It’s not a mirage; Barneys is returning to NYC, but only temporarily. The iconic retailer will go back to its SoHo roots with a five-week pop-up facilitated by beauty brand Hourglass. It’s a symmetrical turnaround: the Hourglass brand debuted at the famed department store two decades ago.
“As Hourglass celebrates 20 incredible years of innovation, we’re honoring the iconic place where we got our start — Barneys New York — by paying it forward for the next generation of creative talent,” said the beauty company on LinkedIn. “The unique collaboration includes an extraordinary Hourglass & Barneys pop-up experience featuring an exciting curation of fashion and beauty brands, limited-edition products, exclusive merchandise, guest appearances, cultural events and more.”
This is hardly the first revival for Barneys since its 2019 bankruptcy and subsequent acquisition by brand management firm Authentic Brands Group. The brand continued to live on through shop-in-shops at Saks Fifth Avenue and launched a diffusion line at Forever 21 (also owned by Authentic) last year. But the upcoming pop-up will represent the retailer’s first step back into standalone brick-and-mortar, albeit a temporary one.
The 1,500-square-foot pop-up will take up residence at 14 Prince Street from Sept. 5 to Oct. 11, opening just in time to capitalize on New York Fashion Week. The outing is being orchestrated by Hourglass Founder Carisa Janes, with an assortment curated by former Barneys New York SVP and Fashion Director Julie Gilhart.
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The shop will feature a collection of both emerging and established brands including Marc Jacobs, Thom Browne, Christopher John Rogers and Khaite alongside beauty newcomers selected by Janes such as Reome, Perfumehead and AKT.
“Barneys was an exciting place where a new brand could get its start,” said Gilhart in an interview with Vogue. “I’m grateful to Hourglass for remembering how they began at Barneys 20 years ago, and now celebrating the many different types of energic talent found in the fabric of New York City.”
Hourglass will have a beauty bar in the heart of the shop and will offer a limited-edition Barneys x Hourglass cosmetics palette. To further support future creatives, Hourglass is partnering with the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) by donating to its scholarship fund for rising talent and integrating the organization into the store.
