Talking Points: Gene Pressman

With the release of Gene Pressman’s book, They All Came to Barneys: A Personal History of the World’s Greatest Store (Viking, 2025), everyone’s talking about Barneys again! The legendary New York department store—founded in 1923 by Gene’s grandfather, Barney Pressman—redefined American retail under the vision of his father, Fred Pressman. What began as a discount menswear shop evolved into a global fashion phenomenon, forever changing the way we shop. In his book, Pressman chronicles the dazzling rise and ultimate fall of his family’s empire, offering an insider’s view of fashion, fame, and the forces that led to Barneys’ eventual bankruptcy.

For PALMER, longtime Barneys creative director—and fellow Palm Beach resident—Simon Doonan sat down with Pressman to discuss the book and his tenure as Co-CEO of one of fashion’s most storied names.

Why did you write this book? Barneys discovered so many talented designers. Who are your personal faves?

Well, there are two categories. Creatively, I would have to say Giorgio Armani, who my father and I brought to the United States in 1976 and which really changed men’s fashion—and Barneys—at the time.

As far as personal friends are concerned, there are so many but I would have to say Azzedine Alaia, Dries Van Noten, and Yohji Yamamoto are all designers we brought to Barneys and I became close with. Not to mention, dear friends like Calvin Klein, who I met at Studio 54 back in the 70s, Donna Karan, who I encouraged to start her men’s line, and Vera Wang, who was really just doing bridal when we approached her about doing ready-to-wear.

I feel so lucky to have met both Barney and Fred. What did you learn from these incredible dudes? And let’s not forget your amazing mom Phyllis, too!

Barney was my first “roommate” out of college. He lived at 67th and Park and that wasn’t a bad spot. I had gone to Syracuse and studied motion pictures. I had no intention of working in the family business, but what I learned from him was invaluable. In the 1960s, Ripley’s named Barneys the largest men’s store in the world. He was a real character. He had a great sense of humor but he took no prisoners. I was very lucky because he was very loving. We had a very loving family.

Fred and I were very close. We did everything together and we traveled the world, so I learned everything by osmosis. He was very sophisticated and taught me everything about the finer things. He was a connoisseur of quality and a great merchant.

Phylils was only 20 when she became pregnant with me, so we were like brother and sister. Like my father, she had an eye for beauty, but she was more interested in objects d’art and home design. We used to go to the flee markets in Paris together and we developed similar taste. I once tried to bid on an Art Deco French Desk. It was back when you had to call your bids in and I was calling and the auction house kept calling back with higher and higher bids and I remember getting very annoyed. At dinner that night, I remember her telling she had been bidding on a table too. Turns out it was the same one and she was the one bidding against me the whole time!

You have always been very upbeat and positive. Where did you get your joie de vivre?