Remembering Barney's with Former CEO Gene Pressman

Summary

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All Of It with Alison Stewart

Episode: Remembering Barney's with Former CEO Gene Pressman
Date: September 8, 2025
Guest: Gene Pressman, former co-CEO of Barney’s and author of They All Came to Barney’s: A Personal History of the World’s Greatest Store

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Overview

This episode of All Of It dives deep into the story of Barney’s New York, once a “cathedral of cool” in New York's fashion scene, as recounted by Gene Pressman, the grandson of founder Barney Pressman. Gene discusses his new memoir, the family business, the culture-shaping legacy of Barney’s, and its enduring impact on New York and the fashion world. The conversation is interwoven with personal anecdotes, callers’ cherished memories, and reflections on both the creative and business aspects that set Barney's apart.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Why Now? Setting the Record Straight

[02:11] Gene Pressman:

• Felt compelled to “set the record straight,” addressing myths and folklore about Barney's.
• Wrote with an aim to separate himself from the narrative, to view it through a reader’s eyes.
• Stresses Barney’s as a quintessential New York, family, and creative story, especially vibrant during the '60s–'80s.
• Shares color about the changing city—how downtown neighborhoods “didn’t exist” in their current creative forms years ago.

Quote:

“Some of it was true and some of it was folklore and some of it was faults. And I just felt that I wanted to set the record straight...I was lucky enough to live that story. I mean, it really is a good story in so many ways. It's a New York story. It's a family story. It's a creative story.” — Gene Pressman [02:11]

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2. Specialty Store, Not a Department Store

[03:53] Gene Pressman:

• Explains that Barney’s roots as a men’s specialty store defined its ethos.
• Though as large as a department store, Barney’s “had the mentality of a smaller store.”
• Describes a philosophy where “the accountants stayed in the back” and creativity was prioritized.
• The approach to customers: “never give the customer what they want because they don’t know what they want; they want you to show them.”

Quote:

“We wanted to make sure that it was very creative. It changed a lot, that the accountants stayed in the back rooms and that the creatives were out front.” — Gene Pressman [03:53]

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3. Writing the Memoir: Reflection and Reality

[05:23] Gene Pressman:

• Collaborated with Matthew Schneier, food critic, to maintain discipline and authenticity in writing.
• Writing the book was “an outer mind, out of body experience,” pushing him to be real and non-embellished.
• Realized, in retrospect, the scale and analytic depth required to recount the Barney’s journey.

Quote:

“I was very proud of what my family did...and when you're writing a book, you really...you're just sort of self analyzing and self analyzing and the written words a lot different than a speaking word.” — Gene Pressman [06:43]

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4. Memorable Customer Stories & Business Credos

[07:35] David (Caller from Brooklyn):

• Recalls as a teen being steered by Barney himself toward sensible suits, not expensive ones, even though price wasn’t an issue.
• Barney insisted on “no bunk, no junk” — an honest, value-focused approach.

Gene’s Reflection:

• Barney’s long-term thinking: focus on customer loyalty from youth to adulthood.
• “Select, don’t settle”—it’s about value, not price; the shopping experience matters.

Quote:

“The credo was select, don't settle. And that means a lot of things, but it's about giving the customer value. And value doesn't mean it has to be cheap. It can be expensive if it's worth it. And the shopping experience is very good.” — Gene Pressman [09:34]

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5. The Role of Family: Bertha Pressman

[09:58] Gene Pressman:

• Bertha, Gene’s grandmother, was a formidable presence—contrasting Barney’s tough persona.
• Handwrote customer names, enforced browsing rules, and wore “incredible jewels” with navy sunglasses in the store.
• Embedded a personal, almost ritualistic touch to the shopping experience.

Quote:

“She would handwrite, you know, everybody's name, and she wouldn't let any customer browse in the store. They had to sit in the chair and then be introduced by a salesperson.” — Gene Pressman [10:04]

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6. Barney’s as Part of New York Culture

[13:54] Gene Pressman:

• Customers called to share memories of formative experiences—buying special suits, discovering fashion inspirations, memorable first purchases.
• Barney’s as a cultural “touchstone,” not just a retail space, but a social and creative hub.
• Created environments where people met, connected, and even found love.
• Food, art, and fashion intersected under one roof.

Quote:

“We tried to make Barney's more than a store. I mean, it was...part of the culture of New York. It influenced culture and culture influenced it.” — Gene Pressman [13:54]

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7. Making Barney’s "Cool" – Creative Process

[15:48] Gene Pressman:

• Gene’s experiences in Europe shaped his vision—fusing European sophistication with American creativity and freedom.
• “Cool” wasn’t something they chased, but a byproduct of “building relevancy.”
• Vintage “Barney’s label” garments remain in demand, seen as timeless.

Quote:

“Cool is not something that you chase...If something becomes relevant, then maybe it'll become cool. I think a lot of people chase cool too hard. And if it does become cool, it lasts for like five minutes. And what we try to do is build something to last.” — Gene Pressman [15:48]

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8. Personal Touches and Lasting Impressions

[19:44] Jane (Caller):

• Shares the glamorous experience of buying a special birthday dress, getting style advice from Kyle MacLachlan, and being treated by staff to complementary makeup—showcasing the luxurious and personal service.
• Many callers keep and cherish their Barney's pieces decades later.

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9. The Legendary Warehouse Sale

[21:15] Deborah (Caller from Hudson Valley):

• The annual Labor Day warehouse sale was a huge New York tradition.
• Shoppers lined up for hours; a “feeding frenzy” of beautiful, discounted goods.
• Women’s ingenuity: buying boys’ and men’s items for fit or value.

Quote:

“The women that came in to buy at the warehouse sale, they were insane. They would come in and they'd be wearing leotards, and they would just strip everything else off. And all the guys were in there were, like, in shock...” — Gene Pressman [22:21]

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10. Fashion, Community, and Advocacy

[23:38] Alison Stewart / Gene Pressman:

• Discussed the pivotal AIDS benefit at Barney’s for St. Vincent’s—raised significant funds awkwardly at a time of little public response.
• Linked connections between the art and fashion worlds (iconic denim jackets by designers and artists, worn by stars and auctioned for charity).
• Reflected both pain and pride in supporting the community through a dark time.

Quote:

“We just felt that...really was our sort of obligation and to take a leadership role. I think we were the first retailer to have this benefit...It was a fun event. In spite of the sadness. I think everybody forgot themselves a little bit during that time. And it was. It was really one of the special events.” — Gene Pressman [23:59]

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11. The Road to Bankruptcy and Changing Times

[25:51] Gene Pressman:

• “There wasn’t one thing” that led to bankruptcy; instead, a mix of overexpansion, recession, and complex business partnerships.
• Japanese investment helped insulate them until broader economic troubles caught up.
• Family left the business in 1998; multiple owners, but eventually “saw its demise...in 2020.”

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12. Notable Moments and Final Memories

• Callers relayed stories of first jobs, family shopping excursions, and the “education” they received from Barney’s personal shoppers—including a sweet anecdote involving Joan Rivers treating her niece.
• The store lingers in memory—callers still have their Barney’s bags and treasured purchases.

Quote:

“We tried to make Barney's more than a store...You know, I was very proud of that.” — Gene Pressman [13:54]

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Notable Quotes

• “You need to build relevancy. If something becomes relevant, then maybe it'll become cool.”
  — Gene Pressman [15:48]

• “The shopping experience is very good.”
  — Gene Pressman [09:34]

• “My grandfather was clever because he thought long term and he wanted to keep this customer, David, right when he came in the shop, he was a young guy and hopefully we kept him to when he grew up and even when his children came to Barney.”
  — Gene Pressman [08:54]

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Important Timestamps

• [02:11] — Why Gene Pressman chose now to write the book
• [03:53] — What made Barney’s a specialty store
• [05:23] — Challenges and fun in writing the memoir
• [07:35] — First caller shares his Barney story (discounted suit for high holidays)
• [09:58] — The role of Bertha Pressman
• [13:54] — Barney’s influence on New York and fashion culture
• [15:48] — Gene’s international influences and the pursuit of “cool”
• [21:15] — The legend of the warehouse sale
• [23:38] — Hosting pivotal AIDS/HIV benefit at Barney’s
• [25:51] — Gene’s reflections on bankruptcy and the store’s end

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Tone and Takeaways

The episode is nostalgic yet candid, with Gene Pressman’s warmth, humor, and admiration for both his family and the city of New York shining through. Callers reinforce the emotional connection customers had to Barney’s: it was a place for discovery, aspiration, and unforgettable human moments. The story of Barney’s, as told here, is not just about high fashion but about a sense of belonging, creative leadership, and the living, breathing spirit of New York.

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Transcript

[Alison Stewart]

This is all of it on wnyc. I'm Alison Stewart. One of the most popular institutions in the city. Started as a discount suit emporium and transformed into a high end of cathedral of cool. Barney's, founded in 1923 by Barney Pressman and was built into a phenomenon by his son Fred and later steered by his grandsons Gene and Bob. A new memoir from Gene Pressman details not only the store's humble beginnings, but what it was like to grow up in the family business. It gives an insight into the behind the scenes workings of the international fashion market. You learn about being on the lookout for new talent. Like in 1976 when they spotted a young man named Giorgio Armani and signed him to an exclusive deal. One of the real reasons was the love of fashion. Gene writes about his dad, Fred. He soaked up every intricacy and every detail of every garment, from the fabrics that were made to the stitches that held them together to the invisible linings inside the horsehair interlining that separates the great suit or jacket from a cheaper glued one. He was the opposite of what anyone might think of a fashion person. That's because Fred wasn't a fashion person. He loved clothes. One of his longest serving deputies told me he'd never seen Fred happier than the day. A big order of socks came in, beautifully made in Italy, and there was Fred arms deep in them, inspecting every pair. The book is called they All Came to Barney's. A Personal History of the World's Greatest Store and its author, Gene Pressman joins me in studio. It is really nice to meet you.

[Gene Pressman]

Nice to meet you listeners.

[Alison Stewart]

We want to hear from you. Did you shop at Barney's? What did you love about it? Do you have a favorite fashion find from the store? We want to hear 212-433-969-2212, wnyc. You can click call in and join us on air or you can text to us at that number. Why was this the right time to tell the story of Barney's?

[Gene Pressman]

Well, everything is timing. That's true. And you know, there have been many things told and written about Barneys over the years, and some of it was true and some of it was folklore and some of it was faults. And I just felt that I wanted to set the record straight and separating myself as much as I could, which was an interesting exercise in writing this book. I thought it was. I was lucky enough to live that story. I mean, it really is a good story in so many ways. It's a New York story. It's a family story. It's a creative story. It's. It's during Certainly in the 60s, 70s and 80s, it was a very creative period in New York and in the universe for that matter. So it was special to be there. And I think also New York grew up then. You know, I used to say that the people uptown would never go below 42nd street because they were afraid to get a nosebleed. So. Because in those days, downtown didn't really exist, soho didn't exist, Tribeca didn't exist, Chelsea didn't exist. The West Village did. But, you know, in a much limited way in the East Village, you could get a rental for 250 and all the rats, you know, that you wanted.

[Alison Stewart]

So you say in the book, and this is very clear, that it wasn't a department store, that it was a specialty store. What set Barneys apart?

[Gene Pressman]

Well, the specialty store comes from its roots, which is, it's stars, a men's store. And so most men's stores, when they're on their own, are specialty stores. They're not carrying anything except specifically menswear. So that's what specialty store means. But, you know, people confused, I think, Barney's as being a department store because it was as big as a department store, but it had the mentality of a smaller store. And, you know, we were sticklers when it came to that. We wanted to make sure that it was very creative. It changed a lot that the accountants stayed in the back rooms and that the creatives were out front. And it's also our approach to. To the customer. I. I used to have a saying that never give the customer what they want because they don't know what they want. They want you to show them. So I was a major Beatles fanatic. So I always used to think it was like the Magical Mystery Tours as.

[Alison Stewart]

You were writing the book and you have to tell the truth about it. What was difficult for you to write about and then what was just fun.

[Gene Pressman]

I don't know if anything was specifically difficult to write about because I'm usually a very forward, forthcoming person. But I think I wanted was sort of an outer mind, out of body experience, especially when you're writing about your memoirs. I wanted to look at it from a reader's point of view. And so I had to take a step back. I was very concerned about too much embellishment. I wanted to try and be as real as possible. I collaborated with a really brilliant guy named Matthew Schneier. Matthew is the food critic for New York Magazine. And he did a phenomenal job of trying to keep me online. I guess I had so much passion for wanting to talk about it. And I was very proud of what my family did that I had to really think hard about the intricacies because when I was doing it, I was going at warp speed.

[Caller Host/Producer]

Oh, I bet.

[Gene Pressman]

And doing so much for so long. And I never really had a chance to sit back and enjoy it. Yeah. And in writing the book, you really do get a chance to say, wow, did I do that? And I learned a lot myself because I wasn't as analytic as when you're writing about it, you know, and when you're writing a book. This is my second book. You. You really, you read the book more than once and you're just sort of self analyzing and self analyzing and the written words a lot different than a speaking word.

[Caller Host/Producer]

Yeah, yeah. Let's take a couple calls. Dave is calling in from Brooklyn. Hi, David.

[Alison Stewart]

Thank you for taking the time to call.

[Caller Host/Producer]

All of it.

[David (Caller from Brooklyn)]

So when I was about 13, my dad took me and my brother, you're younger than I was, to Barney's to buy us suits for the high holidays. The salesman was showing us suits and along comes Barney. He sees what's going on. He says to the salesman, these kids don't need expensive suits like you're showing them. A year from now, they won't even be able to fit them anymore. And he made them get us less expensive suits. At the time, my dad was a physician. Money was no object. But Barney did the right thing. You know, he didn't want to oversell us. And I remember at the time it was kind of a discount place. And if I remember right, the racks that the suits were on were made out of pipe. You know, it was not a fancy place, but I will never forget that.

[Alison Stewart]

David, thanks for sharing that memory.

[Caller Host/Producer]

It's a really good memory of what it was like when Barney first started.

[Alison Stewart]

You know, it was a place where.

[Caller Host/Producer]

He could get a good deal. No bunk, no junk. That was his motto.

[Alison Stewart]

What were his strengths as a businessman?

[Gene Pressman]

Well, I just want to respond to that story because everybody has a Barney story. And I love them. I really do. My grandfather was clever because he thought long term and he wanted to keep this customer, David, right when he came in the shop, he was a young guy and hopefully we kept him to when he grew up and even when his children came to Barney. So my father was very clever in seeing that. So sorry, what was the question that answered my question?

[Caller Host/Producer]

What were his strengths as a businessman? He wanted to keep a client for a long time.

[Gene Pressman]

Well, you know, in those days, it was. The credo was select, don't settle. And that means a lot of things, but it's about giving the customer value. And value doesn't mean it has to be cheap. It can be expensive if it's worth it. And the shopping experience is very good.

[Alison Stewart]

I also wanted to mention Bertha, because Barney's important, but so is Bertha.

[Gene Pressman]

Oh, yeah. Well, Bertha was an amazing lady.

[Alison Stewart]

Her grandmother, by the way.

[Gene Pressman]

Yeah, my grandmother. And, you know, Barney was a tough guy from the Lower east side, and she kept him in line like you wouldn't believe. And to see, it was really hysterical because most people were terrified by my grandfather, and especially when he'd walk in the store on the floor. But she would just give him a look, and he would absolutely stand at attention. And she was intimately part of the business, too. She came from a very wealthy family. Actually the antithesis of my grandfather. Her father owned, I think, the largest bakery in New York City, and they grew up in Connecticut. And she would have the people come in, the customers that would come into the store and sit down on these sort of tacky norgahide chairs that you would see in the airport. And they were allowed to smoke in the store. So the smoke would fill up to the ceiling. Maybe there'd be a foot off the ceiling. And she would handwrite, you know, everybody's name, and she wouldn't let any customer browse in the store. They had to sit in the chair and then be introduced by. By a salesperson. And then she would check them off. And she'd wear the most incredible jewels, real jewels, in doing all of this with dark navy sunglasses and.

[Alison Stewart]

Yeah, sounds great.

[Gene Pressman]

She was cool. And, you know, it was sort of a really, a paradox, you know, because in those days, Barney's was a discount store.

[Alison Stewart]

Let's talk to another caller. Let's talk to Andrew, who is calling in from Brooklyn. Hi, Andrew, thanks for making the time to call all of it.

[Andrew (Caller from Brooklyn)]

Hi, Great, great, great to be on this call.

[Alison Stewart]

You're on the air.

[Andrew (Caller from Brooklyn)]

Yeah. Just wanted to tell. Tell Jean a story about when I went to Barney's first. I had grown up in Montreal, visited family here in New York, and I was 12 years old, approaching my bar mitzvah and loved fashion. Fashion business, wanted to be like Ralph Lauren. And my uncle took me to the city and ended up passing fit, which was on 7th Avenue and 27th. And then he said, I have. That's a great place if you want to study Fashion. So that was in my mind. And this was on the way to going to get my bar mitzvah suit. And then we went on to Barney's and we went in and I remember specifically buying an Yves Saint Laurent suit there. I didn't buy it. My uncle bought it for me. But the experience was so, so memorable. You know, I just. I just will never forget it. And had my career, still have my career in fashion. Fit was a big part of my life. Went there, graduated, met my wife there, which was amazing. And, you know, that just that, that just experience just meant so much to me. And, you know, I wish. I wish Barney's was here again the way it was. I was a huge Basco fan, too.

[Alison Stewart]

Thumbs up on Basco. You get a thumbs up on. Thank you so much for sharing your story. We really appreciate it. Did you want to respond?

[Gene Pressman]

Yeah, sure. What. What year was that? Was that 1970s?

[Alison Stewart]

Yeah, sounds like it.

[Gene Pressman]

No, no, no.

[Jane (Caller)]

80.

[Andrew (Caller from Brooklyn)]

It was 83.

[Gene Pressman]

Okay. Okay. Yeah. You know, as I was saying before that I love to hear customers have Barney's stores. It really does make me feel good. Yeah. You know, we tried to make Barney's more than a store. I mean, it was, I think for a lot of people, it was part of the culture of New York. It influenced culture and culture influenced it. You know, I talk about in the book that a lot of people met their future wives there, and it was really a social event in a way. And, you know, they went there to see a lot of things that they'd never seen before. And of course, they could eat there, too, which I think they liked. So, you know, I was very proud of that.

[Alison Stewart]

We're talking to Gene Pressman.

[Caller Host/Producer]

He wrote the book. They all came to Barney's. After the break, we'll find out how Barney personified.

[Jane (Caller)]

Cool.

[Alison Stewart]

You're listening to all of it on wnyc. I'm Alison Stewart. In studio with me is Gene Pressman. We're talking about his new book, the Next They All Came to Barney's. A Personal History of the World's Greatest Store. We want to hear from you. Were you a Barney shopper? Do you have a good memory? Our Phone lines are open. 2124-3396-9221-2433. WNYC. Your dad, Fred, is credited with taking the store more upscale. Your team was credited for making it cool. What did you look for when you were shopping, when you were thinking about Barney's during your time?

[Gene Pressman]

You mean what influenced me? Yeah, I think pretty much everything other than fashion, really. I've been very lucky and privileged to be taken to Europe at a very young age. I spent a lot of time in Europe and it's always great to learn other cultures. You get a whole different perspective of things. And so I would go to Europe and we would look at everything. We'd go to museums, we'd go to the flea markets, we would look at the architecture. I mean, you know, something like, Paris is the most beautiful city in the world, at least for me. You learn about foods, you learn about how people, what their mannerisms are, how they dress. And then you start to formulate your own ideas and how you could sort of reinterpret that differently and take that back with you. And then being American, I think there's a sense of freedom that you have and free thinking that you have. And you sort of combine that idea of Americanism and put that in with the European sensibility, and it comes out a little differently. And that's just, you know, that's sort of what we did. I didn't really think about it then. I thought about it when I was writing the book. But, you know, the store became cool. And cool is not something that you chase. I wrote my first book called Chasing Cool, which is exactly what we're talking about. You need to build relevancy. If something becomes relevant, then maybe it'll become cool. I think a lot of people chase cool too hard. And if it does become cool, it lasts for like five minutes. And what we try to do is build something to last. I think when you think long term like that, people take it out of their closet and wear it forever and are still proud of it, you know, So I. It's funny because in all the vintage shops, I know they're chic now, so they call them vintage. I used to call them thrift. But whether you go online to some of the websites or you go to shop some of these stores, the stuff that flies out of the store first is the Barney's label. And I was astounded by that. But, you know, it's really a compliment.

[Alison Stewart]

So there's this great line in your book. You write, I saw how creative it could be. I love that part of Barney's. Building your own expression from the cloth up. Smuggling the interpretation of European style back to the home front privately. Had a feeling that I could do that as well. Well as anyone.

[Gene Pressman]

Well, you have to as, as an individual, you. You have to have some confidence. And the way you build that is, you know, in the beginning, you have no Clue what you're doing. It's in. In those days, it was very organic. And I think that's a little bit of that is missing today, you know, but as you start to do it and people start to like what you're doing, it's like what you're doing. You know, you're very good at your job, and people enjoy listening to you. So that builds your confidence. And you. You sort of get at ease, but you're always trying to do better. Right. And get another edge. So that's. That's really how we did it. And I. I get bored very quickly, so I needed to change things up all the time, you know, let's take.

[Caller Host/Producer]

A couple more calls. Let's talk to Jane. Hi, Jane, thanks for calling, all of it.

[Jane (Caller)]

Hi, Alison. Hi, Jane. Thanks. Thanks for. Thanks for talking to me.

[Alison Stewart]

Sure thing.

[Jane (Caller)]

So, God, 30 years ago, I lived in Manhattan, down in SoHo, when SoHo was. Was not quite luxurious, but very funky. And for me, Barney's was always like the epitome of this funky luxury that I always thought was a little bit out of reach. And I saved up my money for my 30th birthday because I wanted to buy a really special dress. And I went into Barney's, and I walk into the sort of ladies evening wear area, and sitting on a bench is Kyle McLaughlin waiting for some girlfriend, whoever he was with then. And so I got Kyle McLaughlin to give me all kinds of feedback and help me pick out a Dolce and Gabbana dress for my party.

[Andrew (Caller from Brooklyn)]

And that was.

[Jane (Caller)]

If that wasn't enough, I then went over to the makeup counter to buy a special lipstick to go with my dress.

[Gene Pressman]

And.

[Jane (Caller)]

And I don't know if it was the makeup director or who, but this incredible man who was behind the counter found out it was my birthday and I was buying this special dress and had me come back and did all my makeup for me in some special room that I guess they had set aside for this and didn't charge me a penny extra for this. And so I had this gorgeous dress and my beautiful makeup for my special party. And that will always stick in my mind.

[Caller Host/Producer]

Thanks for calling. Jane.

[Gene Pressman]

Do you still have that dress?

[Jane (Caller)]

I do.

[Gene Pressman]

Oh, good. There you go.

[Alison Stewart]

That's a good answer.

[Caller Host/Producer]

Let's talk to Deborah, who's calling from the Hudson Valley.

[Alison Stewart]

Hi, Deborah.

[Caller Host/Producer]

Thanks for calling all of it.

[Deborah (Caller from Hudson Valley)]

Hi, Al from Love youe Show. Been a big follower, big fan. And also Barney's. I just wanted to talk about the warehouse sale that was, I think, every Labor Day weekend. And we we, the people who aspired to Barney's, would wait on line to get in to have a feeding frenzy of what was left over. It may not have been the current season, but the stuff was so beautiful. And a lot of it was men's stuff at the beginning. But I was in the men's tailored wear. And I had some beautiful shirts, Kilgore French and Stanbury. Some beautiful sweaters. I wore them until they were no more. And I just remember the. Every Labor Day weekend, waiting in line to go to Barney's, I would go with my dad. My dad had better luck because he was a guy and I was sort of fitting and everything like that. And we just loved it. We just loved it. And it was a New York thing, you know. On Labor Day weekend, you would go wait in line at Barney's.

[Alison Stewart]

Oh, you totally waited in line. There weren't dressing rooms, so you got.

[Caller Host/Producer]

As comfortable as you get getting into the clothes in public. But it was. It was so much fun to go to the Varney's warehouse sale.

[Gene Pressman]

You know, the women that came in to buy at the warehouse sale, they were insane. They would come in and they'd be wearing leotards, and they would just strip everything else off. And all the guys were in there were, like, in shock, and they were just putting on stuff and throwing it around. And there'd be a tug of wars, you know, between two women that wanted this thing. What was interesting, what you said, is that before I started selling women's, which was in 1976, we had a huge influx of women coming to Barney's, not only with their boyfriend or their husband or both, I don't know. But also we used to have a boys department called Barney's Boys Town. And the really savvy women would come in and buy the boys things because they were small sizes and they were well made. And they were definitely not as expensive as women's clothes, because women's clothes, for the most part, is more expensive than men's clothes. So we sold a lot of that to the women. And. Yes, and a lot of women also bought some of the men's things as well.

[Alison Stewart]

There is one story I wanted to get to before we run out of time. It's about the benefit that Barney's through with. What was St. Vincent's for HIV and AIDS. There's so many designers you lost. You list them in the book. So many people who worked at Barney's who you lost. Why was that important for you to host that benefit?

[Gene Pressman]

Well, you know, it was A strange period of time. First of all, in the business that we were in, we were losing a lot of people, salespeople, people worked at Barney's, obviously a lot of designers. But I think it was a period of time that the awareness of AIDS was sort of kept under wraps, and the government really didn't do very much to help. And so, you know, we just felt that with everything going on, that, you know, really was our sort of obligation and to take a leadership role. I think we were the first ones to retailer to have this benefit called up the Haas family that owned Levi Strauss. We thought that the most iconic thing that anybody could wear would be a Levi's denim jacket. And we had a lot of connections between the fashion world and the art world. And we reached out to amazing people at the time and asked them if they would embellish these jackets. And then the people that were wearing them, from Madonna to Iman, Mrs. David Bowie, and so many amazing people over 100 would be walking down this staircase with the numbered cars like they would have in the auctions. And we raised a lot of money for aid. So it was a fun event. In spite of the sadness. I think everybody forgot themselves a little bit during that time. And it was. It was really one of the special events. I still have the video from that.

[Caller Host/Producer]

Oh, wow.

[Alison Stewart]

This texture.

[Caller Host/Producer]

Wants to know, wants to hear your thoughts about the decisions that led Barneys into bankruptcy.

[Gene Pressman]

So, you know, the decisions that led you into bankruptcy is that you don't have it. You don't have a choice. There wasn't one thing. We were in the midst of a huge expansion. America was in a terrible, deep recession. And we had a wonderful Japanese partner where Japan, ironically enough, was not in a recession then. And so they really threw a lot of money at us. So it was kind of intoxicating, you know, to be able to do these things when everybody else was suffering. And then, you know, I guess sales started not to be as good as we like them to be, and things got tougher. And, you know, we made a decision we didn't want to be because, I mean, Barney's was not only an amazing place, but it was a really good business. I used to call it a machine, you know, but we ended up doing it. And then I think there was five or six owners after the family left in 98, that went on and perpetuated the business till it finally saw its demise, I think in 2020, maybe.

[Caller Host/Producer]

Yeah, I still have my Barney's bag. I still got one in my closet. All right, Caroline you have to make this quick in about 45 seconds. Go.

[Jane (Caller)]

Great. Hi. So grand to be on the phone with you. So my Barney story is when I first moved to New York, 20 something, right out of college, my very nice aunt would treat me to a little shopping spree at Barney's once or twice a year. She was Joan Rivers and she would work with your personal shoppers for her talk show at the time. So she knew them. And I would go and I get a couple hundred dollars worth of very chic clothing that I knew nothing about until I was educated by your lovely shoppers.

[Caller Host/Producer]

Caroline. Perfect. Thank you so much for calling.

[Gene Pressman]

I knew your aunt Joan. In fact, I was up at her apartment. She was great.

[Caller Host/Producer]

The book is called they All Came to A Personal History of the World's Greatest Store. My guest has been joined. Gene Pressman. Thanks for coming in.

[Gene Pressman]

My pleasure. Thank you.

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