They All Came to Barneys by Gene Pressman with Simon Doonan

Join us for a conversation with former co-CEO and creative director of Barneys New York Gene Pressman, to celebrate the launch of his new book, an insider look at the store that came to dress an entire generation of celebrities, models, artists, and magnates. He will be joined in coversation by author and CFDA award winner Simon Doonan, followed by a signing.

PLEASE NOTE: RSVPs are encouraged but not required. Seating is limited and will be first come, first served. Doors open at 5:30 pm.

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During the greatest, most exciting years in the world’s greatest, most exciting city, Barneys New York was a place where fashion made culture and made history.

In They All Came to Barneys, Gene Pressman tells his story for the first time, capturing the unprecedented rise and unimaginable fall of his family’s multimillion-dollar fashion retail empire as only he can: from the inside

From its humble beginnings as a discount shop on Seventh Avenue, Barneys grew into an international phenomenon, setting the tone for fashion not only in New York, but across the country and worldwide. Told with razor-sharp wit and inimitable style, They All Came to Barneys takes us on an insider’s journey as rakish, would-be rocker Gene Pressman and the global fashion industry grew up and came into their own, side by side.

Through back-room handshake deals with designers, days at the haberdasheries on Savile Row and nights out at New York clubs and Paris bistros, three generations of Pressmans—grandfather Barney, son Fred, and grandson Gene—built Barney’s little shop into an empire and a byword for cool around the world. They All Came to Barneys is a front-row seat to the rise of some of the biggest names in fashion (Armani, Alaïa, Wintour, Meisel) and the store that came to dress an entire generation of celebrities, models, artists, and magnates. Set against the biggest movements in fashion and in culture, from the birth of ready-to-wear in the ’60s and disco delirium in the ’70s to the devastation of AIDS in the ’80s and the explosion of globalization in the ’90s, Gene Pressman had a backstage pass to history—until hubris, ambition, and risky business threatened to tear it all apart. . .

Gene Pressman was co-CEO, creative director, and head of merchandising and marketing for Barneys New York, and a veteran of the store for more than 25 years. Under his leadership, Barneys New York emerged as the defining force in retailing for upscale men’s and women’s ready-to-wear, accessories, and home furnishings. He is the co-author, with Noah Kerner, of Chasing Cool, a distillation of his marketing philosophy, which is required reading at over 100 universities. A graduate of the Newhouse School at Syracuse University, he lives with his family in Palm Beach.

Simon Doonan is the author of many books, including biographies of Keith Haring and Lou Reed, and DRAG, The Complete Story. His newest book is titled The Camp 100 - Glorious flamboyance, from Louis XIV to Lil NasX. A long-standing member of the fashion community, Simon was awarded the prestigious CFDA award for his unconventional window design work as longtime Creative Director for Barneys New York. A BBC TV comedy series based on his autobiography titled ‘Beautiful People’ aired around the world. Simon is a regular guest at The MOTH, the well-known storytelling series, and a season regular on the Emmy-nominated NBC competition series ‘Making It’ starring Amy Poehler and Nick Offerman. Simon lives in the USA with his partner, the ceramicist and designer Jonathan Adler, and their rescue-mutt Foxylady.

Host or Publisher Rizzoli Bookstore