This unique store was started by Henri Bendel in 1896 as a specialty store and custom-made import house that sold original designs and adaptations of European designs according to the customers' directions. A group of investors and Geraldine Stutz, who had been with the store as president since the 1960s, bought Bendel from fashion conglomerate Genesco in 1980. Stutz is credited with turning the store into the most unique retail experience of the times and a breeding ground for new, upcoming design talent. In 1985, the store was sold to Limited Brands.
Historical Dictionary of the Fashion Industry. Francesca Sterlacci and Joanne Arbuckle.