BARNEYS OPENING

Barney’s had a fabulous opening tonight at NorthPark, and I was totally surprised to hear Patti LaBelle–see Patti LaBelle in the flesh! She was AWESOME!

“Honey, I’m 63, I’m menopausal and I have diabetes…I’m one mean black woman!”

You go girl! Voulez-vous couchez avec moi, se soi?

Probably one of the best openings I’ve been to. First of all, everyone wore NYC black (except for moi–what was I thinking?) Said Jonathan Adler, the designer and partner of Barneys Creative Director Simon Doonan: “These Dallas gals go all out–I mean their clothes, hair, they look wonderful!”

This on my tour of the personal private shopper lounge–men’s done up in tough animal tones, skins, and a generous smattering of phallic symbols; the ladies–soft lavender tones, fun frilly chairs, and a gorgeous bauble chandelier.

We talked earlier about the Marcus family–well I saw Linda Marcus with Margaret McDermott, Shelle Bagot Sills, Howard and Cindy Rachofsky, and my dear friends Armand and Cindy Schwartz, Tammy Hartnett (Will was at a meeting), Leslie and Harold Bell, Christine Schuepbach looking radiant, Jan Showers, Josie McCarthy and daughter Eugenie, and the best surprise of all: Jackson! Didn’t dawn on me till later Jackson is Barneys concierge. That’s right, Barneys has a concierge for people who need help getting about in town, getting things delivered, reservations, just about everything…and Jackson did reveal a few more plans, but I promised to keep mum (as he filled my champagne glass…mais oui.).

Can you believe it? Service may be coming back. Oh I weep at the thought of it! You shop, you spend your hard earned dollars in a store and rather than insult you and give you dirty looks when the sensor tags they left on go off, they welcome you, love you, fete you, and welcome you back.

I checked out Chelsea’s and couldn’t keep my fingers off my credit card. Wonderful stuff–pillows, throws (Peggy, you will love Tessera), candelabra. And just wait till you see Barneys jewelry department. Let’s say I used to save my pennies for a trip to Takashiyama or Bendels, but Barneys has a great jewelry department–stay home. And a well-trained sales clerk! With a smile, as I lamented over a purchase, I told the cute young sales gal that I was buying silver, not gold, and gold was in for fall.

Without skipping a beat she said–”Everything Barneys buys and sells is in high fashion. If it’s not, we don’t carry it.”

This Barneys is much different–and bigger–from the one I recall years ago. So many design details on the store, it’s enough for an article. Wait until you see the cosmetic counters! Literally the counters, who cares about the cosmetics — marble slabs that are to-die-for. Dallas, I think we’re in for a real treat. It looked kind of quiet over at Neimans and as for Saks–well, what can I say, it’s north of 635. Give us a reason to drive up there! Saks was my second home when I lived in Chicago, but you know, times do change, and when energetic young talent comes in, we love it.

Barneys, we love you! Just what this town needs!