Barneys is back.
Yes, the storied New York City retailer that was felled by the pandemic and years of financial strife has returned, albeit in slightly altered form. In a partnership that was announced when the original store closed, the new Barneys has emerged under the roof of Saks Fifth Avenue‘s famous flagship in Manhattan. The structure’s fifth floor has been given over to the one-time competitor. All told, 54,000 square feet have been devoted to the kind of cutting-edge fashion Barneys built its reputation on.
According to a statement from Saks’ chief merchant Tracy Margolies, the integration of the two will allow them to complement one another and bring a new voice to Saks’ overall offering. It will also provide Saks with a new platform to support and promote emerging fashion talent, a key role Barneys once performed in the field that has yet to see a meaningful successor. Sixteen of the brands carried by this new incarnation of Barneys are entering Saks’ shop floor for the first time.
A display of the Barneys at Saks experience.
As part of the agreement Saks reached with Barneys’ new parent company, Authentic Brands Group, its locations and website will be the only points of access for Barneys merchandise in the U.S. and Canada. (Some stores in Asia and elsewhere still operate under the Barneys banner.) That could prove critical in gaining a leg up as luxury is still finding its way through the maze of the Covid-19 pandemic.
To celebrate this debut, the flagship store is showcasing its new setup via a series of prominent window displays set along Fifth Avenue. Corresponding mini shops created in collaboration with emerging designers (a roster which includes Fear of God, Ree Projects and Reese Cooper) will also be set up inside, marking the first time in the Saks’ flagship history that men’s and women’s items will live together on the same floor. If Covid precautions or distance mean you can’t visit the brick-and-mortar shop, you can peruse the merchandise through a dedicated section of the store’s website.
But should you find yourself enjoying the Barneys at Saks experience in person, you’ll have the opportunity to enjoy the latest outpost of Honeybrains, a fast-casual restaurant with recipes approved by a neurologist and dietician to support brain health. And there’s nothing like a good snack to keep you fueled as you discover all this new partnership has to offer.
