BARNEYS: Where FASHION Became CULTURE

During the most thrilling decades in New York City, Barneys wasn’t simply a department store—it was a stage for the most influential moments in fashion, a place where creativity collided with commerce, and where style became a cultural language.

In They All Came to Barneys, published in September 2025, Gene Pressman tells the story only he can: from the inside. As the grandson of founder Barney Pressman and co-CEO of Barneys New York during its most innovative era, Gene offers a rare and stylishly candid glimpse into the multigenerational rise—and dramatic fall—of one of the most iconic fashion empires in retail history.

Barneys began humbly in 1923 as a discount men’s clothier on Seventh Avenue. But over three generations—Barney, his son Fred, and Gene—it evolved into a global phenomenon that would redefine luxury retail. Under Gene’s creative direction, Barneys became a launching pad for now-legendary designers such as Giorgio Armani and Azzedine Alaïa, introduced avant-garde European fashion to American audiences, and turned shopping into a curated, cultural experience. It was a place where Anna Wintour, Steven Meisel, and entire movements in fashion and art converged.

Told with razor-sharp wit and inimitable style, Gene’s memoir spans the birth of ready-to-wear in the 1960s, the glittering disco years of the 1970s, the devastation of AIDS in the 1980s, and the sweeping globalization of the 1990s. It’s an insider’s tour of high fashion’s backstage—from Savile Row and Paris bistros to club nights in downtown Manhattan. Through it all, Barneys became synonymous with daring, sophistication, and that elusive thing: cool.

But the story also traces the risks behind the glamour. As the company expanded into a billion-dollar retail empire, it faced mounting financial pressures, ambitious overreach, and shifting market tides. The result was one of the most storied—and sobering—downfalls in fashion retail. They All Came to Barneys is both a celebration of brilliance and a cautionary tale about legacy and reinvention.

Though Barneys’ flagship on Madison Avenue was its crown jewel, one of its most beloved outposts was right here in Westport. For years, Barneys anchored Main Street with effortless style, bringing cutting-edge fashion to the heart of coastal Connecticut. Locals fondly remember it not just as a store, but as a statement—of taste, of modernity, and of Westport’s place on the cultural map.

While the storefront is no longer open, its spirit still lingers—in the town’s elevated sensibility and in the memories of those who walked through its sleek, minimalist doors.

Whether you're a fashion aficionado or simply drawn to great storytelling, They All Came to Barneys is a page-turner. Rich in style, layered with legacy, and written with both flair and heart, it captures an unforgettable era—and one family's stylish mark on it.

Barneys may be gone, but its influence endures. And now, so does its story.