Once upon a time, in a land called the Upper East Side of Manhattan, there was a magical Mecca filled with fashion and fun, wit and whimsy, and everyone who was anyone was there. Every floor teemed with treasures; every department, a promenade for people-watching. Technically, it was a store… but, really, it was more of a social club where everyone was welcome and one could discover the chicest emerging designers, latest lipsticks and, of course, the It bag of the moment. Obviously, I’m talking about Barneys New York.
The epic store shuttered it’s doors in 2020 after declaring bankruptcy, but ponder this fashion flashblack: For all New Yorkers in the ‘90s and early aughts, visiting Barneys was a rite of passage. On any given Saturday, you might browse racks next to an A-list Hollywood star, a downtown drag queen, your toy poodle-toting neighbor and/or the point guard of the NY Knicks. It was a place of firsts; In fact, I, dear reader, purchased my very first pair of Manolo Blahniks on the very floor where Sarah Jessica Parker herself was known to shop for shoes! And it’s where Carisa Janes, the founder & president of Hourglass Cosmetics, chose to launch her beauty line. “Hourglass got it’s start at Barneys 20 years ago as our very first retailer, catapulting our brand into culture,” she says.
To celebrate the 20th anniversary of Hourglass (and pay its success forward) Janes is joining forces with Barneys to create a wildly fabulous pop-up in partnership with the CFDA — just in time for New York Fashion Week.
Designed by Barneys longtime creative director Simon Doonan, the space in NYC’s Soho neighborhood brings the unpretentious joy of the landmark store to life, yet updated with new technology. Think dressing rooms that double as photo sets and whimsical installations at every turn.
Bringing back that spirit of discovery, a highly curated selection of indie beauty brands including AKT, Perfumehead and Reome can be found alongside Hourglass exclusives — like the limited edition Ambient Lighting Edit Palette, the vegan brand’s best-seller — at the Hourglass Beauty Bar in the center of the shop.
As for fashion, the pop-up was stocked by industry icon Julie Gilhart, the former fashion director of Barneys New York, with, as one might imagine, her trademark mix of cooler-than-cool designers and notable newcomers including Marc Jacobs, Khaite, Sandy Liang, Ella Emhoff, Collina Strada and merch from the Sky High Farm Universe.
But that’s not all! Of course it wouldn’t be Barney’s without Fred’s, the restaurant where colleagues, friends and lovers gossiped over perfect thick-cut fries, Sancerre poured by Roy-the-waiter and Mark’s Madison Avenue chopped salads. An iteration of the famed cafe will make an appearance, just don’t go hungry — Fred’s will be serving light bites and coffee drinks to-go during the concept shop’s opening weekend.
The Hourglass x Barneys New York pop-up shop is located at 14 Prince Street from September 5 to October 11.
