Barneys New York Opens at the Americana at Brand

Barneys New York is alive and well at The Americana at Brand shopping center in Glendale, Calif.

The recently opened flagship store took over the spot that had been occupied by a Barneys Co-Op. The Barneys Co-Op chain, with its contemporary clothing, was a less expensive option to Barneys New York, known for its designers label.

But last year, a revamp in the retail chain’s business strategy saw an end to the Barneys Co-Op idea. Instead, Richard Perry, whose Perry Capital took a majority share in the retailer in 2012, decided to convert the Barneys Co-Ops into spaces for the department store.

Perry has been trying to resuscitate the chain after it flirted with bankruptcy. It hit hard times after Dubai-based Istithmar took over in 2007 and then saw the economy nosedive, sending luxury shoppers into hibernation. Ron Burkle and his Los Angeles–based Yucaipa Companies also took a stake.

Perry and his wife, clothing designer Lisa Perry, apparently want to bring back haute couture to the retail venture.

The Barneys Co-Ops at Santa Monica Place and The Grove in the Los Angeles area have also been converted to Barneys New York spaces. The Barney Co-Op closed at South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa, Calif.

As part of the rebranding of the store at the Americana at Brand, the outpost has added some star designers to the lineup, which includes Balenciaga, Manolo Blahnik, Proenza Schouler, Stella McCartney, Gianvito Rossi, Marni and Maison Martin Margiela.