Barneys New York to be Reborn in Florida

A group of investors led by former Saks Fifth Avenue executive Richard Cohen is working to relaunch Barneys New York in Florida, starting with a 10,000-square-foot space within the Bayfront marina/development in Naples, <em>Women’s Wear Daily reports. Cohen teamed with industry executive Eric Appelblom to form One Luxury Solution, which has obtained exclusive rights to use the Barneys name in the upscale city on southwest Florida’s Gulf Coast from Authentic Brands Group, which bought the brand’s name in the wake of its liquidation several years ago.

“We hope to open Barneys in Naples before the end of the year. So we’ve got a lot of work to do,” Cohen told WWD. “We plan to open other Barneys stores in Florida, and work directly with ABG.”

As for the planned first store’s site in Naples, Cohen says the Bayfront complex is working to bring in new tenants that would make compatible neighbors for a Barneys. “We have an agreement with Swims, the men’s shoe brand, and with Pilotti, an Italian shoe company. We have some high-end restaurants going in too, but Barneys is the key.”

Cohen said the new Barneys will include a Freds restaurant and a Chelsea Passage home area, two popular destinations at Barneys’ longtime home based in Manhattan. As for merchandise, Barneys private label will be sold along with “some of the most famous brands in the world,” he said.

While there has been some talk about bringing Barneys back to its former flagship site on Madison Avenue at 61st Street in Manhattan, that’s not on Cohen’s agenda, WWD notes. As of yet, no operator for restoring Barneys in its famed store on Madison Avenue has been identified, but according to sources, Authentic Brands Group Executive Jamie Salter has been in discussions with the landlord of 660 Madison, Ashkenazy Acquisition Corp., regarding terms for a potential lease.