Latest news with #Barney's
Daily Maverick
13-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Maverick
Boks score big — and so do Nelson Mandela Bay businesses
Gqeberha's hospitality scene came alive this past weekend as the Springboks delivered a 45-0 win over Italy — and a major win for local bars, restaurants and fan parks. From packed beachfront joints to shuttle services ferrying fans, it was the Bay's biggest sporting boost since the 2010 Fifa World Cup. Beyond the 45-0 drubbing of the Italians at the NMB Stadium on Saturday, the Springboks brought a week of gees, good vibes and a major cash injection for the local hospitality industry. Some of the Bay's most popular establishments said they had not seen this kind of support for a sporting event since the 2010 Fifa World Cup, and bookings were made weeks in advance to secure seats in front of the big screens. Some rugby fans might have enjoyed the gees a little too much. At least 12 rugby fans had a less than ideal weekend after they were arrested for drunk driving when leaving the stadium on Saturday night. Business bonanza Barney's Tavern, a beachfront institution in Gqeberha, had a bumper weekend, with the first fans arriving from as early as 8am on Saturday. Owner Craig Mittens said the rugby season was crucial for business in the winter months, and while they expected good support, this past weekend had been exceptional. 'I don't think we've seen this kind of business since the 2010 World Cup. We had guys flying into Gqeberha stopping by for breakfast at 8am, and the last customers walked out of here after 1am on Sunday. 'And at 8am on Sunday, we were almost packed again as guys stopped by for breakfast before catching their flights back home. It was crazy.' Mittens and his team ran a shuttle service that transported 120 people between Barney's and the stadium before and after the game. While he still needs to crunch the numbers to determine exactly how good business was on Saturday, Mittens said he would not be surprised if they reached record-setting figures. In Good Company, a hospitality collective based in Gqeberha, also believed they reached record numbers as their establishments showed an increase in activity for the entire week leading up to the Springbok-Italy clash. 'We had bookings coming in for the rugby about a month in advance, and even our stores not showing the rugby were packed. It just goes to show the ripple effect that an event like a Springbok game can have on business,' operations manager Anle Marais said. With one of its beachfront restaurants, Something Good, only a stone's throw from the Springboks' hotel, Marais said they had fans coming and going the whole week as Siya Kolisi and his teammates frequented the establishment. Bridge Street Brewery collaborated with Castle Lager as an official fan park and was bursting at the seams until closing time at 2am. Meanwhile, despite not even having TVs, business at Hello! Beach and Hello! It's Me Walmer was also booming. 'Some people came for a bite before going to watch the game, while we definitely saw some wives come out while their husbands were at the rugby. The knock-on effect of these big events is immeasurable,' Marais noted. Safety and security Director of Traffic and Licensing in Nelson Mandela Bay, Warren Prins, applauded establishments that offered shuttle services to and from the stadium as it helped to reduce the number of inebriated drivers. 'From the Metro Police, we had upwards of 40 officers manning 22 points around the stadium before, during and after the game. We also had officials at the event to help other law-enforcement agencies to monitor and manage the crowd.' Prins said besides a handful of petty crimes such as pickpocketing, the event was a major success from a safety and security point of view. 'No major incidents, especially violent incidents, were reported to us, and we arrested 12 people for driving under the influence after the match. Overall, I believe the crowds were generally well-behaved and we saw little need for serious intervention,' Prins said. DM
Los Angeles Times
02-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
A shopping experience bringing rare design, art and fashion — with a little bit of intimidation
It was clear while ascending to the Pacific Design Center that — the inaugural retail experience blending rare design, art and fashion — was for the heads. In the parking lot, I spotted a woman wearing a coat from the Row, another in a pair of Miu Miu thong-boots. The signaling was subtle but clear: We come to this place for flexing. I followed them and other stylish people to the top floor of the center, where rooms holding rare works of art, housewares, furniture and fashion awaited. The point for Jesse Lee — founder of the online design marketplace, which organized last weekend — was less see and be seen, and more: see, be seen, and most importantly: buy. Buy. Buy. Buy. Everything was for sale, from the niche perfumes of Troye Sivan's Tsu Lange Yor, to the red Chirac Sofa by Paulin Paulin Paulin X Christo & Jeanne-Claude X Parley for the Oceans, shown in an all-red room. Outside, French architect and designer Jean Prouvé's iconic gas station from 1969 made its debut on American soil. Other participants included fashion brands and vintage dealers, from 424 to Justin Reed; cornerstones of Italian design, like Memphis Milano and Edizioni del Pesce by Gaetano Pesce. One-of-one art objects, like the silver and crystal-encrusted can openers and martini glasses from the Future Perfect's Perfect Nothing Catalog. While many, if not most, of the pieces shown at the fair were museum worthy, was never intended to be a museum, says Lee. It's not a passive experience, but an interactive, high-stakes marketplace. Walking through felt like being in the fanciest department store in an upscale mall 30 years ago — before malls were mere skeletons, before we spent all our time scrolling on the Real Real or 1stDibs. was filled with the sexiness and tension of the shopping experiences of yore. There was crispy white carpet in rooms featuring iconic design pieces from the Italian design house Gufram, including the Pratone lounge chair in the vibrant shape and color of oversized blades of grass. There were performance art elements from other vendors. Enorme was selling its original 1985 phone designed by Jean Pigozzi, Ettore Sottsass and David Kelley in a set made to look and feel like an '80s office, including a model in period-perfect styling, hair and makeup, speaking on said phone. It felt like watching a movie. There were also moving moments of discovery. I was stunned to find that the beautiful, silver bean bag chair I was immediately drawn to (and almost plopped down on) was actually a 2007 sculpture made of rock-hard aluminum by Cheryl Ekstrom, presented by JF Chen. Lee was inspired by his own experiences of shopping at Barney's in Beverly Hills (RIP) as a design-obsessed youth, before he had the means to be shopping at Barney's. 'What we want this to be is obsessively curated and unapologetically commercial,' Lee says. 'What I miss is what Barney's was for me 10 years ago. It wasn't about the prices or what I bought, but it was more about the fact that I could easily spend six, seven hours really immersing myself in the experience of this luxury store.' also feels like a subtle protest of this new L.A. aesthetic that has emerged in the last 15 years — blond wood, airy, minimalist design, a plant in the corner — that Lee (and I, and many others) have grown fatigued over. These spaces scream: 'We're casual, we're accessible.' With Lee says: 'I want this experience to have a little bit of intimidation.' As we were scouring the racks from Archived, a rare designer fashion and furniture showroom, one of my companions, an editor, noted: 'Alex Israel just took his glasses off.' We collectively realized we'd never actually seen the artist without his sunglasses, but in this context it made the most sense. These pieces we were all poring over demanded a closer look: From an Autumn/Winter 2002 Gucci shearling fur coat, to a pair of perfectly worn-in Helmut Lang leather pants from the late '90s that made me salivate. In the same exhibiting room was Hommemade, A$AP Rocky's interior design studio. It featured the Hommemade Cafe, which was serving a meticulous espresso martini, and the Hommemade entertainment console and professional studio on wheels — complete with a projector, microphones, snack dispenser and rolling tray. Rocky's first collection with Ray-Ban as its newly appointed creative director was also on display. Later that evening, Rocky himself made an appearance, effectively consecrating his own corner of the fair and as a whole. was invite-only. And its invitees felt like a rare group, for whom niche furniture designers and archival fashion pieces existed in tabs that lived side by side in their brains. It was different from the crowd of patrons you might see at a traditional art fair (not enough rizz), different from those, even, whom you may see at a fashion party (performative rizz). These people, it was clear, were intentional about the capital D-design of everything in their lives, from their jackets to their salt and pepper shakers.
Forbes
28-03-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Hourglass Cosmetics Evolves: A Global Flagship, Gracie Abrams And More
Gracie Abrams is the new Global Brand Partner of Hourglass Cosmetics. The ephemeral feel of our fast-paced and increasingly digital world, there is something comforting to be found in the endurance of the brick-and-mortar storefront. After twenty-years in business, being sold at retailers and online, Hourglass Cosmetics is opening their first-ever Global Flagship in New York City. Following their successful pop-up with Barney's New York last year, the brand's Founder and President, Carisa Janes, found it fitting that Hourglass embody its own dedicated space at 14 Prince Street. 'Our flagship space is more than a traditional beauty boutique—it's a true extension of the Hourglass brand,' Janes writes in an e-mail to 'I wanted it to feel like an intimate environment, almost like stepping into my home, where guests can engage with the products in a meaningful way.' The beauty industry has often seen skincare lines and their underlying skin philosophies inspire destination-specific spas across the globe. Think, for instance, of the Biologique Recherche Ambassades or the various Maisons Orveda. But seeing a luxury cosmetics retailer take this leap into creating an immersive brand experience signals a shift in the way that beauty-lovers are interfacing with cosmetics. Hourglass opens its first-ever Global Flagship location in New York. 'The flagship will be also be a hub for connection and creativity, where we'll host masterclasses, panel discussions and cultural programming designed to spark conversation and to encourage self-expression,' she continues. Of course, lighting was of major importance when designing the brand's physical manifestation—and not just because they are famous for their Ambient™ Lighting Collection. We have all experienced the frustrations of attempting to shade-match concealer and foundation in a department store's poor lighting, only to step outside and realize that we had been led astray. But Janes wanted to remove this obstacle altogether by 'carefully considering how the lighting interacts with the products.' Hourglass is, after all, perhaps best-known for their beloved complexion products. In a recent interview with Harper's Bazaar, their newest Global Brand Partner, Grammy-nominated singer Gracie Abrams, specifically named their best-selling Vanish Airbrush Concealer, $38, as the makeup product she would choose if she could only use one cosmetic for a day. Paradoxical though it might seem, crafting natural-looking makeup is itself an art form—one that Hourglass has always sought to champion. Beyond the importance shade-matching concealer and foundation to the complexion's undertone, there comes the importance of product texture and how to create a blended, second skin-like finish. It is certainly a part of Hourglass' brand DNA to make a clean complexion possible using minimal product; this was part of the ethos behind their launch of the Veil Hydrating Skin Tint Foundation, $49. Hourglass Cosmetics This also ties in the expertise of their inaugural Artist In Residence, celebrity makeup artist Emily Cheng. Cheng, who is known for working with celebrities like Abrams, Billie Eilish, Sofia Richie Grainge, and more, will help launch their Masterclass programming in April 2025. Cheng's makeup style is a natural fit for Hourglass' complexion range as it often features a natural look, meticulous eyeliner and unfailingly perfect, effortless skin. 'Hourglass is a staple in my kit because the products allow me to create a flawless base every time,' Cheng writes in an e-mail to She applauds the line's consistent performance, across all skin types and tones, and says that it has been in her kit for 'as long as I can remember.' While she describes her overall aesthetic focus as 'accentuating features and highlighting the client's natural beauty,' she gets to work 'sculpting and creating dimension.' She considers skincare prep so important to the integrity, wear and appearance of complexion makeup that she spends 'at least a quarter of the time prepping the skin, hydrating dryness and lifting' in order to proceed using as minimal coverage as possible. Gracie Abrams is the new Global Brand Partner for Hourglass Cosmetics. Her preference for natural-looking complexion makeup is also why she loves the brand's skin tint, a hydrating formula with a blurring, tone-evening finish that that she 'can use without it looking heavy.' She then goes in and pinpoints blemishes or discoloration. 'Because it's so pigmented, I don't need a lot,' Cheng says of the line's cult-favorite concealer It seems that the entire beauty industry is after the look of a bare-faced glow, with endless new combinations of lasers and skincare actives promising to deliver just this. While some lucky individuals have been graced by the skincare gods with all-natural complexion perfection, in reality, we all have to fake it sometimes. On these occasions, there is a reason why so many experts and It-girls reach for Hourglass Cosmetics, whose innovations in complexion care make makeup minimalism possible. At the mezzo-level, this is an interesting move being made in the luxury beauty sector. It could be a pure a genius business strategy to harness the talents of celebrity makeup artists like Cheng to create the exact type of makeup tutorials and beauty content that goes viral online. While we wait to see how others in luxury cosmetics move in response to Hourglass' plans, we can soon bide our time with the makeup tips to come from the new Artist In Residence Series.
Forbes
21-03-2025
- Business
- Forbes
The New Printemps Store In New York Is Fun
The shopping floor at the new Printemps store I was prepared not to like the new Printemps store in New York before I saw it. After all, how did these French retailers think they could just drop into New York, in the financial district no less, and turn sophisticated and jaded New Yorkers' heads? The U.S. is a tempting market, it's the largest consumer market in the world but it's also the graveyard of European brands and retailers who've come here to make their business grow. Shoes at the new Printemps store But after seeing the effort, attention, thought and creativity put into every inch of the store, it's hard not to like it. If you're a tourist in New York or you just like to shop, you'd miss out by not heading down to One Wall Street where the store recently opened. I've toured a lot of stores and I thought I'd be in the 54 thousand square foot shop for 15 minutes but I was there for over an hour. There's a lot to see. There are many discreet areas and each one has been thoughtfully decorated. There's a ton of vintage product that's unique and interesting (and expensive) but fun to see. And like their Paris store but on a smaller scale, the food offerings will keep you inside. There's a lot of interesting vintage product at the new Printemps store. It's fun and interesting and that's what shopping should be. It's worth seeing even if you weren't planning to be in FiDi. But if you're a tourist, there's now lots of things that will bring you nearby and sparing another hour to see the Printemps store is a good use of your time. More vintage at the new Printemps store Arianne Lapidus of Printemps said that since Barney's closed there's a gap in the market that Printemps is attemping to fill. While the new store will not remind you of Barney's, that's probably a good thing. I saw the financials of many of the small brands that were sold in Barney's and they were almost all unprofitable; what was a win for Barney's wasn't necessarily a good financial outcome for its vendors. And time has passed, we don't need to recreate Barney's, we need to see what comes next and Printemps is trying to be that new thing. For now, the crowds are literally lining up at the door. The crowd waiting to get in. All the entrances have lines, this one is at One Wall Street But about eventual success, there's no way to know right now. Here's what I wonder about: - Will the people who live, work and visit FiDi keep coming in or will it be one and done? - Will Printemps keep the products as fresh and interesting as they were at the store opening? Lapidus of Printemps made the point that Printemps owns all the inventory, there are no leased departments. What she was getting at is that they didn't let anything but good merchandising drive their product decisions and that's what retail should be. The beauty corridor in the Printemps store - Will they keep the layout? There's a champagne bar, a cocktail bar, a raw bar and a cafe. There's also a corridor on the upper level (pictured above) that you have to walk through to get from one end of the store to the other. Lapidus of Printemps says that half the bramds sold in the beauty area are not otherwise available in the U.S. The floor in the new Printemps store was copied from Versailles. Over time, the economics of retail can be demanding and pressure-filled. When vendors come along who will give you discounts and deals if you feature them prominently, it's tempting to boost the bottom line whether those are the right merchandising decisions or not. Whether Printemps succumbs to that, there's no way to know. It's a critical issue. Printemps is planning continued designer collaborations, events, integrated food and beverage and beauty services. If consumers think that a fun afternoon is spent wandering and eating at the Printemps store, then it's going to be a huge success. But if the cost and effort of having interesting and unique vintage becomes uneconomic, if the tourists or residents who spend aren't coming back, if the food is lackluster, if having sales begins to drive what's on offer, if making deals with big brands becomes important to the business, then the store can go on for a while but in the long run it won't make it. Lapidus says 'we're all looking for a little beauty and wonder' and this new store is where 'New York and Paris meet.' If Printemps can keep that approach and make it work, then perhaps a great French retailer can really make it in New York and the U.S.
