A men's clothing store founded in New York City in 1923 by Barney Pressman. Through the efforts of Barney's son, Fred, and Fred's sons, Robert and Gene, the store became the premier specialty retailer in New York selling high-end designer merchandise and catering to a tony client. The store ran into financial difficulty after an aggressive expansion plan in the 1990s and filed for bankruptcy in 1997. It emerged two years later, thanks to two majority investors, Whippoorwill Associates Inc. and Bay Harbour Management LC. It was sold to Jones Apparel Group in 2004. Today, Barneys operates a dozen full-price stores—located in New York City; Beverly Hills, California; Boston and Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts; Dallas; Seattle; Chicago; Tokyo and Yokohama, Japan; and Singapore—and twelve outlet stores and Barneys Co-ops, which focus on contemporary sportswear, accessories, and premium denim.
Historical Dictionary of the Fashion Industry. Francesca Sterlacci and Joanne Arbuckle.