As I pushed open a pair of non-descript glass doors, I was hit by a wall of white light and cool air. As my eyes adjusted I realized this seemingly celestial space was, in fact, the main shop floor of the new Barneys CO-OP, which opened last Thursday. Home to a handful of designer brands and its own CO-OP line, the store is the ninth freestanding CO-OP store in the nation and a stylish addition to Georgetown.
Targeting the young, urban crowd who is not afraid to mix looks and designers, the store stocks some hip mainstream brands such as Marc by Marc Jacobs, Juicy Couture and PS by Paul Smith, as well as an extensive denim collection. It is the lesser-known lines such as Nice Collective chilled men’s daywear collection or the beautifully detailed dresses by Rebecca Taylor, however, that make the trip down M St. worthwhile.
The store carries some lines exclusive to Barneys, including Daryl K, Trovata and certain True Religion jeans, all of which live up to the ‘young, urban, eccentric style concept for chicks and blokes, envisaged by the CO-OP philosophy.
Despite the “courageous, outrageous, contagious” attitude, there is nothing intimidating about the store.
“We’re calling it ‘Arty Glamorous Eco-tech’ and have taken the creative originality of the Barneys brand and run with it,” David New, Executive Vice President of store design, said in a press release.
True enough, there are elements of modern minimalism in terms of displays, juxtaposed with vintage finds such as giant ceramic animal sculptures and catchy signs.
The sales associates are extremely helpful and I recommend going at the less busy times for a truly personal shopping service. After the anonymity often experienced in the larger shops, it was refreshing to find special touches such as my name written on a whiteboard on the dressing room door.
Since the store just opened, all of the collections are brand new spring/summer 2006, making it the perfect stop before departing for a sunny spring break. The highlights include the quirky, colourful skinny ties for the fashion-forward fellas, slinky Daryl K dresses and tops, perfect for dressing up or down and an impressive selection of skincare ,with brands such as Kanebo, Red Flower and Ren, all hard to find elsewhere in Georgetown.
My only criticism centers on the size of the shop. With only two floors of retail bliss, it leaves a longing for more. According to Barneys’ New York CEO Howard Socol, “Our ability to resource unusual products and find new creative interesting designers is going to make the store a big hit with the hip set in town.” Let’s hope this will lead to some store expansion pretty soon.
Barneys CO-OP, 3040 M St., 202-350-5832
