Bye-Bye Barneys

I remember my first purchase at Barneys New York like it was yesterday. I was rocking some trash denim, a CDG Play shirt, and some old skools- yikes. Yeah, I probably got judged by the 33-year-old balding man wearing skin-tight Saint Laurent jeans, but the feeling of entering a Barneys store is quite simply incomparable to that of shopping online. There, I picked up my first piece that enabled my transition from a nonconformist Hypebeast to a wanna-be fashion elitist- the APC denim. All the well-dressed influencers I followed on Instagram owned a pair, so I figured why not blow my money on a pair even though I dressed like shit? The unenthusiastic salesperson helped me pick my size and led me to the changing room with a beautiful brown curtain. As I checked out, I realize I paid $250 on some APCs instead of investing that in other items of my closet. But who cares? When I was handed the sleek Barneys New York bag with the beautiful metallic grey lettering, all my anxiety vanished.

I left the store with a Barneys shopping bag and was able to stunt at the mall-making sure everyone noticed the flex. It did not take long for me to get out-flexed by Russian international students holding multiple Riccardi and Neiman Marcus bags. Flexing aside, the ability to walk around and feel the material of clothing or seeing a new collection from your favorite designer in-person will almost always top the feeling of shopping online. So when I heard that Barneys was going under, it made me sad- realizing I’ll never be able to replicate Future on that one episode of Sneaker Shopping.

Most of us are aware that E-Commerce is the new wave. No one loves Mr Porter more than I do- the packaging, cute little note on the inside and the feeling I get when I receive a package. The feeling I get is similar to that of Barneys… maybe even better. I don’t want to skip over the fact that Barneys has a website but it’s simply not as appealing as Mr Porter’s or even SSense for that matter. What I enjoy from both of those websites are all the additional services they provide. They have editorials, new looks, how to wear a certain piece and they cater to a variety of customers. SSense, for example, held an interview with Aimé Leon Dore founder Teddy Santis and discussed everything from the brand to influences. It’s always an interesting read and enjoyable when learning about a new designer or about the culture, as one might say.

We’re getting closer and closer to an all-digital shopping experience. Today, it seems like people are more interested in stores like Riccardi or Patron of The New, carrying a more boutique experience rather than a big corporate environment. These two boutiques cater to a crowd who are already aware of their style- most of the time streetwear, a style that isn’t gonna fade out anytime soon. Kith can be thrown into the mix. You know exactly the type of goober that walks in that store and buys Needles sweatpants with the Emily Oberg Kith Treat flavored ice cream. Barneys encompasses a larger crowd- which can be good at times, but this is the reason why it died out. The department store’s business model did not age well and unfortunately, no amount of Palm Angels can save the store. The customers are overwhelmed by choices and looking at it, the choices are quite odd. Seriously though, how are you gonna carry Loro Piana and Vetements in the same vicinity? And yes, I am aware that some Barneys have floors dedicated to certain styles, but that seems to only be two stores: Madison Ave and Beverly Hills. This creates an impersonal experience for the shopper and does not feel as though they are being catered too.

The department store isn’t closing all its stores. According to Business Insider, Only seven stores will remain in the United States, with the one in Madison Ave and Beverly Hills staying up for sure.

Visit your local Barneys store and be mistreated by a middle-aged man with a superiority complex before it closes!