They All Came to Barneys

A Personal History of the World's Greatest Store

De: Gene Pressman

Narrado por: Gene Pressman, Jordan Renzo

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

“Delicious. . . you should really, really give the book a read.” —Vogue

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. . .

©2025 Gene Pressman (P)2025 Penguin Audio

Reseñas de la Crítica

“Those who know Gene will recognize his voice in these pages, the swagger and charm, as he tells an extraordinary story that weaves together Giorgio Armani, the New York Knicks, Azzedine Alaia, Studio 54, Andy Warhol, Linda Evangelista and a famous chimp, and, of course, the inimitable Pressman family.”—Cathy Horyn, critic-at-large, New York Magazine

“I always loved Barneys, and reading They All Came to Barneys made me miss it more than ever.”—Linda Evangelista

“Fashion lovers need no introduction when it comes to Barneys, but perhaps a deep dive into the beloved luxury department store’s history will do. Who better to tell it than Gene Pressman—the former co-CEO and creative director of Barneys New York, as well as the grandson of founder Barney Pressman? Gene offers a sweeping account of the rise and fall of the brand, taking readers inside its labyrinthine empire like never before.”—Harper's Bazaar

Impressive and insightful

I learned quite a bit about the growth of the company and NYC culture.

The History

Gene Pressmans own words as a founder of the greatest men’s and women’s store Bought back personal NYC memories

BRILLIANT insights in Fashion Innovation!!

I absolutely loved everything about this book! I thought the performance by Gene Pressman was wonderful. I liked hearing his authentic voice tell each story. From the early beginnings with his grandfather to the destruction of Barneys, New York, when working with private equity, something that all big names began to face in the 90s and 2000s. What I love the most was the stories of how they helped up-and-coming design designers because that’s what I remember Barneys New York to be. I yearned to shop there as a college student. Barney’s was the epitome of cool, elegance and high fashion. It was like an art gallery and a fashion museum. The inside stories and details of what went down behind the scenes was just amazing. Thank you for sharing it with all of us. I am a person who has saved my black Barneys shopping bags during the closeout sale. I bought the last few artistic Christmas ornaments, nylon branded Barneys NY backpacks, and branded leather wallets. This book was so timely as Giorgio Armani passed away today. It’s an end of an era.

Loved The Story

I lovd being brought back to my time in NYC and many happy hours spent at Barneys. That said, do your producers not proof listen to the book? OMG the mispronounced names! It is inexcusable. It look me straight out of my story bubble trying to figure out who the heck he was talking about. I understand the author wanting a young mans voice to narrate but maybe someone from the fashion community?

Passion and determination

I loved the family’s investment in trying to make Barneys the best fashion destination in New York. There is no substitute for hard work and determination. Incredible store.

Enjoyed, but……the mispronunciations….Wow

Well
You will enjoy this book especially if you part of the generation that lived it.
But the audible had me screaming at the book correcting all the names he blatantly mispronounced. Did Gene Pressman even listen to this? I knew all these people. Insulting ‼️

A delightful walk down memory lane!

This was a delightful walk down memory lane. There will never be another Barney’s New York, or anything close. It was a unicorn,❤️

Painfully boring

I couldn’t force myself to stick with it beyond chapter 3. The content was boring, and the narrator couldn’t be more dull.

Too much Gene and not enough Barneys

I liked everything except the stuff about Gene. Unfortunately, Gene wrote the book and he's a bit much. It felt more like a "sex and drugs and rock 'n roll" memoir than about Barneys.