porter and Moda Operandi. They rarely shop at Barneys, Bergdorf, or even the actual boutiques for Prada, LV, etc.

The sole exception is Chanel... everybody I know that loves it actually still buys most of it at the boutique.

Also meant to say that in NYC Net-a-Porter and Moda will deliver your order within a few hours since they have lots of stock in warehouses in Queens. So it’s not even like you wait a few days for FedEx which makes it super easy.

R60- Vetements is NOT hot at this point- not critically or commercially. The entire inventory ends up on clearance-

It was hot in 2017/2018.

Off-White is probably the hottest at this point. Rodarte is alright.

Is it really true that the sales staff is bitchy? High end stores have very accommodating and professional salespersons. It isn’t Walmart.

Is it really true that the sales staff is bitchy? High end stores have very accommodating and professional salespersons. It isn’t Walmart.

[quote] I just looked at their website for the men’s stuff and they had an ugly ass hoodie selling for $1,195 and a lame ass graphic T-shirt for $895. Many similar items were around the same price.

It's not aimed at Americans

It's aimed at two markets: rich Asians and rich Middle Easterners.

The brands are relying on them to be clueless enough about what's considered "cool" in the US or Europe not to realize what tools they look like in those $1195 hoodies. And for their friends to recognize the $1195 hoodie, which is what really matters.

I just took a look at Barney's website. I wont argue that there isn't a market for those products, but it's very apparent that Barney's buyers are far too entrenched in some weird, niche-y art culture and have no concept of the broader market outside the small eccentric art world which, economically and financially speaking, is buffoonery for any company looking to ignore when looking to make a profit. The Gucci selection appeared to be exemplary of this issue. I have no doubt there are eccentric types who have no problems walking around in a Gucci alpaca poncho or skort, but they're critically damaging their margins with an entire line of such bold clothing with limited function and appeal.

Talking to the mostly very nice clerks we have in Seattle area high end shops, most of them tell me that it's pretty much all rich, young Asian tourists who buy the high end designer stuff. Though, I have seen young white kids/teens shopping in our Barneys wearing head to toe Off-White which ain't cheap so I'm guessing some of our wealthier tech bro parents are subsidizing their kids pricey lewks.

It's kind of a shame that designer clothing has lost its cache.

I grew up in the 1980s when designer names were the big thing. EVERYTHING had a designer name, or so it seemed.

I guess people don't care anymore. Or it's an economizing thing.

Isn't Neiman Marcus still hurting?

[quote]Hetrosexual

Oh, dear.

[quote]It's kind of a shame that designer clothing has lost its cache.

It's also kind of a shame you never learned to spell.

[quote]It's kind of a shame that designer clothing has lost its cache. I grew up in the 1980s when designer names were the big thing. EVERYTHING had a designer name, or so it seemed. I guess people don't care anymore.

Hmm... and, I think that is a GOOD thing because people had no idea of what they were buying and they were simply buying a name. In my opinion, just "buying designer" has led to the degradation and deterioration of luxury and quality. There isn't an expectation or a demand for quality and craftsmanship. Just having a name will do...

If there ever was a place for you in this world, R79, it was lost when a variety of autocorrect programs became fixtures on devices ranging from PC's and laptops to phones and tablets. Someday, AI will improve and you will be rendered permanently useless.

I don't know 81 we will always need others to call out who the fat stupid whores are.

I bought one suit at Barney's in New York about thirty years ago, moved to Chicago, and maybe stopped at their outlet once. For the most part, I buy my dressier clothes at Ermenegildo Zegna now. Great fit and not overly flashy.

Parker Posey's Dorleen (the 'Whore-leen') said on Will & Grace something about "Barney's New York in New York" -- it didn't get a laugh but I thought it would.

Well played R81. I think she corrected me for the same once. My ipad always changes words for the wrong.

I'm not R79, and I'm only speaking for myself, but I appreciate the spelling and grammar corrections. It keeps me on my toes. Yes, I understand that this is simply a message board but I believe that you should always try to keep your skills up to par and always strive for excellence.

Besides... there have been those times, (very few, thank you very much), when I really did not know the correct spelling of a certain word.

R86, Quite often typos do occur, either through human error, or through auto-correct. There are many on this forum who never contribute anything meaningful or witty, they only live to edit and correct people. They ought to pick up part-time work as proofreaders to keep busy.

Okay... I can agree with that, R87! LOL!

Our town has (had) three big malls, one closed completely, one is half empty and struggling, one is doing all right. The all right and the struggling malls have put chain restaurants all around them in the parking lots since apparently lots of parking isn't needed anymore.

The problem is women CEOs. Lord & Taylor took on a woman CEO and she shut down their beautiful 5th Avenue flagship store.

I was always too intimidated to even step foot in Barneys.

I think that’s the problem

R90- AND THAT NEW HORRIBLE LORD AND TAYLOR LOGO!!!!!! THEY DESTROYED THAT ICONIC AND BEAUTIFUL LOGO!!!!!

That logo was brilliant as it made Lord and Taylor look WAY fancier than it ever was. I loved that logo. That was art.

R92 Agreed.

But Trump and both brands do share one thing in common: They all traffic in vanity. Equinox and SoulCycle have long projected themselves as fitness havens for hot people with a wide margin of disposable income (this week’s whole skirmish made me remember the gym’s “provocative,” campy ads over the years). There’s a dare to this particular campaign: Give up your privilege, your status signified by the chrome aesthetic and Kiehl’s in every shower. And there’s another status to be gained, one that comes with being the type of person to publicly do so. The stakes have made “boycott Equinox” a particularly potent directive.

Other brand boycotts have put more on the line, like when Wayfair employees risked their jobs to walk out in protest after they learned the company fulfilled an order for furniture going to a U.S.-Mexico border detention center. Others have put less, like when someone cut the Nike symbols off his socksafter the company made Colin Kaepernick the face of an ad campaign.

After all of these efforts, we ask, Will it work? Does it ever work? Not spending money on something feels like such a passive way to cast a vote; it’s hard to quantify impact at an individual level, which can make such a move unsatisfying on a personal level, and ineffectual on a political level. But the answer is sometimes yes. Spend some time with #GrabYourWallet‘s section on companies that have been dropped from the list. The progress is often incremental, like when Keurig pulled advertising from the show Hannity on Fox News after its host called an encounter with one of the children Roy Moore allegedly targeted “consensual,” forcing its host to apologize (The follow-up protest by conservatives who filmed themselves destroying their Keurigs didn‘t change much). Other times it doesn’t work at all, not even a little bit, as with L.L.Bean and New Balance, as mentioned above. Often what moves the needle is not the money actually lost from a boycott, which is probably negligible for large corporations, but companies’ desire to preserve their reputations.

As far as Ross and his Equinox Fitness are concerned, it’s an easy battle for everyone watching from the outside, those of us who can’t righteously unsubscribe from SoulCycle because we weren’t parting with our disposable income to “change our body, find our soul” in the first place. Pick a side, we say gathered around the free pizza table at Planet Fitness. Tell us what luxuries you’re willing to give up.

And yet #BoycottEquinox also offers anyone the chance to take stock of the luxuries they subscribe to, and ask what they’re willing to give up. Most of us have our own version of Equinox monthly dues. I have a $70 eye cream. As far as I know, neither its manufacturer nor distributer contributes to Trump’s campaign. It does produce waste, though. It does make someone rich. So yeah, sure. I can come around to crow’s feet if pressed. It might honestly feel like a relief.

To R91 -

Right?

You always felt like you would be constantly "judged" by the salespeople and the other young, skinny, beautiful people.

OOPS! Sorry! R94, is posted in the wrong thread. My apologies.

R91/R95 In Chicago, they weren't actually snobbish, that was always Needless Mark-up, one would have to beg for help there,, as they were aloof and unfriendly. At Barneys, the sales staff were certainly odd though. I never did buy much before the Boycott Dubai began, but went with friends, and the clerks would always ask if I had purchased something I was wearing from them. I almost never did. They would say, we had something identical....Sometimes the approach would begin as a compliment, but then it would turn really awkward, especially if the item came from a less exclusive shop. I always told the truth. I spent a lot of time there, as my best gal had a friend who worked in accessories, and the store was quite popular back in the beginning.

I shop at goodwill or Marshalls.

I had a snob friend who used to make a big fuss of shopping at Barney's.

Almost every piece I've seen commenting on Barney's fall has said that the snob appeal was its appeal, but now has killed it. they did things with their clothing just to make it seem different, rather than better.

[quote]I just took a look at Barney's website. I wont argue that there isn't a market for those products, but it's very apparent that Barney's buyers are far too entrenched in some weird, niche-y art culture and have no concept of the broader market outside the small eccentric art world which, economically and financially speaking, is buffoonery for any company looking to ignore when looking to make a profit.[/quote]

Funny. A lot of the commentary since the bankruptcy news broke has blamed Barneys' troubles on their loss of 'cool'. In other words, they are being criticized for becoming too mainstream and failing to set themselves apart from every other high-end department store.

Online retailers like SSENSE and MatchesFashion are selling the same mixture of wearable and eccentric pieces and they're doing fine. Of course, they don't have the overhead of 18 physical stores to manage, either, and they were designed as data-driven online stores. It's clear that Barneys has focused too much on maintaining and expanding their physical presence and not enough on digital. An online retailer looking to establish a physical presence would be the best fit to acquire them.

Fashions by Barneys!

Furs by Christie Brothers!

I read an article a while back saying how the recent recession drastically changed American spending across all demographics. The gist was that over the period of years where people had to tighten their belts and do with less to make cash go further, American's cut off a lot of unnecessary spending, which of course hit the retail industry hard. The problem for retailers was that American's got accustomed to doing without the "extras" and excess, and when things got better financially, the need for excess didn't return with the economic amelioration. Similar to what someone mentioned above, I also think the veil covering high-end fashion got lifted (so to speak), and people started realizing the giant frauds the foreign, European high-end fashion houses really became. There have been a lot of books out in recent years shredding the fashion industry and essentially debunking the long-believed myth that products from Italy or France are inherently better, if they were ever even made in those countries at all.

I personally felt the brunt of this. After a certain point, I just got sick of high-end, branded fashion (whether high-end or midlevel); prices rose and became incommensurate with the product, and there was a certain desperation and neediness associated with high-fashion.

I also think the market is so saturated with product, that it's come to a point where buying a high-end designer item doesn't really hold the same weight as it did years ago. Because of the massive amounts of products advertised to consumers, high-end brands just don't stick out and make the mark the way they used to before the prevalence of online shopping and incessant ads via social media. I could go out and buy some expensive designer coat and prance around all I want in it, but no one, save for a small and select few individuals who follow fashion, is gonna recognize it as being "better" (unless it's emblazoned with some designer's logo).

I daresay a lot of fashion fatigue can be traced back to two tin-ear Trump women who could make anyone run at a breakneck speed away from anything resembling fashion. They demonstrate that one can dress expensively and still look like Satan incarnate. So, what's the point?

I agree with you, R102. But, I would also argue that it was the bean counters that destroyed the luxury, high-end markets. The quality of goods just isn't as prevalent and important as it once was.

The linked thread is an excellent conversation and educational one about the topic;

"Brands which were great but are now trash"

R100 I wrote the comment you highlighted. That's interesting. Admittedly, I no longer consider myself a fashion enthusiast so I can't really determine what's considered good fashion or safe/boring. But in someways I think what I explained regarding the Gucci stuff kinda fits with what you report. Almost everything was crudely covered in a Gucci logo of some kind. In some ways that's probably safe commercially in that there is a subset of consumers who only buy designer product that identify the value (e.g. logo-ed). No one I know would express themselves in such a bold manner, but I have no doubt there are plenty who would. What I found interesting is that several pieces were wildly "out-there." I referenced that skort (not skirt, skort). It was listed in the men's fashion section. Are skorts for men really a thing now? I also saw a $700 hood (don't remember who made that). Not a hoodie, just a hood, similar to a dickie. Is that now a thing? Dickies with hoods attached? To me, that seems bold/risky on Barney's part (although I doubt they had hundreds of hooded dickies and mens skorts stocked for the rush of consumers). I've never seen anything like that on Neiman's or Nordstroms.

Oh definitely R102. And I totally over simplified things. Obviously the crummy situation of high-fashion is due to a lot of different. Thanks for the link, I actually think I commented a bit in that thread. I really enjoy these fashion threads. Don't really know why, I think it's something akin to schadenfreude for these uppity ding dongs.

Gen-Xers who were the driving force behind fashion trends grew out of being all about fashion and style. They along with Millennials would rather spend money on other lifestyle elements like food and travel, or in Gen-Xers more so than Millennials more on home decor and the like.

Another good thread which would be related to this topic;

"Someone please explain Hermès Birkin bags to me"

[quote] I really enjoy these fashion threads.

I DO TOO! I have learned SO much! But, it's the different perspectives and the discussion that I thoroughly enjoy!

Balaclava, r105 and they’re for cyclists.

I really can’t identify a good rule for cost and quality any more.

Some of the tiny tax write off boutiques show exquisite needlework and fabric for those of us who cum buckets /smoke a joint while window shopping.

I still trust my linen brand and my shirt brand - but only for perverse reasons.

R90 no joke. Before the hot flashes bring them to earth they can’t keep a logical thought in their head.

Daniella Vitale is a stupid cunt.

In February 2017, she became Chief Executive Officer, succeeding Mark Lee. As CEO, she led an overhaul of the company's physical store network, investing $200 million in retail spaces, including a 58,000 Chelsea neighborhood storefront.

58,000 what?

I used to be intimidated about going into Barney's. Then one day I said, "Fuck it. They are no better than me." So I went into Barney's AND NOT ONE FUCKING SHOPBOTTOM PAID ATTENTION TO ME. I walked all over that store and nobody even looked at me. They were too busy gabbing with their associates.

Now I have to get over my intimidation of going into Bergdorfs.

r111 she invested MORE in physical retail spaces? Damn is she clueless. They should shut everything except a handful of major stores to keep the brand a luxury destination for some, invest in those to make shopping more of an experience (which means retraining and/or replacing the bitchy shopbottoms into more like concierges). Then invest more in their online storefront and in selling the Barneys brand in other online venues.

If they sell, likely all the stores will be closed and whoever buys them will just be purchasing the brand to add to their collection of online brands for sale in existing outlets.

Exactly - certain millennials, who top out at age 38 or 39 - have to spend money on rent and transport and petrol and increasingly their kids and elderly parents, and would rather spend their spare money on their homes and food and travel and music festivals and the like.

The “avocado toast” and overpriced coffee jokes are well and good, but they’re spending $5 on coffee and $10 on breakfast rather than putting that money towards some item of clothing manufactured in Bangladesh with a $500 price tag.

R112 Square feet

Good on you R113. It's just a store after all. Many once felt the same about Bonwit Teller, and probably even more apprehensive to enter Henri Bendel.

Zara happened

[quote]Furs by Christie Brothers!

Fuck them!

The Internet.

It killed book stores first, music stores second, movie theaters and television stations third, and now it's going after clothing stores.

For the dude or dudette above who is scared to walk through Barneys or wherever-

Just buy something! Go to the beauty area and buy some nice body wash-

I promise you , just by purchasing something- even $20-25.00, you will have confidence.

I used to have apprehension about going into bourgie stores and shops, too. I didn't feel confident enough, especially with my own sense of fashion. I felt intimidated.

The key is, put together a fabulous outfit, and just do it.

DON'T wear shitty shoes. Invest in some cute shoes. But, for that matter, you can wear a really hot pair of Chuck Taylors and a sexy jacket and pull off a good look. But, don't wear trendy shit...it dates you.

If in doubt, find some star who wears clothes you like, and would look good on you, and just copy them, on a budget.

In a pinch, just wear all black and sunglasses and you'll be fine.

You don’t need to put on good shoes, you just need to be self-possessed and knowledgable about their product

People notice shitty shoes. Not saying you need to wear a $500 pair of shoes, but never walk into a "nice" store in ratty ass, cheap shoes.

You will get judged.

I'm not aware of how quickly these places go under after the announcement, but I was still surprised to see the smaller locations out here in L.A. already close (Grove, Americana, SM Place).

"Barneys has until Oct. 24 to avoid liquidation by finding a buyer and clinching a sale, according to terms of its bankruptcy financing outlined during a court hearing last week."

[quote] People notice shitty shoes. Not saying you need to wear a $500 pair of shoes, but never walk into a "nice" store in ratty ass, cheap shoes. You will get judged.

And if you care about what people who are probably not even making nearly enough to shop at the stores where they're working think about you (and your shoes), you have issues that need to be addressed by a professional.

R127

If you don't think you get judged by your appearance, then you're the one in need of psychiatric help. Or, you're stupid. Or both.

Walk into any high end shop looking like a dirt bag and see how you get treated...if you're white, you'll get brushed off. If you're sloppy and not white, they're calling security.

I didn't say you don't get judged --- I said you shouldn't give a shit about what those people think of you. As long as you're well-behaved, clean and presentable, you should get treated with respect. And if you're not -- they don't deserve you're business.

R129 and, people with esteem issues have a very hard time with that.

It’s supposed to be fun. You’re spending money.

You owe your feet the best shoes for all occasions, seasons, and moods. Really. If shaming you into taking care of your feet is what it takes, I’m there for you.

OP, don’t purchase crepe-soled boots.

It’s supposed to be fun. You’re spending money.

You owe your feet the best shoes for all occasions, seasons, and moods. Really. If shaming you into taking care of your feet is what it takes, I’m there for you.

OP, don’t purchase crepe-soled boots.

It could all be over by next week!

Ha-ha! We outlasted Barney's!

I hope some of you get some good deals when they inevitably close.

But the window displays...

Fuck. This is my favorite store when I want quality over quantity.

when are they closing? they carry too many weird clothing that doesn't sell well.

I really don’t understand feeling intimidated by a store. Walk in, buy stuff. Or not.

I’ve always had good experiences at Barney’s and Neiman’s. Great customer service. Actually the last time I encountered a nasty attitude from a salesperson was more than 20 years ago at a Nordstrom in LA.

Barneys NY Scrambles to Find Buyer as Deadline Looms--Published 15 mins ago on 10/03/2019

By: Hadassa Kalatizadeh

The once famed retailer, Barneys New York, has its fate looming in midair. The bankrupt luxury department store chain has until October 3rd to pick a suitor, or a real offer for selling itself to potentially interested buyers.

As reported by Crain’s NY Business News, last week, Barneys debtor-in-possession lenders moved up the deadline from late October to this Thursday to secure an offer, or else face liquidation. This was reportedly done to pressure potential investors, a handful of whom have expressed some interested in the designer apparel chain which was founded in 1923. Possibly interested parties include Authentic Brands, upscale department store Nordstrom, fashion trade show and retail executive Sam Ben-Avraham, and the finance firm Ares, as per WWD.

The 96-year old, NY-based chain, which is currently owned by Perry Capital, owes $100 million in unsecured trade debt. It filed for bankruptcy protection on August 6th, and if the company is liquidated, unsecured creditors will receive only a minute fraction of what they are owed when the dust settles in court. Also, in the event of liquidation, in-season luxury merchandise would unloaded at deeply discounted prices, which would hurt other vendors. Barneys would also have the ability to claw back payments it made to vendors for merchandise within 90 days of filing for bankruptcy, as per bankruptcy-code rules. For these reasons, vendors are extremely concerned about whether Barneys will find a proper suitor.

A base value for the company has not been established by an initial or reserve bidder, so the company needs to work harder to avoid low bids for buyouts and attain the highest possible price. Barneys has received permission from the court to continue paying its executives and staff members. Barneys’ CEO Daniella Vitale, who reportedly has been receiving a gross salary of $48,000 every two weeks, is still scrambling to secure a sale, along with chief restructuring officer Mohsin Meghji. Vitale and chief financial officer Sandro Risi have extra incentive to reach an agreement, thanks to an approval to split a $1 million-plus bonus, should they succeed in completing a sale which meets the set guidelines.

Finding an investor will not be so easy, being that Barneys, which has already downsized to seven stores, lost $16.3 million in just the three-plus weeks after filing for bankruptcy. The estimated valuation is also a hefty figure, which not every suitor can come up with. At a court hearing in September, Meghji assessed the floor value of a deal to be approximately $220 million, including about $195 million in secured debt and $25 million in administrative and priority claims, as per WWD.

Really, R140? Because intimidating the consumer is sort of the whole vibe at Barneys. I don’t buy into either, but I certainly see it.

The writing has been on the wall for retail for a while now— stores really cannot afford to have rude sales assistants alienating customers. (I’m not referring to shambolic places like Macy’s which are beyond redemption and generally bereft of customer service.)

Price fixing used to be illegal in this country till a bunch of lawmakers in DC were paid off in the 70s by some luxury brands companies, notably Rolex. Luxury goods makers have been able to fix their pricing and hold retailers hostage. Now MOST manufacturers are controlling their pricing. The whole business model -- free enterprise itself -- is broken. Put it down to corruption. As we should well know now, corruption is rampant and it's why so much wealth is held by so few, and these few are protected -- a la the 2008 bailouts -- so that these grasping hands are stronger than ever and and will be unto the 10th generation. We're so deeply fucked. And don't even get me started on algorithms and what they're doing to us. No wonder people are overwhelmed and don't understand why.

Don't count on incurious Millennials to sort it all out. They have no feel for self-preservation or history -- except for SJWs and their obsessions with racial persecutions real and imagined -- and all their fights are taken to social media fro robust screen screaming. Problem with that is, complaining to the Internet ain't activism, and it will never replace reasoning skills and actually voting.

They have great Xmas windows, I am definitely going to miss that if they ever close! I hope not!

Actually, there is a retail crisis...lots of empty stores! And it's not all Amazon's fault. A recession is definitely coming next year...

A very good and very quick read about Barneys from it's beginnings to present day

"The rise and fall of Barneys, the iconic New York luxury department store teetering on the brink of collapse"

Update

Your "update" was from last week. Today is the deadline.

Guess no one wants to buy their overpriced schmatta anymore.

Plus they had bed bugs.

Barneys may sell for $271.4 million

The recently bankrupted Barneys New York has accepted a bid from Authentic Brands Group for $271.4 million. If the deal goes through — the auction runs through Oct. 22 — ABG will close all Barneys storefronts and may open Barneys shop-in-shops within Saks Fifth Avenue locations. ABG is no stranger to rescuing brands; it has previously bought Nine West and Juicy Couture. Not long ago, Hudson's Bay Company was discussed as a co-buyer; however, ABG's co-buyer will instead be one of Barneys's very own lenders, B. Riley Financial Inc. {Business of Fashion}

Bids $271 Million For Barneys, Plans to Close All 7 Stores--The licensing group is the preferred bidder in an auction that runs through Oct. 22. If the bid succeeds, liquidation could start soon after.

NEW YORK, United States — Barneys New York has agreed to sell its assets to Authentic Brands Group and B. Riley Financial Inc. for $271.4 million, according to court documents filed Wednesday night. If the purchase goes through, ABG will close all seven of Barneys' remaining stores and liquidate its merchandise.

The agreement Wednesday kicks off a final round of bidding before the ailing department store is auctioned off in bankruptcy court next week. Liquidation for store merchandise could begin as soon as next week, according to one vendor.

According to a Barneys spokesperson, liquidation cannot happen until after the bankruptcy court approves the deal. The sale hearing is scheduled for October 31.

“This development is a positive step forward for Barneys, and a strong recognition of the value of Barneys’ assets and brand name. We are encouraged by the stalking horse bid by Authentic Brands Group in partnership with Saks Fifth Avenue," the Barneys spokesperson said in an email statement.

ABG, a licensing company that has built a portfolio around distressed brands like Nine West and Juicy Couture, as well as the intellectual property of deceased celebrities, emerged as a frontrunner to buy Barneys last week, alongside Saks-owner Hudson’s Bay Company. According to a Wall Street Journal report, ABG plans to license to Saks Fifth Avenue, which would open Barneys shop-in-shops within some of its own stores. ABG’s co-buyer, B. Riley Financial Inc., is one of Barneys’ lenders in bankruptcy.

Barneys filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in August, after years of lagging sales thanks to stiff competition from e-commerce upstarts and changing consumer behaviour. The primary cause of its bankruptcy, however, is the 72 percent rent hike at its nine-story Madison Avenue store, from $16.2 million annually to $27.9 million, which went into effect in January. This was the result of an arbitration ruling after the store and its landlord, Ben Ashkenazy, failed to agree to the terms of a new lease.

ABG did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The court documents Wednesday confirm that ABG will serve as the so-called “stalking horse” bid for Barneys, the starting offer in an auction process that ends on Oct. 22. If no other parties put in higher bids, then ABG and B. Riley will acquire the New York-based chain.

Backed by private equity firm BlackRock, ABG has built a lucrative business out of licensing its intellectual property to vendors and manufacturers of myriad products, from shoes to CBD cream. Without ever holding inventory, ABG’s profits come from the royalty fees from its partners.

ABG hasn't been the only interested party in the running. A group of fashion executives led by Kith investor Sam Ben-Avraham was also rumoured to have sought the stalking horse bid earlier this month.

"We appreciate the ongoing interest by Sam Ben-Avraham and are actively pursuing additional options with those who have expressed their intent to submit bids during the upcoming auction process," the Barneys spokesperson said.

I’m totally into wearing quirky designer shit, odd colors and patterns, but I have never been able to afford any of it at places like Barneys. So I buy all of it second hand. Vintage stores, Housing Works, etc. I know some people are weirded out by used clothing but I actually love wearing stuff that’s already been broken in.

^There's NOTHING to be embarrassed about doing that! I do that too--not as much I should, though. But, right now, I'm wearing a brand new Hugo Boss wool and cotton sweater, (it still had the tags), that I bought at the Salvation Army for about $15 or less. You can find some great stuff at these places. Who knows why a person felt a need to get rid of something.

It beats paying $228.00!

I assume that those fabulous garments found at second hand stores for pennies are there because someone died in them.

Barneys as we know it is gone, dead, done for, pushing up daises.

If all goes according to plans Barneys will be acquired by licensing firm Authentic Brands Group

"Licensing firm Authentic Brands Group, whose $271 million offer was approved by Barneys lenders on Wednesday, plans to launch 41 Barneys stores inside of Saks stores across the US and Canada, according to sources with knowledge of the plans. The new “Barneys at Saks” stores would not be small either — ranging in size from 10,000 to 50,000 square feet."

...

It's official. ABG acquires Barney's. Liquidation sales to start soon.

My Amex is quivering in excitement.

It's not over until it's over, but it does seem as if ABG has carried the day.

Shows what a sad state high end retail has sunk to when Barneys is now in same company as Juicy Couture and Fredrick of Hollywood.

Looks as if SF and Beverly Hills stores are toast.

As for any huge deals being found at Barneys "bankruptcy sales" I shouldn't get hopes up.

If recent history is an guide a liquidator will be brought in to run things. Large groups of choicest merchandise (things that will fetch good prices) will go to various other liquidation companies or whoever that do this sort of thing for a living.

Even when stores do have bankruptcy sales often initial discounts (when merchandise offerings are still large and varied) are small. As weeks go by and things start going down to 50% off or lower, most of the good things are gone.

Also IIRC during this time the pros are picking over things and buying up job lots.

They had a good run.

It's finally over, Barney's was sold today for basically scrap value.

[quote]The retailer’s flagship store at 61st Street and Madison Avenue in Manhattan will be “evolving” into a “pop-up retail experience,” which will feature a mix of boutiques, art and cultural installations and “entertainment that fosters creativity and community,” the company added.

That sounds interesting.

Their own brand was overpriced. They carry weird and cutting edge fashion that nobody can wear more than once...and it was expensive.

Lots of empty stores on Madison Ave.

What's gonna happen to that guy who does the windows? He lived one block from my apt when I lived downtown. simon...something.

It was the girl's fault.

R165

Simon Doonan is fine, and sends his love.

Believe me when I say Simon Doonan and husband are in no danger of starvation anytime soon.

In my opinion, Barney's simply lost its direction. Sure, it's cutting edge. But, it was cutting edge with classicism. I mean... who buys such items as the one shown in the link? Yep, its GUCCI, and... ? Where do you even wear such a monstrous outfit? The pants alone cost $1800! The jacket (which I believe I could work with) is $3800. But, who is the customer buying such mess?

$1,220?

Who is the customer for this?

Daniella Vitale was named chief executive officer, succeeding Lee, in February 2017. Her leadership coupled with the radical changes made by Mark Lee in a misaligned strategy to modernized Barneys led the company to close in 2019.

And, so where do these nearly 800 people of NYC go? Especially, at this time of the year?

Nearly 800 Barneys employees in New York just learned that they could lose their jobs in as little as two weeks, The Post has learned.

On the eve of a court deadline for potential buyers of the bankrupt luxury department store to submit their final offers, Barneys informed 785 employees across New York that they could lose their jobs on Nov. 1.

The layoffs would include staffers at Barneys’ two Manhattan stores, including the Madison Avenue flagship; its e-commerce unit and back-office facility in Long Island City; its Woodbury Common outlet center and its Fifth Avenue headquarters, the notice said.

Its not certain that these employees will lose their jobs, but Barneys filed a notice with the Department of Labor after licensing firm Authentic Brands Group became the stalking horse bidder last week.

If ABG wins approval to acquire Barneys for $271.4 million, it plans to liquidate Barneys’ remaining seven stores, including its Madison Avenue flagship.

The licensing firm wants to then reopen at least three stores — Madison Avenue, Beverly Hills and in Boston — but only if it can negotiate more favorable lease terms with Barneys’ landlords.

[QUOTE]The licensing firm wants to then reopen at least three stores — Madison Avenue, Beverly Hills and in Boston — but only if it can negotiate more favorable lease terms with Barneys’ landlords.

So, it's not the internet that's killing retail, it's the greedy ass landlords.

There likely is going to be a mother of all liquidation sales. Media reports say new owners are anxious to get on with it, and this is ticking off other luxury retailers. No one wants a bankruptcy sale of luxury goods starting around Black Friday lasting through holiday season, but that is just what might happen.

R173

Maybe, then again maybe not.

Barneys has been on their last legs for some time now. Indeed they've flirted with death on a few previous occasions IIRC.

Like Henri Bendel and other specialty high end retail these are tough times. So much of their once solid demographic can (and does) now shop elsewhere.

As stated previously Barneys had no business opening up that huge Madison avenue store, their business model just didn't translate into large stores. It worked in small intimate confines of original Chelsea location.

Retail landscape is littered with corpses of once famous small specialty shops or department stores like Bonwit Teller and I. Magnin

Wasn't that 1980's sitcom "Berrenger's" loosely based or whatever on Barneys?

Barneys is being killed entirely and the licensing rights sold to Saks Fifth Avenue

This is the beginning of the recession.

[quote]Daniella Vitale was named chief executive officer, succeeding Lee, in February 2017. Her leadership coupled with the radical changes made by Mark Lee in a misaligned strategy to modernized Barneys led the company to close in 2019.

A female CEO also crashed Lord & Taylors.

Early liquidation sales appear will be a "private" affair with invites offered to "loyal" customers.

Guess should have used my Barneys CC more often, or at least bothered to shop.

Shame Barneys couldn't get their act together, even if shrunk down to only a few small stores.

Something down town in Manhattan (below 14th street ), following the money may have worked if done well. People still do like physical retail, but there has to be a reason for them to go.

Damn, in only two years?

The landlord wanted to raise their rent! Fuck greedy landlords!

The resto there was awesome!

Barneys Madison avenue store rents from a condo, and will remain open in some form for a year or so.

Long story short it is same old as with many other commercial retail spaces.

Barneys signed a lease 20 years ago and as such their rent remained frozen if you will, fast forward to expiration and renewal time LL exercised their right to raise rent.

It isn't the LL's problem that Barneys was in such a tight spot financially.

I has the sads now

When barneys move out, the homeless will be camping out there...there are lots of them everywhere now...

No, they won't; the Pierre Hotel is right down the street and has so much VIP action they keep that block clear.

OTOH yes, you can walk north along Madison avenue and see homeless sleeping in doorways of Prada and other high end shops. Staff aren't happy each morning having to rouse or step over, and or clear out the mess they leave but there is little that can be done. No one is going to stay there all night to shoo them away, nor will NYPD take any action unless specifically summoned.

Retail landscape is littered with corpses of once great stores.

It's the "shop bottoms", sales people and others you feel sorry for, especially nowadays. With each closing there are fewer places to work, but where are people going to go?

NYC just got a big new 320,000-square-foot Nordstroms.

Saks has had a complete make over.

Bergdorf seems as fabulous as ever.

All is not lost.

I'm just surprised Bloomingdale's is still hanging on.

Have been to that new Nordstrom, it isn't all that. In fact opening such a large store in Manhattan (along with several smaller satellites like one on UES), may be a hail Mary effort. Nordstrom is fighting same battles every other retail or large department store is doing.

Who shops at Bloomingdales? That's what I'd like to know. Decades ago that area of town and that store were quite something. But who is their customer now?

Bloomingdales also recently renovated and expanded, on the first floor, more space to sell fragrances etc.

I check out Bloomingdales once in a while...

[quote]But who is their customer now?

I think a lot of these retailers should be asking themselves that question. Here's a question for anyone; Why did you shop at certain retailers? I shopped at;

Brooks Brothers: suits and dress shirts

Lord & Taylor: Quality sportswear clothing at affordable price points

Bloomingdales; A step above L&T

Barneys; Hip, cutting edge, gay

Macys; Underwear

Neimans; Never really shopped there

My point is that I don't think many of these retailers know who their customers are and why they should come to them and spend their money. Then you have all of the online competition.

Bloomingdale's like Macy's attracts a pretty decent tourist trade, which helps.

Bloomies still attracts plenty of UES or just East side residents as well. Haven't shopped there in ages, but do use it to pass between Lexington and Third avenues, and it is always busy, especially men's department.

Priiiiiice fiiiiiixing, DE-REGULATION, high rents --- GREEEEEED, what's so hard to understand about it all?

Bloomingdales relies completely on tourist trade. They are too expensive for the average Joe to shop there. They used to be a nice alternative to Macy's. Now they're competing on the next tier up.

Bloomingdale's can't seem to decide what it wants to be in 2019. Is it massmarket? Is it upmarket? Is it mainstream? Is it trendy? It tries to occupy every column without doing any one thing particularly well. The kitchen and dishware departments are still decent, I guess.

[quote]The kitchen and dishware departments are still decent, I guess.

What?

Well, we want in on you DL queens' attention too!

COME VISIT FISHS EDDY!

We do dishes!

[quote]COME VISIT FISHS EDDY!

Fishs Eddy is good for very niche things. It's a small store and you can occasionally find something nice. But it's like a dish version of an Army/Navy store.

[quote]Bloomingdales relies completely on tourist trade.

I'm surprised by that. Bloomies doesn't have the internationally known name that Macy's has and I don't think of that area as being on the path of tourists compared to other parts of the city.

[quote]I don't think of that area as being on the path of tourists compared to other parts of the city.

They take their children to get frozen hot chocolate at Serendipty and then go shopping at Bloomingdales.

THE PRINCESSES SHALL STILL FEED!

Iconic Power Lunch Spot Freds Will Survive the Downfall of Barneys

Barneys restaurant Freds will stay open despite the store’s liquidation Though iconic luxury retailer Barneys was sold on Friday to a company that plans to close all stores, somehow its restaurant Freds will survive. An auction last week gave a licensing firm control of Barneys for $271 million, with plans to close all seven store sand license the name to Saks Fifth Avenue, which will one day house satellite Barneys boutiques. The Madison Avenue flagship will close come February, instead being used as a “venue for temporary art exhibits and other, non-Barneys-related ‘experiential’ events,” the Post reports.

Freds will remain open as a part of this new “experiential” venue, and the new company even plans to license out the Freds name to luxury developments abroad. Freds has been a Barneys signature since 1996, known for its iconic chopped chicken salad with Bibb lettuce, avocado, onions, tomatoes, string beans, and pears with Dijon mustard balsamic dressing. Over the years, celebrities and politicians have flocked to Freds, including Martha Stewart, Laura Bush, Bruce Springsteen, Rudolph Giuliani, and Hugh Grant. But the longtime chef recently left to open his own restaurant near Madison Square Park.

Girls start your engines.

Passed by Barneys on Madison avenue on way home, and there are big "Everything Must Go/Liquidation" signs in all windows.

Didn't go in so that is all have to report.

R7 wrote [quote]Running out of stores similar to Barney’s, can’t think of anything close to it.

Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman, Saks Fifth Avenue, Harrods, Harvey Nichols, Selfridges

Damn. [quote] thing only works at the beginning of a line.

R200

First and foremost there are dozens if not a score or more hotels on the UES from 30's right up to high 60's; going from Park avenue east to First.

Lexington Avenue from about 62nd going south is full of tourists. That activity does increase further west one goes on 57th, but around Lexington is where it begins.

Bloomingdale's like Macy's sits on top of a major subway station where several lines converge.

As it happens walked past Macy's 34th/Herald Square area either today (client meeting) and the tourist trade compared to say Bloomingdale's is vastly between the two IMHO.

Besides if you are staying in midtown in 40's or 50's anywhere east of 6th avenue, Bloomingdale's is easier to reach by foot, taxi, bus or even subway than Macy's. Though that new Nordstrom's on 57th might change the equation for some, it still is way over on 8th avenue.

Also as noted you have Serendipity across from Bloomingdale's, and of course Dylan's Candy.

Thanks for the tip! I'm gonna pop into Barney's tomorrow to see what's going on sale.

R207

YW, please report back if you do decide to go.

May wander in either UES or Chelsea store if have a meeting or other business in area. Am not going to make a special trip as have seen NYC bankruptcy sales before. Early days while having best selection of merchandise often discount is pretty stingy. Ten percent off Barneys inflated prices does nothing for me at all. Now fifty or more that would be a game changer.

[quote]Though that new Nordstrom's on 57th might change the equation for some,

Nope. I went in there and it sucks big time. They don't know who their customer is.

Came away with same feeling as well.

Think nowadays what is left of high end/luxury department stores are going that same confusing way. Aiming to capture a wide a market as possible by offering something for everyone.

R196

Not true at all; know plenty of UES and other Manhattan residents who shop at Bloomies. At least a dozen married couples (gay and straight) got a good portion of their linens and other housewares for starting out from the place.

If you don't want to do online, Bloomies is probably best best for fragrance, cosmetics and skin care on UES.

Bloomies is a heck of a lot more relevant to the average Joe than Barney's, which is why they are still around....

[quote]Aiming to capture a wide a market as possible by offering something for everyone.

I'm a fat eldergay and Nordrom's had nothing in there for me. Seriously, everything was either slim fit or ghetto. I guess they think the eldergay bucks no longer spend.

That's why I miss Lord & Taylor. The guy at the cologne counter had me put my name in his book and he would email me when they had my fragrances on sale. And I would go into the store and he'd let me try new fragrances. Now that was class.

R206 Back a million years ago you had Bloomingdales, Fiorucci, Paraphernalia, Serendipity, Sign of the Dove....all hip places at the time, all centered on the East Side (and there was also Alexanders for that matter).

Bloomingdale's did so much advertising back then. All those ads with Erin Grey. There was nothing else like it. The place was very Gay.

And there was no shopping in Soho, or Tribeca or so many other areas of the city like there is today. So I'm glad to hear it's still an important destination for shopping.

Bloomingdale's survives IMHO because it still serves a primary function; being the go to place for residents of east mid-town and UES Manhattan.

Countless people one knows on east side all got and or get their bed linens and bedding from Bloomingdale's. They have all the big names, and there are often discounts or deals especially if you use your Bloomingdale's CC.

Ditto for apparel and other shopping. Unless you're willing to go over to Fifth or Madison, there really aren't many other choices on east side.

If Macy's goes under, that'll be the end of the Thanksgiving Day Parades. Now that will be the end of an era.

Nordstrom caters to the blacks. They've turned Nordstrom in Roosevelt Field, a train wreck, the black workers ignore the white customers. I no longer bother with the store. Horrible customer service now. Nordstrom will be in trouble in a few years.

It truly is a sad ending to such a storied retail institution. I guess I would say a part of the demise of these retail institutions is globalism (and I don't mean that in a bad way), the internet, and mismanagement. But, (and, maybe it's me), I don't see anything coming up through the ranks that can take the place of these institutions.

R217

Actually problems with retail seen today largely were sown years ago.

Speak with any "shop bottom", FIT Merchandising and Buyer major, or anyone else who was involved with the buisness say by the 1980's or prior knows at one time there were a few competing department stores chains; Federated, Belk, Mays, Marshall Field's, etc.....

Over years via mergers, acquisitions or whatever many of these stores now belong to Federated . Others like B. Altman, Bonwitt Teller, etc... simply went out of business.

This matters because many across the country, not just in NYC feel that stores lost their individual local focus when gobbled up by some corporate entity like Federated. If it wasn't Federated it was investor/venture capital groups as with Henri Bendel.

Either way many stores either lost what attracted locals to them in first place, and or everything was cheapened to wring every last buck out of a place before venture capitalists sold what was left for scrap.

These stores of old had buyers who could feel the pulse of what drew local shoppers, they worked with management to give people a reason to shop.

In many cases the culture of a place changed as seasoned people were let go or left, and young/new came in with different ways of doing things.

Poster up-thread mentions a sales person who kept a "book" and knew how to work his customers. That was pretty common for most high end to luxury department or specialty stores. Even if you weren't working on commission those sales affected your numbers which got you noticed.

[quote]Nordstrom caters to the blacks.

So... I take it that you don't believe that the money of Blacks is green like yours, R216? Or, are you bothered by the fact that many Blacks can comfortably afford to shop at Nordstrom just as you do?

A couple of things with your posting; Is it possible that your frustrations have nothing to do with race but more about the low wages that are paid to Sales Associates? The average yearly wage of a Sales Associate is $26K/year. That's not a lot of money and therefore might not attract a higher caliber of worker. Did you ever consider that it is the training that these Sales Associates are given by the Company which might be the cause of your frustrations rather than race? Or, maybe it's you? Maybe, it was your attitude which bore the consequences of the treatment you received rather than race? "You receive back what you give."

I agree with you 100% R218. I remember when Federated bought Lord & Taylor. That was the beginning of the end for that chain. It's the bean counters and the need for management to perform for shareholders that have destroyed many of these companies. Maybe this is the natural order of things and the life cycle. Grow a company to as much as you can and then it dies only to open the market for new companies.

In my mind this thread fits well with another thread that I'm following on DL; "Someone please explain Hermès Birkin bags to me." You have these massive corporations that are buying brands with long and storied reputations only to watch them degraded and/or destroyed. When SaraLee bought COACH it was great from a business POV re distribution and sales. But, SaraLee nearly destroyed COACH and its reputation. The brand has just recently redirected itself to its core principles and has gained some traction in reclaiming its past history and glory. Maybe this will happen to the Barney's brand down the road.

R216

Nordstrom is in trouble now; granted things haven't reached a crisis point, but storm clouds are on horizon.

The family has given up on efforts to take Nordstrom private, and who knows if they will be in charge ten or so years from now.

There is a Nordstrom Rack store on Sixth near 33rd; went in with a friend (female who needed a loo), and while waiting looked around. Much if not most of the things were cheap Asian made rubbish; shoes right on down to clothing.

OOPS! I made a mistake. L&T was bought by the May Company and not Federated. Maybe it was Federated that bought Macys. Anyway, I had no idea that it is the oldest department store in the USA. FYI, the store was founded in 1826 (193 years ago)

But stores like Restoration Hardware and Flannels in the UK are thriving.

[quote]An auction last week gave a licensing firm control of Barneys for $271 million, with plans to close all seven store sand license the name to Saks Fifth Avenue, which will one day house satellite Barneys boutiques.

That's assuming Saks Fifth Avenue is still around by the time they get around to implementing this. Not a good bet.

All department stores are in trouble.

I haven't been to Saks in years even though it's close by, that area is just too busy, too many tourists...

But they have the floor of shoes and new dining.

I find Bloomingdale's have similar pricing as macys. Bloomingdale's isn't all that expensive when items go on sale. Macys was trying to go upscale with more lux brands but herald square is a zoo so I avoid it

Inside Barneys New York’s Closing Sale—and Mournful Goodbye Party

The New York department store Barneys has been sold—and its iconic spaces and the jobs of 2,000 employees are on the line. Barneys’ devoted customers say farewell, stylishly

No one camped outside of Barneys overnight to be the first inside the famed department store’s Madison Avenue flagship when its first round of closing discounts began on Monday.

Unlike lesser retailers, there would be no shoving matches over discounted purses or heels. A peek inside Barneys showed how the Upper East Side does going-out-of-business sales; namely, it doesn’t.

But before that, in what is becoming a sad tradition, there will be liquidation sales. The Times reported that Barney’s will begin a secret round of discounts for “loyal” shoppers, and speculated that bigger blowouts for the rest of us could come just in time for the holiday shopping season. For now, the price of all stock, like $1,000 poplin blouses from The Row or metallic Louboutin stilettos, is reduced—barely—5 to 10 percent.

“Everything is so sad here, the atmosphere and energy is so quiet. It used to be so vibrant”

I have bought maybe 200 items plus from Barneys, but NEVER in a physical Barneys store. Their website and its twin - the "outlet" Barneys Warehouse - can be a goldmine when they slash prices during the multiple sales that are held every month or so (check them out during each and every holiday - no matter how insignificant). Free shipping and no tax (depending, but I have never paid any). I primarily buy household items (crystal, decor, art, etc.) verses clothing - but the deals are insane. I hope that the online presence remains. Barneys is one of my favorite indulgences when it comes to online shopping.

Can I have her shoes?

R228- Online is DONE. The credit card I had with Barneys is already shut off. And you can only return things from website until 11/15- MAX.

I used to like Brooks Brothers in the 1980s and 1990s, but they seem to have down-scaled some of their merchandise and done away with some of the things I liked.

I have a couple of Brooks no-iron shirts for when I travel R231, they're presentable looking, comfortable and you don't have to worry about them getting wrinkled, which is a plus when you land at 9pm and have a meeting the next morning. IIRC, they're relatively inexpensive too.

r232, those are the types of shirts I like. But the last time I bought some, they didn't seem as good as the ones I have bought previously. Do you know what "model" the shirts are or are they just branded as Brooks Brothers?

I think it's the Milano fit R233 and I'm going to say "Ainsworth" collar or something like that-- they are more smooth than oxford material. And yes, there were a couple I got a few years ago that did not wear very well--buttons came off, etc., but more recent ones seem better

Boyfriend just ordered one they recently introduced that has some sort of athletic stretch fiber--will report back once he receives it and wears it, but it looked promising

I will check the type when I get home.

Brooks Brothers having a warehouse sale at their store in midtown nyc right now. you should check it out if you're in the area.

Thanks r234.

On the west coast, I like buying online from places like Betabrand. They have some cool stuff.

Current American values no longer include expensive fashionable clothing for daily wear. Barney's, Neiman's, Saks, Nordstroms, whatever higher-end retailer, they're catering to a diminishing market that still cares about what clothing they're seen wearing. I do market research for a commercial law firm (although admittedly not on clothing/fashion) and one constant for the past ten years or so is that American's are primarily concerned with the outward appearance of the total-value of their life style. Life-balance is very in, so people are trying to support every facet of their life equally: family life, social, leisure. work, travel. Basically, it's not trendy to overload one or a few aspects of life, but neglect the rest. My suspicion is that fashion, and the companies that promote and sell it, are largely falling out of favor due to an inherent "excessive" look. I know in the automotive industry, a lot of past buyers of higher-end vehicles opted for less expensive brands and models on subsequent vehicles. Part of it was saving money, but another prevalent reason was that they viewed luxury vehicles as trying too hard to look a certain way. I also think the fitness and health industries have had a major effect on fashion, in a weird way. I think people are much more concerned about the shapes of their bodies and how they look in clothing instead of how fashionable clothing looks. For me personally, I'd rather look good in a pair of cheap skinny jeans, than look moderate and dumpy but wearing the latest fashion.

In my view, I think we are going through something of a dark-age in terms of the arts globally. Film, theater, art, music, and fashion are all just going through a mulling period. Unfortunately, we have to sift through a whole lot of garbage before we come to a renaissance period. The fact is, a lot of what is out there isn't particularly appealing to the general public. I admit it's anecdotal, but, in my social circle (which is somewhat hoity-toity), I feel like the only people who actually care about these high-end brands and stores are the people who work in them and in the industry.

Hmm.... Your 2nd paragraph is quite interesting, R238. I can agree with you. I've wondered to myself much too frequently about what has happened to creativity. In the theater-it's become non-existent, in art-it's gimmicky, etc. It's the same with fashion. While fashion can be art, it isn't. Fashion is meant to sell. However.... I think we have moved too far on the scale of just producing something for pennies while trying to charge the most that the consumer will bear in order to get the most profits. There's very little concern about quality and craftsmanship.

In the interim, we have raised a generation--possibly two, that have not been educated about what is high craftsmanship, high quality, versus something that has been hastily put together just to look good and sell. There is a reason why one uses a silk for a design versus a jersey, etc. There is a reason why one uses a blind stitch versus a running stitch on a design. On and on... In my opinion, people are no longer taught and groomed about these things. The question is no longer about quality and durability but more about if it looks good and how quickly can it sell. Therefore, you have consumers who think the same way. It's not about buying quality pieces that can last and possibly be passed on but more about how many wearings can one get out of it before disposing of it.

Luxury is currently being propped up by the Chinese. It's become quite expensive without an increase in value so it's not surprising the West has turned away from it. But for the Chinese consumer looking to show off their wealth it's great, especially since much of it is so overbranded it slips into tacky territory.

Consumerism is waning. Look at the horrible news coming at us about the environment. Conservation-ism will be the trend, by necessity. We will want fewer things and of these things, only those built to last and less ostentatious. My guess. I could be wrong.

What R238 said.

Was talking with some of my old teachers at the Manhattan private school I went to. They said one big change was the lack of concern for fashion. When I was in school there (late 90s/early 00s) many girls were very into fashion, wearing their mother's clothes/bags or buying their own designer stuff. Even guys all wore Diesel jeans which were big at that time.

Now it's the VSCO girl look, maybe Dalton girls wear Lulu leggings instead of Gap, but Vans, Birks, Uggs, oversized college hoodies--none of that is beaucoup bucks and teachers were saying bragging rights were more about experiences and having the latest iPhone rather than an overpriced purse.

And I have witnessed what R240 is saying--walk down 57th Street and the Gucci/Prada/etc. stores are like 90% Asian tourists

^^This was well over a year ago too

[quote]Luxury is currently being propped up by the Chinese.

I agree. But, I would add that 98% of the consumers haven't a clue about what luxury is. They know the labels.

Barneys New York Closing Sales Have Started--A liquidation sale at Barneys means … 5 percent off luxury handbags. For now, at least.

Days after Barneys New York was sold for pieces, the store-closing sales have started, with windows bearing signs that proclaim “Everything must be sold!” and in a smaller font: “Goodbuys, then goodbye!”

But a warning before you run out the door: It’s a very Barneys kind of sale.

You’ll find a Chloé bag for $1,690, or $85 off the pre-sale price. You could grab an Altuzarra sweater for $625.50, marked down from $695. Or you can wait and play chicken — the luxury retail version — with the liquidation specialists running the sales.

Shoppers wandered into the Barneys Madison Avenue flagship on Tuesday, asking salespeople about discounts on merchandise like handbags. Several left empty-handed after learning that the deals were currently in the range of 5 to 10 percent off and that wares from LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton were excluded entirely.

The discounts should increase during the course of the sale “based on a somewhat mathematical, somewhat artful formula,” said Scott Carpenter, president of retail solutions at B. Riley Financial’s Great American Group, which is handling the sales.

Mr. Carpenter explained that the discounts account for the sales history of a particular item, and a sense of its desirability, and noted that this was a departure from other liquidations that his firm had overseen in recent memory, including Toys “R” Us and Payless Shoe Source.

“They’re very high-end, very exclusive designers,” Mr. Carpenter said. The retail value of all of Barney’s merchandise right now is about $500 million, he said.

The company hopes to sell the bulk of its luxury wares — from five full-price Barneys stores, two outlets and their corresponding websites — by the end of December but is prepared to run sales into February if necessary. Competing stores generally begin their holiday sales around Nov. 20, which gives Barneys a two-week lead on pocketbooks.

The beleaguered department store was sold in two parts in a $271 million deal: Its intellectual property went to the licensing firm Authentic Brands Group while its assets, including reams of designer shoes, tuxedos and coats, were bought by B. Riley.

Authentic Brands, whose plans for the brand include licensing it to Saks Fifth Avenue for shop-in-shops, might operate stores named Barneys in the future. However, Mr. Carpenter said his firm “will sell every stitch of product” in its current locations, shuttering Barneys as it is known today. As part of an agreement with Authentic Brands, the sales are being referred to as “store closing sales” rather than “going out of business” sales.

Executives at many of the high-end brands stocked at Barneys are holding their breath, hoping the sale is not too disruptive. Some are trying to buy back their merchandise. LVMH is the only vendor with an agreement that says its goods cannot be discounted, which it struck with Barneys after the retailer filed for bankruptcy in August, Mr. Carpenter said.

He added that LVMH, whose labels include Celine and Givenchy, even had the right to pull its goods entirely, though the luxury goods purveyor has not exercised that option. He noted that store closing sales often doubled store traffic, which can benefit even full-price brands.

Shoppers with store credit at Barneys will need to use it by Thursday, and returns will not be accepted after Nov. 15.

A sales associate at the store at Madison Avenue and 61st Street said on Tuesday that employees had lost their 60 percent-off discounts after Sunday and that they were anxious about what they would do for work after the liquidation. The associate, who asked not to be identified, citing fear of retribution, said staff members had not received answers to questions about future jobs with the Barneys label through Authentic Brands.

Mr. Carpenter said many of the associates earned commissions and, as a result, would make more money as the firm expected to “double the sales they would normally have had during this holiday period.”

When Barneys filed for bankruptcy, its biggest unsecured creditors included the Row, with a $3.7 million claim; Yves Saint Laurent, with a $2.2 million claim; and Balenciaga, with a $2.1 million claim. Others on the list were Celine, Gucci, Prada, Chloé and Azzedine Alaïa.

“We’ve been contacted by a number of vendors that want to buy their product back, but we haven’t made any agreements with any of them,” Mr. Carpenter said.

“We’re open to talking to them, but generally speaking, they want to buy their stuff back at a discount — I’d rather sell it to you at a discount,” he said. “Some have indicated they might just go into a store and buy the product if they want to do that.”

Vanessa Friedman contributed reporting.

R246, How depressing- All of it.. This is NOT a good thing and I feel bad for those sales reps. My sales reps at Barneys were genuinely nice folks.

And these piece of shit saying that the reps should be happy because they will make higher commissions for a month???

Mark my words, NONE , to maybe 5% of those folks will have jobs with that new owner.

And yes, the sales online SUCK balls just like in the store-

Explained this earlier; all liquidation/bankruptcy retail sales run pretty much along same lines.

Discounts are often puny at start, but that is also when best choice of merchandise is available. As weeks progress discounts will become greater, but selection will decrease as inventory is depleted.

Certain items via contractual agreement may not be discounted period. You aren't going to ever see many select designer things such as LVMH property heavily discounted or sold below MSRP at all. As time goes on sooner or later things like fixtures and other bits will be offered for sale as well.

Inventory has value, and purpose of bankruptcy sales besides clearing things out is to raise money.

Likely sooner or later vulture liquidator persons or entities will swoop in and take large blocks of merchandise. This is common and how many places get all that "discounted" merchandise they sell at bargain prices. This or it ends up on eBay or whatever.

Can see someone like the Real Real loading up on Barneys merchandise if they can get things at good prices.

R238 As others have mentioned, it's not about Americans anymore. There is a lot of new money around the world with a desire to show off that wealth.

Sure sure, quality is important.

My friend went to the main store on madison ave and said it was very busy, esp the shoe dept.

I think it's a lot of look and see that's going on, R251. Silly and ignorant people like myself were expecting massive slashes on merchandise. But...

What am I going to do with $85 I save on a pair of $680 shoes? Go to lunch?

Hopefully, there will be some little trinkets left for wannabes like me come January

I've been very busy, no time to check it out, maybe this weekend...

They will remain open in Japan.

R253- Unless it is something hard to find or exclusive to Barneys, you might as well wait until Bergdorf/NM/Saks have their winter sales in next 4-6 weeks- This same stuff will be 50-60% off vs a measly 13-18% here. Its 5 -10% off regular prices and the another 10% off that sale price.

Not even worth it.

Unless the Madison Ave store might be special and giving kick ass deals?

No, it is same discounts Chelsea and UES stores from what one has been told.

Again some people go in for the kill early with liquidation sales because that is when best stock is available. Some would have purchased anyway regardless of deduction, so the discount is sort of an extra. Others simply aren't very good at math and or are those see "X percent off" and that is all they need to know.

Usually as time goes on with liquidation sales stock gets low and what remains is picked over things that no one wanted. One might find something in last days, but usually odds are not.

Keep in mind the Madison avenue store is located smack in tourist shopping central, along with of course the UES. You have the Pierre Hotel right down the block, Plaza a few away, and many others catering to better class of visitors all within a few block radius of Barneys on Madison.

Did this not happen years ago?

r256 Well, apparently an insufficient number of them shopped there.

R256

Was referring to current liquidation sale, not generally.

Could someone explain the gif at the thread's opening? Who is that? Where is it from? I love it.

What We’re Really Losing Now That Barneys Is Gone—and Why We May Never Get It Back

One of New York's iconic luxury stores is selling off its last caches of merchandise and shutting its doors for good. Can anything ever take its place?

BY CINTRA WILSON ON NOVEMBER 7, 2019

Here’s what everyone knows now: on Friday, Authentic Brands Group and B. Riley officially took control of the iconic New York landmark Barneys, after buying the business for $271.4 million. The firms plan to liquidate the remaining inventory (a sales event started this week with initial discounts between 5 and 20 percent off, which promises to make MMA cage fights look like a little girl’s slumber party).

To devoted fashionistas, the demise of Barneys has been a blow almost comparable to hearing that David Bowie died again, or watching someone chain saw a Steinway in half to use the wood for a bonfire.

The significance of Barneys as a luxury retail superpower has long been far more than the sum of its parts, from its healthy Rick Owens and Dries Van Noten collections to the blood sport of its annual shoe sale. If you had the money, Barneys was one of the three B’s of the classic New York City shopping mecca (with Bergdorf and Bendel). If you were lean on funds, it was where you bought signature garments that you saved up for and wore until they rotted off your body, or invested in Italian leather shoes that didn’t chew up your feet in summer.

If you had no money at all, Barneys was a fashion museum you visited for the pleasure of looking deeply at everything, feeling the intelligent hum on every floor and learning the season’s hippest silhouettes in order to have bigger dreams for your closet.

What you were really buying at Barneys was a golden ticket to feeling part of the overall mood of the place. That mood was created as much by the clothes on its racks as by the geniuses who worked there—and, in particular, its creative director turned creative ambassador at large, Simon Doonan.

Robb Report reached out to Barneys PR director Tomm Miller to ask about Doonan’s fate, and received an understandably terse reply confirming that Authentic Brands Group would be “letting go of all of corporate.”

Just as the Wonka factory’s personality was Willy’s, Barneys at its best (previous to 2010, when Doonan’s direct influence was tamped down into the “more ambassadorial” role) was an empire in delirious thrall to his savvy whims.

Like Wonka, Doonan is an artist who contains worlds of pure imagination. In Barneys’ heydey, the inventory was special and exciting, and you felt a direct transmission of his energy; his wit, whimsy, ride-or-die fabulousness and broad-minded, egalitarian sweetness informed and carbonated the entire store’s personality.

Shopping for anything—even a single lipstick—made you feel whipped up into a larger intellectual pool that valued not just designers but art, music, current events and humor. (Barneys’ ad copy used to be written by the late, great Glenn O’Brien, the punk-rock gentleman playboy whose various gigs included beloved editorial tenures at Interview and GQ.) Such a charismatic, ephemeral geist is rarer than rubies, but it can’t be represented on a spreadsheet.

The online market now has largely overwhelmed brick-and-mortar retail establishments. Direction guided by singular artists like Doonan has been abandoned in favor of data-driven models that follow customer purchases and reaffirm them in an inane loop of confirmation bias—with no one leading or daring to be a style czar that recognizes, edits and promotes new trends.

There are rumors about trying to keep the soul of Barneys alive. Apparently, its formal rival, Saks Fifth Avenue, is planning to devote a corner to a little Barneys store-within-a-store (but this just brings to mind the brutal fate of other stores-within-stores, like Joe Fresh, may he rest).

Barneys now is another brilliant rock legend in the graveyard, along with Prince and Leonard Cohen, or CBGB (which is still a John Varvatos storefront). Like the former rock venue, Barneys may be remembered through memorial T-shirts, but its spirit, its funk, its exceptionalism died of having its rent jacked up unto death.

I’ve long been on a soapbox decrying the encroachment of predatory capitalism and the witless, data-driven ways of corporate authoritarianism. The horror of this economy is that human qualities like humor, wit, fun, intellect and character—qualities that were historically prized by society—are now quaintly out of date. They have been devalued, and are being carted off to landfill.

What is mostly lost, when a one-in-a-zillion venue like Barneys evaporates, is the expertise of the staff—the library of detail that requires experience to appreciate: the feel of Sea Island cotton or worsted Super-150’s suiting; the knowledge a sales team needs to recognize what kind of cut will hide your flaws, and the tailoring that makes it snap to.

Just because there is no price tag on a spirit does not mean it has no value. If we recognize a fashion Tinkerbell in our midst, it is our solemn duty to clap for her, or she will die. Otherwise, we may as well be assigned one self-cleaning beige jumpsuit every 20 years.

Niel Kraft, who ran Barneys’ internal ad agency in the 1980s, told The Cut in October:

“I think people are trying to save a dream that was amazing at one point but that’s not valid anymore… I want it to be valid because I want to live in that world. But it’s not.”

Hug your cashmere tight. This winter will be dark and full of terrors.

[quote]Could someone explain the gif at the thread's opening? Who is that? Where is it from? I love it.

Arturo Castro (actor)

Arturo Castro (born November 26, 1985) is a Guatemalan actor best known for his portrayal of Jaimé Castro on the Comedy Central series Broad City, and David Rodriguez on the Netflix series Narcos.

Alternatino with Arturo Castro

Alternatino with Arturo Castro is an American variety show television series, created by and starring Arturo Castro, which premiered on June 18, 2019 on Comedy Central. Alternatino with Arturo Castro is described as "a sketch show based on Arturo’s experiences as a Latino millennial in the United States."

R260, R263 didn't even really answer your fucking question-

The clip is from Broad City- a pretty great show that I didn't even discover until this summer- Highly recommended

[quote]98% of the consumers haven't a clue about what luxury is. They know the labels.

"What is mostly lost is the expertise of the staff—the library of detail that requires experience to appreciate: the feel of Sea Island cotton or worsted Super-150’s suiting; the knowledge a sales team needs to recognize what kind of cut will hide your flaws, and the tailoring that makes it snap to."

Shame....

R264 thanks for the info, I'll check out "Broad City". There's so much out there now, I've given up trying to keep up with things.

Thanks R263

I rarely bought anything at Barneys. There were always a dozen shops where I'd rather spend good money,. And in London, 4 dozen.

R249 I completely agree, and statistics would support your statement. And again, I don't actually know anything concrete pertaining to the luxury fashion market in America. But I've studied other luxury/high-end areas of commerce (particularly housing, travel and automotive) and Americans are definitely shying away from those. So it wouldn't surprise me if the same avoidance is happening in the fashion industry. And I'm not trying to poo-poo any other country's wealthy spenders. No doubt other areas of the world can certainly keep high fashion markets in the black for the time being. However, American markets are big, important, and have significant global effect and influence; when things go awry here, it doesn't normally augur well for business globally.

Re: Barney's generally, I do feel sad as I think it is an American institution and, hopefully, what does remain has some influence. However, I think high fashion and luxury retailers, generally, have made a very clunky transition from the last century to the current. The last 15-20 years have been quite agonizing. It was pretty obvious a decade ago that high-end retailers were really out of touch with their customers (particularly the ones with adequate funds to spend consistently and frequently).

So the CEO that finished Barneys off - what is happening to her?

[quote]So the CEO that finished Barneys off - what is happening to her?

A relevant topic to add to this thread.

No mention of Andre Leon Talley is complete without a photo!

^FABULOUS reuse of boat sails! Is it the Mainsail or Headsail? Or, could it be the Spinnaker?

R269

I say, that's rather harsh.

While owner of Barneys (Richard Perry) sat things out in Bordeaux, France; CEO Daniella Vitale was literally flying around the globe and or working telephones in vain attempts to save the place.

Just putting this out there because it needs to be remembered; Barneys was one of the first stores/businesses or whatever you want to call them that stepped up to plate early in AIDS/HIV crisis. They continued doing so helping raise funds and whatever else they could to aid the effort.

Thank you, R275

[quote]Just putting this out there because it needs to be remembered; Barneys was one of the first stores/businesses or whatever you want to call them that stepped up to plate early in AIDS/HIV crisis.

I soooo can make an awful joke. I'll make it and get it out of my system. I'm sure that there are others that are thinking the same thing or something similar. Okay...

[quote]Just putting this out there because it needs to be remembered; Barneys was one of the first stores/businesses or whatever you want to call them that stepped up to plate early in AIDS/HIV crisis.

They had no other choice. If they didn't they weren't going to have any Sales Associates left in 3 weeks!

(Ba-Da-Bump-Da-Bump!)

Sorry! And, my genuine apology to anyone I might have offended.

Fuck everyone and the cunts they rode in on!

Sorry! And my genuine apology to any cunts I offended.

I'm sensing that there is more to this than we know, R274. From your article;

[quote]“Richard Perry was very involved up until bankruptcy. That’s what everyone finds so hard to understand,” this person added.

[quote]Prior to the bankruptcy, Perry held twice-annual, company-wide calls on the state of the business, and he was a regular fixture at the company’s headquarters at 575 Fifth Ave., sources tell The Post.

[quote]Perry — known for sporting Thom Browne suits with trademark high-water pants — isn’t the only Barneys director who left Vitale to fend for herself, sources said. With the exception of Robert Beyer, a financier who was placed on the board by Perry, none of Barneys directors were on hand to guide Vitale during this difficult time, sources said.

[quote]Perry Capital closed in 2016, but continued to own a 72 percent equity stake in Barneys as of the bankruptcy, filings show.

Something is not adding up

[quote]So the CEO that finished Barneys off - what is happening to her?

She's just been hired by Sears!

This reminds me of a documentary I saw the other day, about the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers. Specifically, the former employees interviewed who discuss in detail how the executives pursued immoral banking practices, when not illegal, and then, seeing that the company couldn't sustain its shitty debt, but knowing it could run on reputation for awhile, carefully drained as much capital as possible to themselves. Never paid a price for it, of course.

Don't let Mitt Romney anywhere near the WH, by the way. He's very good at doing this, a real shark banker.

In 1992 I moved to New York And while shopping at Barney’s a woman in front of me at the checkout with her son who was heading off to college rang up a bill for clothing of almost $20,000 for him. That was some introduction to America.

Have you guys bought anything yet? It's extra 10% off your purchases. I'm thinking of purchasing some fragrances as many of Chanel and Tom Ford items never go on sale...for xmas stocking stuffers.

[quote]The problem is women CEOs. Lord & Taylor took on a woman CEO and she shut down their beautiful 5th Avenue flagship store.

I was a faithful L&T customer at the 5th Ave flagship until it closed. To be fair, the closing of the flagship was inevitable. The ever decreasing foot traffic in that store didn't justify operating the amount of space that store took up. Also worth noting is that the fashion lines & clothing quality have decreased greatly because private equity is destroying the fashion industry. I noticed that year after year I was buying less items at L&T. Moreover, L&T (and Barney's) were stores for business & professional clothing. As more people wear casual clothes to work, those stores are facing decreasing demand.

Fashion, just like any other retail industry, is facing two market shares: low end & high end. Anything in between will struggle to survive. I went to two eateries this week - Popeye's (where people are stabbing each other for a $4 chicken sandwich) and Agata & Valentina (where a pound of shrimp salad is $35). Both stores had no shortage of customers. That's where our society is going economically.

[quote]The problem is women CEOs.

No, it isn't and that's an unfair statement. Is it white male CEOs fault and problem that A&S failed? The failure of KMart? The imminent demise of Sears, etc? But, you've raised an interesting perception which warrants further discussion and the pressures that are placed upon women and minorities to succeed.

I deal with MANY CEOs of public small cap companies ($2B, down) and while I have had interactions with more female CEOs in the last 10 years what I have noticed is that many of them were placed into that position when the companies were in trouble. Basically... when all hope is lost the company hires a female to then run the company. A lot of these companies have been turned around. We rarely hear those stories. But, when they fail... it's the woman (or, minority) that is blamed and not the individual. That's A LOT of pressure to put on an individual because not only are they carrying the pressure to succeed as an individual, but they are carrying the pressure of representing their gender and/or race.

[quote]Also worth noting is that the fashion lines & clothing quality have decreased greatly because private equity is destroying the fashion industry.

It's the bean counters. The value of building a good and solid business with a loyal customer base is no longer valued. Rather, it is the top priority to squeeze every single penny out of the business to enhance profitability.

all these high end companies are going to go out of business because people don't have any money except for the top 1%. I also don't think that having clothes from high end stores are as important to young people as it once was. Things are changing.

[quote] I also don't think that having clothes from high end stores are as important to young people as it once was.

You're right about the people not having the money, R287. But, people are not being educated and groomed to recognize and appreciate quality. To me, it seems that people are more interested only in a name/brand rather than the quality of goods that is behind that name. For example; I'm still mystified why Louis Vuitton has such clout. People are still paying $3K and up for vinyl. that is mass produced, and that anyone can find a pretty good knock on practically every street corner in any major city?

R284

Will take Citarella any day rather than going all way over to Agata & Valentina .

For those who have "limited resources", Agata & Valentina gives away unsold food just after closing. What isn't given away is put out on curb where everyone just goes through plastic bags taking sushi, shrimp, bread and whatever else is on offer.

R288

That is an American problem, and more to the point a certain demographic.

Friends in Europe are like everyone else there; they buy best can afford if it only means a few things a year. But they look for quality and things that are suited to their body/coloring....

You still see some of this in USA, not what things once were, but never the less....

A guy who is say a few years out of college and moving up will ditch Mens Warehouse or whatever and seek out a good tailor or other resource for a good well made suit. Yes, it will cost a fortune, but that is what CCs are for if necessary. Ditto for shirts; at some point every man needs either a few bespoke or well made off shelf.

Maybe they can save the company by featuring more trans models in their catalogs?

[quote] The problem is women CEOs. Lord & Taylor took on a woman CEO and she shut down their beautiful 5th Avenue flagship store.

I'm laughing, because you obviously know nothing about the history of Lord & Taylor. In 1945, Lord & Taylor became the first major department store to be led by a woman, Dorothy Shaver. Her period at the helm was Lord & Taylor's heyday, she was the one who introduced the legendary logo and her suburban branch stores, created the model that every other department store copied. In 1947 the business was bringing in $40 million, but when she died, in 1959 while still running the company, it was bringing in $100 million.

Dorothy Shaver (July 29, 1893 – June 29, 1959) was the first woman in the United States to head a multimillion-dollar firm. She was a well known leader of the fashion industry.

Shaver succeeded Walter Hoving as president of Lord & Taylor in 1945. She was given a salary of $110,000. This was the highest salary on record for an American woman at that time, and although it was noted by the author of an article in Life Magazine that the salary was only a quarter of what some "similarly placed male CEOs earned" [comparing it with Thomas J. Watson Sr., President of International Business Machines], the salary was commensurate with what Lord & Taylor paid its top male executives. Walter Hoving, her predecessor, was earning a salary after 10 years as chief executive of $127,015 in 1944. Shaver served as president of Lord & Taylor until her death in 1959. By the time of her death, sales at Lord & Taylor reached $100 million a year.

[quote]while I have had interactions with more female CEOs in the last 10 years what I have noticed is that many of them were placed into that position when the companies were in trouble. Basically... when all hope is lost the company hires a female to then run the company. A lot of these companies have been turned around. But, if not... the woman takes the fall.

-Chris Lischewski out as Bumble Bee CEO following price-fixing indictment--May 25, 2018

-Bumble Bee CEO Tharp sees bright retail future for tuna, but in pouches not cans--Jan. 21, 2019

-Bumble Bee Foods to File Bankruptcy, Sell Assets to Taiwanese Firm--NOVEMBER 21, 2019

I went to Barney's yesterday. Mostly 10 percent off but there is another 10 percent off your purchases. Some shoes are 15 percent off. The clothes are so expensive. 800 for a sweater and some designs are unwearable. no wonder they are closing.

Had a Barney's CC for years, and it was rarely if ever used. Didn't even notice when they closed the account for inactivity. Think only times used was at various warehouse sales or maybe to buy cosmetics/toiletries to make gift baskets.

So much of their merchandise both for men and women was just insanely over priced for what you got. That only increased as more and more internet choices became available.

Appreciate quality much as the next person, but it would have to be one extraordinary sweater for me to part with $800.

Barneys was not for middle-class shoppers. Not really. Barneys was a luxury designer boutique blown-up supersized. I think those customers just go to boutiques again. Who needs Barneys? Buy your 1500 dollah bling hiking boots directly at the Louboutin boutique.

You sir in a nutshell spelled out what doomed Barneys.

Back in their early days down in Chelsea Barneys while upscale, did have reasonable offerings, and yes it was the place to find things from new/upcoming designers. But once they moved uptown and started to open locations all over USA (and world) focus began to change.

Would walk into Barneys on Madison and just not get the concept; all the floor space but place was done as if Bettina , Queen of Minimalist was the interior designer. What they did have again was often very expensive for what it was, IMHO.

Closing with link to one of best "old" W&G episodes which featured a Barneys theme.

[quote]Not really. Barneys was a luxury designer boutique blown-up supersized. I think those customers just go to boutiques again. Who needs Barneys? Buy your 1500 dollah bling hiking boots directly at the Louboutin boutique.

I think that counterfeit goods killed them too. Why spend thousands of dollars on an item that you can find a quality knock-off of and spend only hundreds of dollars? The site linked is a knock-off site for handbags. The quality has gotten so good that a new word has been created--Undetectable dupes. I'm was amazed to learn that these dupes come with the appropriate boxes, dust covers, and even a certificate of authenticity (I guess claiming that it is an authentic dupe) This is just not bags but clothing too.

Has anyone gone to the Barney's closing sale - especially for the one in NYC? Is it worth it?

The customs officers who operate on trains coming into Switzerland can and will identify counterfeit luxury products and confiscate them. Even ones that have been in use. I wonder how good they are identifying the best fakes.

R300

Depending upon one's particular purse and tastes there may be good deals at Barneys. Tom Ford shoes down to around $600 from over $2k...., those sort of luxury goods often aren't for sale at such prices.

Passed by flagship store on way to pre-Thanksgiving event at hotel Pierre which is right down the street on 61st and Madison from Barneys. Did notice many of the female guests (and some men) all had those black shopping bags...

I went last week as I posted above...

Gonna go again. More discounts now. 30% off jewelry, 30 % off formal wear, 20% off designers shoes, 20% off designer ready to wear. 40% off clearance items online.

To be fair, other stores like Bergdorf Goodman, Saks etc are all having sales right now...

Another one bites the dust!

[quote]More discounts now. 30% off jewelry, 30 % off formal wear, 20% off designers shoes, 20% off designer ready to wear. 40% off clearance items online.

IT'S NOT ENOUGH!

"Accused female shoplifters caught on camera brawling in street with Barneys workers"

lol, saw that in the news today R305.

Gasp!

Definitely still shopping at the location on Wilshire here in L.A. I guess it's no surprise that the sales associates aren't really making much effort anymore. Mostly crowded in the women's shoe area last time I visited. Bartender and employees upstairs at Fred's are phoning it in.

Also, they don't validate parking anymore, so make sure you have cash on you (unless they do take cards, unsure). It was $5 which isn't much but it's still a bitch when we were used to spending money there, then getting it for free.

Everything is at least 50% off now. some things even more...

However, When a graphic hoodie is 1500 bucks, it's still too expensive for me.

I wanted to buy something with "barneys new york" on it as a souvenir. They are selling a plastic toiletry bag for 100 bucks, inside stuffed with "free" samples of lotions and perfumes that they usually give out. cunts. I will wait until it goes lower.

[quote]I wanted to buy something with "barneys new york" on it as a souvenir.

Head on down to 34th-36th Sts on the West side. There are little souvenir shops selling hats and t-shirts.

55-70% off now, somethings an extra 25% off too

The website is gone

Didn’t read the whole thread and I know it’s about Barney’s but I was recently in the DMV area lately and one of the Lord and Taylor stores was closing shop.

I got a great winter coat at 50 percent off, from 200 to one hundred bucks.

[quote]55-70% off now, somethings an extra 25% off too

Shoes....

R314 men’s shoes 55% women’s 70%

Barneys Workers Feel Used as They March Store Toward Death--As the retailer goes through liquidation, employees at its flagship store say they haven’t received information about a closing date, severance pay or benefits.

By Sapna Maheshwari/Jan. 16, 2020

A job at Barneys New York once represented a glimmering opportunity in a challenging retail landscape — the kind of chain where sales associates might work for decades, earning competitive salaries as well as commissions, while honing expertise in fine jewelry and designer apparel.

But that reality evaporated soon after Barneys filed for bankruptcy last year and liquidation specialists took over its stores. Since November, employees at Barneys’s flagship at Madison Avenue and 61st Street have been in limbo, lacking basic information about the store’s closing date, severance pay and their benefits.

Paychecks were delayed this month after what a company email said was a “cyber incident,” further stressing employees, who don’t know if their personal information was compromised.

Many of the concerns were detailed in a letter filed on Tuesday to the judge overseeing the bankruptcy case from employees who have worked at Barneys for more than 20 years.

Their worries are not only financial. The letter noted that security at the store has been lacking. Employees said in interviews that the bathrooms were dirty and that the television in the break room had stopped working. At one point, employees were sharing a single microwave, down from four, for meals. They were warned not to steal as the liquidation started.

“We hope that making the court aware of what has been happening in what has become a disastrous execution of the liquidation and our well-being will help in some way,” said the letter by the group, led by Anthony Stropoli, a sales associate who joined Barneys in 1997. The letter said that the liquidation firm, Barneys’s remaining management and the workers’ union had been unable to answer their inquiries for a month.

Barneys responded in a separate filing, and said it had only about $2 million to pay $4 million in severance obligations. Of that, $800,000 has already been paid out.

While the $2 million was negotiated when Barneys was sold, the shortfall was not disclosed in public court filings. Five current employees, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were still hoping to receive severance pay, said the shortfall was also not disclosed to Barneys workers. They said the prospect of severance pay was the reason many employees have continued working since the bankruptcy sale.

Barneys added that it did not expect the firm liquidating the remaining seven stores, B. Riley Financial’s Great American Group, to hit sales targets of at least $303 million, which would have resulted in an infusion to the severance fund of at least $2 million. Great American is not in charge of administering employee severance, pensions or benefits, according to a company representative.

Before the liquidation started, Barneys employed about 2,300 people, 2,100 of them full time. The remaining seven stores, according to the company, are expected to close on or before Feb. 29, while the restaurant Freds will most likely close by Jan. 31.

Barneys’s employees — some with decades of experience — are the latest workers to be squeezed by the churn of retail bankruptcies, as businesses struggle to keep up with the shift to e-commerce and grapple with poor management and disastrous private-equity deals. Already this year, Opening Ceremony, the high-end fashion retailer, said it would close its handful of stores, and Pier 1, which has been bleeding cash, said it would shut up to 450 of its locations.

When bankruptcies result in major liquidations, as has happened at notable retailers like Payless ShoeSource and Toys ‘R’ Us, workers often end up participating in what is essentially the death march of their stores. The white-collar firms managing such exits need the employees for orderly transitions; many workers stay for promised payments, out of a sense of loyalty or because they are not yet sure of their next move.

“You have to understand, there are people who worked for decades there, built a clientele and this actually helped build Barneys,” Mr. Stropoli said in a phone interview, emphasizing that he spoke on behalf of a much bigger group. “They need to know: Will I be out of a job the 15th, the 10th, the 8th?”

The severance pay is also significant as workers look for new jobs, which may not pay as well as their positions at Barneys or require the same expertise.

“It’s harder because I’m competing with about 400, 500 people from my building probably for the same job,” said Frank Elbling, a sales associate at Barneys for 16 years, who has started to send out job applications.

“I’ve had some interviews over the phone and they want to offer around 30, 40 percent less pay,” he said, adding, “I can’t afford to do that.”

The New York-New Jersey Regional Joint Board, which represents more than 600 Barneys employees, said it was filing claims with the bankruptcy court on behalf of members, in the hopes of extracting more severance pay.

“The union has been in contact with representatives of both Barneys and the buyers to try to obtain as much information as possible so we can report it to our members,” Julie Kelly, general manager at the union, said in an email. “Unfortunately, Barneys has not provided clear information as to how much money will be available to pay severance claims.”

She also said that nonunion employees might not have any right to severance.

Despite a desperate search for alternatives, Barneys was sold in two parts in a $271 million deal last October. Its intellectual property went to the licensing firm Authentic Brands Group while its assets were bought by B. Riley. Store closing sales quickly started at the five full-price Barneys stores, two outlets and online.

The unusual deal has made it difficult for employees to know where to direct questions. Barneys still has its own management team in place, though the company’s chief executive, Daniella Vitale, left almost immediately and took a job as chief brand officer of Tiffany & Company. (Ms. Vitale earned about $1.3 million between August 2018 and July 2019, according to court filings.)

Other firms working on the case are M-III Partners, a consultancy, and Kirkland & Ellis, the law firm that worked on the Toys ‘R’ Us bankruptcy. M-III Partners declined to comment on the severance fund while Kirkland & Ellis did not respond to requests for comment.

Barneys’s two stores in Manhattan are hardly recognizable these days. Employees said that Great American Group had brought in wares that were never sold at Barneys, including a large supply of rugs and merchandise with tags from Macy’s and Asos. Some have been relabeled and marked up, which can potentially be misleading for shoppers.

“Some of it is from similar vendors but it looks like they cleaned out some of their warehouses,” Mr. Elbling said, adding that there has been an influx of mysterious rugs and furs. “We don’t sell that kind of stuff.”

The representative for Great American said “the rugs and furs are supplementary inventory brought in to enhance the sale and generate additional customer traffic.” This person said that the firm did not purchase items from Macy’s or Asos for the sale.

When visitors walk into the Madison Avenue store, they are greeted by four televisions announcing the sale and garish store closing signs covering the walls. Many of the floors were virtually empty on a recent afternoon.

Some mannequins and display tables bear “sold” tags with the buyer listed as Saks. (Saks Fifth Avenue is licensing the Barneys name; the store’s website already directs users to the Saks site.) The downtown store was selling hardware like clamps for $3 last weekend.

Eon Huntley, who has worked in sales at Barneys for the past three years, said he found the lack of money for his colleagues, particularly those who had worked there for decades, to be “appalling,” especially given the role they played in recent months.

“They started the liquidation with very modest discounts so they were definitely reliant on associates and their clients and our relationships,” he said. “Knowing that, and knowing how people have spent their lives working and giving their time to this company, you’d think they would make sure there was something set aside for these people.”

Barneys accused of leaving staff in the dark during liquidation

By Lisa Fickenscher January 13, 2020

Barneys’ bankruptcy has left longtime staffers in the dark about their pensions, among other concerns, according to a Monday court filing.

“The company running the liquidation has refused to give us any answers,” wrote Anthony Stropoli, a sales associate with Barneys who said he was speaking on behalf of sales associates and non-selling associates employed by the company for 20 years and longer.

Among the grievances is that Barneys has not informed them of their last day of work or assured them that they will receive severance or their pensions, the filing said.

The employees’ union was supposed to receive answers to these questions by Dec. 15, Stropoli writes. “We believe it is totally unreasonable that we have not been given any idea of what we are getting paid on closing. The executives took care of their own payouts without consideration for the employees who were to remain.”

A spokesperson for B. Riley Financial, which is handling the liquidation sale for the remaining Barneys stores, said B. Riley is not responsible for the administration of employee severance, pensions or benefits.

(Ahem... R270/R274)

How much severance did that fugly cunt CEO who ran it into the ground get?

Barney’s CEO Daniella Vitale is heading to Tiffany’s to begin to ruin it now.

But... What about the rich people???

Barneys ‘schlockfest’ hurting traffic to Freds restaurant

By Jennifer Gould Keil January 12, 2020

Ever since the liquidation of Barneys began, a quiet, uncomfortable question has gripped Midtown’s power-lunching set: What about Freds?

During the holidays, snooty shoppers griped that the luxury icon looked more like Sears or Kmart as the once-stately Madison Avenue flagship got plastered with garish orange-and-yellow signs hawking “Everything 30% to 50% off”.

Less noticed, however, has been the fact that Freds — a longtime, go-to spot for titans of industry like Jon Tisch and Corcoran Chief Executive Pam Liebman — is only accessible through elevators in the Barneys lobby.

Faced with chaotic crowds rummaging through bins of cashmere sweaters and scarves — now 60 and 80 percent off — fewer bankers, lawyers, real-estate moguls and fashion types are making the trip to the ninth floor, insiders told Side Dish.

“I just got back this week, so I haven’t been there yet this year,” one former regular said, noting that she hadn’t eaten there since before the holidays. “But I hear it’s a schlockfest.”

“We went for lunch or dinner a few times a week as we live across the street and our office is nearby, but now, because of the condition, sadly, we haven’t returned,” added Penny Glazier of hospitality company GlazierWorks.

It’s the latest sign of trouble for Freds, which escorted its founder chef, Mark Strausman, out the door in October after he blasted Barneys’ then-owner, hedge fund manager Richard Perry, to The Post. “When fashion people like Richard Perry think they can run a restaurant, I knew it was time to start looking,” Strausman said of his decision to open a second restaurant off Madison Square Park.

After 97 years in business, Barneys is getting reduced to a boutique inside Saks Fifth Avenue after Authentic Brands Group — a licensing firm that owns downmarket labels like Frederick’s of Hollywood — bought it out of bankruptcy on October 31 for $271 million.

Authentic Brands, however, has said that Freds will remain open for business after the department store shuts down. ABG also aims to license out the Freds name to upscale restaurateurs in far-flung luxury outposts in the Middle East and Asia-Pacific region.

“We’ll keep it open but it is too preliminary to say how at this moment,” a source close to the licensing firm said. “It takes time to dig in and get to understand the brands. That’s what we’re doing now.”

SEE ALSO

Founder of Freds restaurant another casualty of Barneys' crash As for Madison Avenue, ABG’s current plan is to turn the department store, which declined to comment for this story, into an exhibition space of sorts to showcase its other brands, like Marilyn Monroe.

While it’s doubtful how that plan would play with the Freds set, the garish going-out-of-business sales have left many New Yorkers unsure whether the restaurant is even still in business.

One Upper East Side restaurateur, a former Freds regular, says the ground-floor sales scene is so frightening that venturing to the ninth- floor dining spot is no longer an option.

“I often cut through Barneys to get home,” the restaurateur said. “It is so depressing. I would never eat there now. I can’t even imagine how they can run that restaurant at full steam.”

Other regulars, however, are continuing to pledge their support.

Philanthropist Gillian Miniter, who has held a benefit dinner at Freds for the past two years, said she plans to hold the third-annual dinner for Tom Gold Dance this April. She is co-chairing it with Fe Fendi and Elyse Newhouse.

“I’ve been there recently several times, when they had all the signs. I don’t want to comment on that, but the restaurant was great and nothing had changed inside,” Miniter said. “It was still pretty crowded and filled with Upper East Side regulars on the weekends. I wanted to support it.”

(THANK GOD! Solutions!)

Perhaps in a bid to woo Freds’ defecting power lunchers, Bergdorf Goodman has launched a new eatery inside its men’s store.

And the new eatery, Goodman’s Bar, boasts a much heartier menu than the department store’s existing restaurants on its seventh floor and basement, which are notoriously filled with slender women lunching on lettuce leaves.

The new menu is expected to cater to power suits — instead of to ladies — with ‘manly’ dishes like a runny egg breakfast sandwich with English cheddar and jambon de Paris on an English muffin — or with bacon, cheddar and potato chips with sour cream, caviar and horseradish oil.

Cocktails also lean masculine, including ‘Goodman’s Manhattan,’ made with Templeton Rye.

The kitchen is run by Michelin-starred chef Austin Johnson of Frenchie in Paris and Eleven Madison Park, and Dustin Wilson, former wine director at Eleven Madison Park and a Master Sommelier.

Employees at retail businesses in liquidation/bankruptcy are always in a tight spot.

If they quit there goes any chance of severance (usually), along with anything else. Leaving voluntarily also quashes chances of getting unemployment (again, usually). so there you are.

Meanwhile it must be terrible going to work each day with a pit in stomach not knowing when or if you'll be paid on time or even at all for showing up.

For all status and glamour working at Barney's wasn't exactly the highest paying jobs out there, and those in NYC with its HCL many cannot afford to miss even one paycheck.

(LOL! CLASSIC! Just CLASSIC)

[quote]“I’ve been there recently several times, when they had all the signs. I don’t want to comment on that, but the restaurant was great and nothing had changed inside,” Miniter said. “It was still pretty crowded and filled with Upper East Side regulars (the "right" people) on the weekends. I wanted to support it.”

R321

Tiffany's is now owed by LVMH; no one will be ruining or running anything into ground. If things don't work out good lady will be given the push.

70-80% off

The high rents are driving them all out.

Coach abruptly shuts doors at Vornado’s 595 Madison--The leather goods retailer has occupied the prime corner for more than 30 years

[quote]70-80% off

Now! It's time for me to go! But, is there anything left?

Just some scarves and a few desperate salesbottoms.

R328, yes but Fendi and Berluti will be renting in that building soon. Fendi will be moving and the current space occupied by Fendi will be Dior (expending from next door). Rents came down 30% in the past year.

R328

Rent had nothing to do with Coach closing their Madison avenue store per se. Rather as noted in news articles they opened a new Coach House store on 54th and Fifth back in 2016. They simply didn't need two stores so close to each other; especially today with so much moving to online.

While both Madison and Fifth are prime shopping territory the former is seeing more traffic nowadays, and indeed for past several years. Meanwhile Madison from about 42nd north into 70's and even 80's is becoming a retail no man's land; block after block has one or more empty retail space.

Macy's Is Closing Over 100 Stores. Here's Which Locations Are the First to Shut Down

Despite strong economic conditions, department stores like Kohl’s, J.C. Penney, and Macy’s posted disappointing sales during the 2019 holiday shopping period. And you’ll soon see the unsurprising fallout, with more and more store closures at malls around the U.S.

On Tuesday Macy’s announced it would be closing 125 of its “least productive stores” in “lower tier malls” over the next three years, including roughly 30 stores already in the process of shutting down. Macy’s currently operates roughly 870 stores, including 680 flagship Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s department stores.

R333 The person who wrote that has no idea what "flagship" means.

The once flagship stores at my local mall are all horrible now. All the clothes are overpriced and the buyers who stock the stores only get stuff for old men and old ladies, because they're the only ones who still shop at those stores.

Everyone else does their shopping at TJ Maxx, Marshalls, Ross, Target, and Walmart. They know all the clothes are cheaply made in China and not worth department store prices.

r335 You don't seem to know what flagship means either. There are no flagship stores in MALLS.

It's closing in 10 Days!!!!!

You guys are mistaking flagship for anchor stores in malls.

February 23rd the end of an era and many a ShopBottom on suicide watch.

75-90% off now

Good riddance

Passed by Madison avenue store, it was closed so peeked through windows. Place looks like who did it and ran; what is left is picked over tired tat.

Seems as if maybe everything remaining has been moved down to ground floor. Unlike last time didn't see any handbags/leather goods. But clothing and various odds and ends.

Looked "Crew? or "Crewe?" jeans marked down from over $400 to about $280 , couldn't see prices clearly, all those signs plastered across windows).

That’s it, Gurls. Yesterday was the last day. The end of an icon, 97 years. The degradation of class and the American race to the bottom continues. See you all again soon for the Bergdorf and Neiman’s closings. Anyone else excited for a future where all our clothes are Amazon brand?

What will take its place in the space in Chelsea? What store could use that staircase? It used to be Loemans. I bet it will be empty for years.

R344 a fabulous new bathhouse!

Datalounge World Headquarters

R343 - I heard Neiman Marcus was in deep debt a few years ago also and it may be curtains for them soon. But I don't think Bergdorf's will go away. NM owns Bergdorf's and the property that it sits on 5th Ave. Its worth close to $1B. So someone will buy that property and keep it going.

R336 Depends on the chain. Belk, Dillards, Von Maur all have mall flagships.

Okay.... It's not Barneys but it has rather good sporting wear and at great prices! Sadly, it's another historic business that is saying goodbye

Modell's Sporting Goods is a sporting goods retailer with locations in the Northeastern United States. Modell's carries both sporting goods and related apparel. Modell's currently has more than 150 retail locations in ten states and the District of Columbia as of 2018. The chain was founded as a single store by Morris A. Modell in 1889 in Manhattan, making it possibly the third oldest sporting goods store in North America (after James F. Brine's in Massachusetts and Milwaukee's Burghardt Sporting Goods). Modell, a Jewish immigrant from Hungary, opened the first location on Cortlandt Street in Lower Manhattan. Through the years, it has remained a family owned business, passing through four generations of the Modell family.

Barney's will be back one day. Someone will revive it. The Amazon era will pass one day.

Wow....

These Popular Stores Are Partially Or Fully Closing In 2020

R350

Saks Fifth Avenue owns trademark/brand name "Barneys" and will be using it in future for some exclusive merchandise. So while the stores may have gone, name Barneys will live on in some form or another.

R41

Shooter's Sandwich is name, invented during Edwardian England as a portable meal for travelers, sportsmen, etc....

There are scores if not hundreds of variations, just Google the name.

These sort of portable meal sandwiches exist in many European cultures such as French, Italian, and so on, traveling with immigrants to other parts of world like South or North America.

Sandwiches of course are the ultimate portable meal, and many variations of pressed are workman's lunch box food. Something wives or whoever would make for men to take with them to work each day. That or some enterprising person would make them for sale.

I really enjoy this woman and her YouTube channel. I never knew that Macy's owned Bloomingdales

How BARNEYS Went Bankrupt & CLOSED | Is Neiman Marcus Next?

[quote]In August of 2019, Barneys New York - a staple of Manhattan fashion - filed for bankruptcy and by February of 2020 its last stores had fully closed. How did a NYC icon fail - and what will become of its name? In today's video I break down what went wrong for Barneys and how it stacks up against other luxury American department stores.

R12: You're absolutely correct in that assessment. What the uber rich don't realize is that all the money isn't going to do you a damned bit of good when you cannot spend it,or protect it.

Neiman Marcus

Lord + Taylor

The GAP

Their days are numbered.

Neiman Marcus to declare bankruptcy, first major retailer to do so in coronavirus pandemic (report)

Posted Apr 24, 3:03 PM

Luxury retailer Neiman Marcus is preparing to declare bankruptcy this weekend, according to CNBC. The chain is reportedly hoping to raise $600 million from the restructuring while hoping to wipe out billions in debt.

All Neiman Marcus locations have been closed since March 17 due to the coronavirus pandemic. That includes two Massachusetts locations in Boston and Natick. Those are the only Neiman Marcus stores in New England. Approximately 14,000 employees have been furloughed.

According to the report, the chain will also be closing all of its off-price chain stores, Neiman Marcus Last Call, as part of the restructuring to focus on its luxury brand.

Several other retailers have also been hit hard during the coronavirus pandemic, but Neiman Marcus will be the first major chain to respond by declaring bankruptcy. The bankruptcy itself will be a challenge as the normal process of liquidation sales will likely be hurt by shutdowns as well.

r357