Barneys May Be Dead, But Their Vintage Collection Is Not

People always talk about the store itself but the in-house collection was just as perfect.

While I’ve started to lock researched “Deep Dive” articles for paying subscribers, this piece will be unlocked for one week...a holiday treat! Long live Barneys New York Collection!

A Barneys ad from 1993. Notice how the clothes are of the same blue hue, but the suit is by Barneys.

Behnaz Sarafpour cannot escape the glory of her Barneys New York Collection designs. When she wears her pieces, some hailing as far back as the late ‘90s, she gets stopped on the street. “People see it, and they’re like, ‘Oh my G-d, could you make that again?’” says Sarafpour over the phone. “I’m like, ‘Can you line up 100 customers to buy that? Then I will produce it. But otherwise, no.’” When we meet for lunch a week later, Sarafpour wears a structured black cashmere sweater with an elegant, bold shoulder. (She affixed her own leather elbow pads later on). The Barneys New York Collection special has held up for over 20 years. Her sweater hadn’t even pilled.