Fashion People Podcast: Episode Summary

Episode: Goodbye Mr. Armani, Hello Chloe Malle
Date: September 5, 2025
Host: Lauren Sherman
Guests: Gene Pressman (author, former President of Barneys New York), Jessica Testa (New York Times reporter)

Overview

This episode is split into two major segments. The first half is a thoughtful discussion on Giorgio Armani's passing and the appointment of Chloe Malle as the new Editor of American Vogue, featuring Lauren Sherman and Jessica Testa. The second half is an extended interview with Gene Pressman, who shares personal and historical insights on the legacy of Barneys New York, the changing tides of retail and fashion, and his engaging new memoir.

Key Discussion Points

Remembering Giorgio Armani (03:10–10:29)

• Armani’s Influence & Fashion Show Experiences:

  • Jessica recalls her first Armani show in Milan, the unique pageantry ("an extra level"), and the reverent atmosphere as Giorgio Armani, aging and a legendary figure, would appear at the end.
  • Lauren discusses Barney’s pivotal role in bringing Armani to the US, and reflects on Armani’s control, consistency, and starting his iconic business in his 40s.

    “He controlled everything in a positive way... Not only the consistency and how that allowed him to have a bigger impact, but also that he started his business in his forties.” — Lauren Sherman (08:27)

• Fashion Show Culture & Memories:

  • Both reminisce on the memorable, almost old-school experience of Armani shows—numbered seating, audience reactions, and models smiling, which was rare.

• Legacy of Personal Style:

  • Lauren confesses her love of navy is “because of Giorgio Armani.”
  • Jessica notes she associates Armani’s later work with "pastel metallics."

The Business of Fashion Hospitality (09:31–10:29)

• Fashion Brands Opening Restaurants:
  • Discussion around rumors of Prada opening a Soho restaurant, brands mimicking Ralph’s Cafe, and the broader trend of fashion and hospitality blending, with Lauren citing the importance of on-the-ground sources.

Chloe Malle’s Appointment at Vogue (10:29–20:18)

• A New Era at American Vogue:

  • Lauren summarizes her big takeaways from Testa’s Times interview with Chloe Malle: her skillful media handling, her intention to decrease magazine frequency, and her vision of Vogue as “a smaller idea that hopefully will be more universal.”

    “She positioned it as something she wanted... and she also talked about, essentially, Vogue being a smaller idea that hopefully will be more universal.” — Lauren Sherman (12:41)

• Insider vs. Outsider Leadership:

  • Jessica agrees Malle’s trustworthiness in the eyes of Anna Wintour was key. She contrasts modern insider appointments with past norms of bringing in “fresh faces” to reform magazines, referencing changes at Vanity Fair as another example.

    “This needed to be a person that Anna trusted to the bone. That was never going to be a total outsider again.” — Jessica Testa (13:05)

• Media Evolution and Staff Changes:

  • Lauren notes the “transitioning out” of senior Vogue editors, maintaining that Malle’s role is to delicately shift the magazine’s direction without alarming staff.
  • Both point out a shift in legacy magazines away from “heavy creative” toward strategy and audience, and the desire for journalists over purely fashion creatives.

• Curious Parallels & Magazine History:

  • They discuss Joan Juliet Buck, a unique previous Vogue editor, and ponder if Chloe Malle might be influenced by similarly unconventional predecessors.

State of Media & Future Revenue (18:52–20:18)

• Optimism About the Media Business:

  • Jessica Testa expresses hope in community, memberships, events, subscriptions (“I’m bullish”), and innovative revenue streams, citing Mr. Beast’s success with commerce ventures as a model for traditional outlets to follow.

    “So that gives me hope... but also just like finding interesting new revenue streams. I think if you look at somebody like Mr. Beast... he now makes more money from his chocolate line than he does from his YouTube videos.” — Jessica Testa (19:27)

• Potential Innovation for Fashion Legacy Media:

  • Testa imagines Vogue could launch games or products outside its core, just as the New York Times has diversified.

Gene Pressman Interview

On Breakfast, Family, & Memoir Motivation (21:23–29:00)

• Why Write a Memoir?

  • Gene Pressman wanted to correct misinterpretations of Barneys, solidify the Pressman family’s legacy, and narrate how Barneys was more than a store, but a cultural movement:

    “I sort of wanted to get the record straight... there have been many different interpretations of Barneys, and there’s a lot of BS out there too.” — Gene Pressman (23:44)

• Cultural Context Across Decades:

  • He recounts being “age-appropriate” to witness the cultural booms of the 60s and 70s; the British Invasion, American Dream, and quirky details of his own New York upbringing.

Barneys as Cultural Engine (31:09–44:21)

• European & American Fusion:

  • Barneys fused American freedom, European sophistication, and was shaped by dynamic decades—“not only influenced by culture, but part of the culture.”
  • The shift from menswear to adding women’s fashion in 1976 (thanks to Yves Saint Laurent).

• Nurturing New Talent:

  • Gene emphasizes their loyalty to emerging designers, sometimes waiting out slow starts and never dropping talent quickly.

    “I would tell all the merchants, don’t come back from Europe without a new designer or something new, or don’t come back.” — Gene Pressman (47:21)

What People Get Wrong About Barneys (44:21–48:47)

• Strong Legacy, but Changing Essence:

  • Even after the Pressman era, the perception of Barneys as a cultural “temple” survived, but the store stagnated creatively. For Gene, the Pressman era was about constant reinvention and inspiration drawn from all facets of culture, not just fashion.

    “We competed against ourselves... It was, what have you done for me lately?” — Gene Pressman (46:19)

• Support for Designers:

  • A key value was nurturing and sticking with designers, unlike competitors who dropped brands quickly.

Why Multi-brand Retail Is So Hard (49:27–58:30)

• Structural Industry Problems:

  • Gene argues department stores became “airport stores,” losing merchant talent and just renting out branded boutiques instead of curating or owning their point of view.

    “Today, it’s just—I call them ‘airport stores’... There’s no ownership in terms of buying merchandise or building a space or nurturing the customer.” — Gene Pressman (51:22)

• Mistakes of Constant Sales:

  • He’s critical of retailers training customers to buy only during sales, a model doomed to failure, especially amplified by e-commerce.

    “They train their customer to buy on sale. And after you start doing that, they don’t come in except to buy on sale. There’s no way you can survive.” — Gene Pressman (52:40)

• Vision for a Modern Barneys:

  • If still at Barneys, he would have shrunk the fashion footprint, introduced food halls, concert venues, and even condos and media ventures—anything to drive “spirit and excitement.”

    “I would have probably opened a 50,000 square foot food hall... I would have had a theater, art exhibitions... under the Barneys umbrella.” — Gene Pressman (57:13)

Family Dynamics & Barneys’ Demise (59:19–65:15)

• The Challenge of Family Business:

  • Eight family members worked together; Gene maintained functional independence and avoided overlap, emphasizing trust.

  • Candidly admits you can’t really avoid dysfunction, but conflict wasn’t his style.

    “If dysfunction and family aren’t synonymous... what family doesn’t have that dynamic?” — Gene Pressman (59:55)

• Sense of Humor as Brand DNA:

  • Barneys’ advertising and windows were known for playful irreverence—something Gene says later incarnations lacked, though it was integral to their cultural resonance.

What Made Barneys Unique (65:15–69:16)

• Quality over Trends:
  • Gene always insisted Barneys was not trendy for the sake of trend, but “modern classic”—pieces built to last, relevant decades later.

    “Barneys was the leader in fashion and created trends, but it was so not trendy... Quality and value at any price.” — Gene Pressman (66:09)

Fashion Pricing & The Real Renaissance (71:08–73:50)

• Fashion Is Too Expensive Now:
  • He’s astonished by current prices, seeing them as artificially inflated by conglomerates.
  • Argues vintage is now the value play for young shoppers; claims the real “renaissance” of fashion was the 80s, not the 90s, because of Paris and Japanese designers.

Most Influential Designer Relationships (74:46–77:09)

• Giorgio Armani: Business Transformative

  • Armani changed both Barneys and menswear in America; he had a “completely different sensibility” and a unique partnership with Gene’s father.

• Azzedine Alaïa: Creative Soulmate

  • Alaïa was a close friend and creative kindred spirit. Both designers are, in Gene’s view, the human embodiment of the Barneys ethos — modern classic, quality, and edge.

    “He would always say to me, ‘Gene, did you bring my passport?’... He was such a wonderful human being... I loved Assadi.” — Gene Pressman (75:12)

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• On Armani’s Legacy:
  “He started this empire in his forties... That’s something that, like, I think about all the time because—how many people feel like if they haven't made it by 30, it's over? And it’s not.” — Lauren Sherman (08:20)

• On The Role of Media Today:
  “There is a whole generation of people coming into power in media who have seen rapid growth up close and are disillusioned with that mentality.” — Jessica Testa (10:50)

• On Department Stores vs. Barneys:
  “We were never a department store. I find that insulting for us.” — Gene Pressman (65:46)

• On Barneys’ Relationship with Designers:
  “Barneys loved new talent, and we really nurtured it and brought it along... We stayed with them.” — Gene Pressman (47:27)

• On Vintage vs. Current Prices:
  “If I was a young person, I'd only be buying vintage, because it's beautiful and the prices are more in line...” — Gene Pressman (72:37)

• On Barneys Unique Selling Point:
  “Barneys was the leader in fashion and created trends, but it was so not trendy... We believed in buying things that were built to last.” — Gene Pressman (66:09)

Memorable Moments

• Jessica holding up a Financial Times cover of Armani in “a navy T-shirt and bright green or yellow sneakers.” (03:25)
• Lauren’s reflection: “The reason someone like Chloe gets that job: she knows how to handle herself, she answers well, and also knows when not to answer.” (11:39)
• Gene’s anecdote about customers wanting to be shown what they wanted—“they want you to tell them”—and not just being passive buyers. (52:20)
• Final heartfelt mentions of Azzedine Alaïa: “He was such a wonderful human being, but he was very shy, and he could be very arrogant and very difficult. His middle fingers were up all the time... And I just love that about him.” (75:29)

Conclusion

This episode is a rich tapestry of the past, present, and (possible) future of fashion. It honors the passing of a legend (Giorgio Armani), tracks the ever-evolving media landscape with Chloe Malle at Vogue, and delivers a masterclass in fashion and retail history with Gene Pressman’s reflections on Barneys and the unique souls that shaped it. If you’re interested in fashion’s inner workings—how business, creativity, and culture collide—this is essential listening.

Episode Highlights by Timestamp

• [03:10] Remembering Giorgio Armani: His legacy, shows, cultural intersections
• [10:29] Fashion brands in hospitality—restaurants, cafes, new concepts
• [10:50] Chloe Malle’s appointment at Vogue: strategy, media posture, insider transitions
• [18:52] Media’s future: community, subscriptions, alternative revenue
• [21:23] Gene Pressman reflects: memoir motivation, Barneys’ legacy
• [31:09] Barneys: cultural influence, support of new designers, NYC’s creative energy
• [44:21] Barneys misperceptions, legacy, and lasting appeal
• [49:27] Retail challenges: why stores fail, discounting culture, what could have been
• [59:19] Family business dynamics at Barneys
• [65:15] Barneys’ sense of humor, advertising, “quality over trendiness”
• [71:08] Fashion pricing then and now, vintage resurgence
• [74:46] Most influential designers: Armani & Alaïa

For real-time inside scoops and more, follow Lauren Sherman’s Line Sheet on Puck.