"When Fred maneuvered to steer him into Barneys, he was a start-upnot quite a nobody but a long way from the top. At that time, he barely had a label to speak of; after putting in time behind the scenes of fashion, the 41-year-old designer founded Giorgio Armani S.p.A. out of a two-room office in 1975."
"Barneys would invest heavily in Armani, promising tens of thousands of dollars in business each season, and in return would get the exclusive license to manufacture an Armani men's collection specifically for American businessmen, in addition to carrying Armani's more high-fashion couture line. For the next ten years, Armani's and Barneys' fates would be tightly linked. Barneys was an important platform for me in every way, Giorgio says today. Their enthusiasm was unconditional, and they immediately decided to give me visibility. We developed a very close relationship that went beyond work."
Fred Pressman transformed Barneys into a higher-end store beginning in the late 1960s and opened the International House in 1970 carrying major European designers. Barneys brought Pierre Cardin, Yves Saint Laurent, Bruno Piattelli, Brioni and Giorgio Armani to its clientele. Giorgio Armani founded his label in 1975 from a two-room office and was a nascent designer when Barneys invested heavily in him. Barneys guaranteed substantial seasonal business and secured an exclusive license to manufacture an Armani men's collection for American businessmen while also carrying his couture. For the next decade Armani's and Barneys' fortunes were closely linked, and early sales grew slowly.
Read at www.esquire.com
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