Henri Bendel
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Henri Bendel is an upscale women's specialty store. It carries women's apparel, fashion accessories, lingerie and loungewear, cosmetics and fragrances, gifts, and gourmet foods. The Columbus-based retail operates only two locations: its New York flagship store, established in 1896, and a second location at Easton Town Center near Columbus, added in 2004.
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[edit] Influence
Bendel encourages new designers through its semi-annual "Open-See" events, at which vendors can present merchandise to buyers on a "first come, first seen" basis. Designers closely associated with the store include Stephen Burrows, Rick Owens, and Diane von Furstenberg. He was even the first person to bring the designs of Coco Chanel over from Paris.
The store is well-known for its signature brown-and-white striped shopping bags and an extensive matching line of cosmetics bags. Its Henri Bendel cashmere and merino wool sweater collections, delivered in variety of styles and colors, are also famous. It regularly features "Girls Night Out" special shopping evenings for charity.
Cole Porter's "You're the Top" mentions Bendel's bonnets.
[edit] Ownership
Henri Bendel is owned by Limited Brands based in Columbus. The personality most associated with Henri Bendel is Geraldine Stutz, who was its president for twenty-nine years until 1986 when the store was sold to Limited. She introduced the famous "Street of Shops", the boutiques-within-a-specialty-store concept which later gained wide popularity at the store's former location on 57th Street in New York City.
[edit] Bendel on Fifth Avenue
Located at 10 West 57th Street for decades, Henri Bendel moved to its current location at 712 Fifth Avenue near 56th Street in 1990. The store is located in two landmark buildings, the Rizzoli Building and Coty Building, and a new five-story building. The company was delighted to discover hidden Lalique windows during the restoration of the existing buildings. The store has four stories plus a lower level, an atrium with balconies, and 35,000 square feet of selling space.
The main floor is home to the Gazebo Shop and many cosmetics brands, most of them in limited distribution. The Gazebo Shop features handbags and Henri Bendel signature accessories. You will also find hair accessories, home fragrance as well as bath and body products. Featured cosmetics brands include Awake, Freeze 24/7, Kevin Aucoin, Laura Mercier, M.A.C, Nars, N.V. Perricone M.D., Rodan + Fields, Trish McEvoy, Yves Saint Laurent, and, on the mezzanine, Chanel. The store was also one of the first to carry Annick Goutal fragrances.
The second floor houses the store's signature sweater collections, along with the jewelry/cold weather accessories department,sunglasses, small leather goods, fragrance, skin care and the "market" section, which features denim, and casual brands such as James Perse, Splendid, AKA New York, and J Brand.
The third floor features contemporary ready-to-wear collections from designers like Milly, Castle Starr, ISSA, and Tibi, along with designer collections from the likes of Matthew Williamson, Missoni, Peter Som, Michael Kors, Robert Normand and Herve Leger as well as swim wear. Also on the third floor is the now consolidated lingerie department, which used to dominate the entire floor, the third floor also includes a book shop,designer jewelry and handbags and "Alison Nelson's Chocolate Bar", serving sandwiches, soups and salads, wine and beer as well as a host of bars, bon bons and assorted confections. Chocolate Bar was recently awarded 'Best Dessert in New York" by Citysearch and "Best Chocolate Store" by TimeOut New York.
The fourth floor is the home of the Frédéric Fekkai hair salon.
[edit] Concierge
Henri Bendel has a concierge to assist clients, available by calling 1.800.HBENDEL or visiting the store's Web site at www.henribendel.com.
[edit] Locations
[edit] Current Locations
- New York, NY: 712 Fifth Avenue
- Columbus, OH: Easton Town Center
[edit] Former Locations
- Chestnut Hill, MA: The Atrium Mall
- Chicago, IL: 900 North Michigan Shops
- Columbus, OH: Columbus City Center
- Palm Beach, FL
- Paramus, NJ: Garden State Plaza
- Southampton, New York
- Troy, MI: The Somerset Collection
[edit] Trivia
For many years famous for its private brand soap, discontinued in the 1990s, Bendel in recent years introduced a new line of private brand soap and candles.
A "Bendel Bonnet" is included in the exuberant catalogue in Cole Porter's "You're the top."
Bendel is also mentioned in Gossip Girl. When Jenny Humphrey's mom buys her a pair of used shoes from the thrift store, she says that she can't wear them, as people from her school only shop at Saks and Bendel's.
