Hourglass x Barneys14 Images
Hourglass has been responsible for bringing us so many cult things – from the marbled Ambient Lighting powders that were a staple during the YouTube beauty guru days, to the Glossy Balms which have become a favourite with the TikTok crowd and It-girls like Nicolaia Rips. And now the beauty brand has brought us the return of a legendary fashion institution: Barneys New York. At its peak, Barneys was the ultimate destination for style, launching the careers of countless designers and among the first stores to carry labels like Comme des Garçons, Yohji Yamamoto, Martin Margiela and Rick Owens. It was also the retailer where Hourglass launched 20 years ago, and to celebrate this milestone anniversary, founder Carisa Janes made it her mission to bring the store where it all began back.
“We were reflecting on how we got our start and on Barneys – what an important retailer it was at that time and how their presence is still so missed,” says Janes. “Barneys was where you discovered the cool brands. It was just this oasis of creativity and innovation and discovery. Being in Barneys at that time validated you as a brand, if you had the Barneys stamp of approval it was a big deal. When we first launched, we’d get all these phone calls from people and retailers all over the world who had seen us in Barneys.” So, when the time came to celebrate the brand’s anniversary, Janes knew there was only one way to mark the occasion. “We thought, wouldn’t it be great if we had the opportunity to do what Barney’s did for us and create this environment where we could highlight up-and-coming designers in the way that Barney’s highlighted us, and pass the baton to the next generation of creatives.”
The result is a five-week pop-up shop in New York that carries fashion and beauty brands, both old favourites and young up-and-comers, which feel authentic to the city. The selection ranges from Marc Jacobs and Proenza Schouler to Willy Chavarria and Ella Emhoff’s knitwear brand, with beauty brands like Reome, Perfumehead and, of course, Hourglass which released limited edition products for the occasion including an illustrated version of the brand’s Ambient Light Powder featuring designs from Na Kim. Alongside these wares, the pop-up is hosting events with designers, creatives, DJs and industry panels. Plus the store itself brings the same tongue-in-cheek energy of the OG – there’s the Wizard of Oz-esque porta-potty complete with Heaven by Marc Jacobs Kiki boots sticking out from underneath it, and a four-foot-tall poodle created from Hourglass products.
For Janes to realise her dream of bringing back Barneys, she knew she would have to do it properly, which meant getting the brand back together. Simon Doonan, the former creative director of the retailer, came back to lead the creative direction of the pop-up while Julie Gilhart, former senior vice president and fashion director, curated the designers featured in the store. “I think the success of the project is really Simon and Julie who were part of it from the beginning,” says Janes. “Without them, we wouldn’t have done the project, because to be truly authentic to Barneys, you need the original people.”
Looking back to the past to bring back old favourites has become a theme in the beauty world as of late, as there seems to be a collective yearning for things no longer available. In June, MAC Cosmetics released a collection of previously discontinued lipsticks – including cult shades like Fleshpot and Bubbles – to mark its 40th anniversary, while in July NARS celebrated its 30-year journey with a collection of lipsticks that paid tribute to the original 12 shades that launched the brand in 1994. Last month, Urban Decay relaunched its original Naked Eyeshadow Palette. “We’re humans and to feel connection to the past is so beautiful,” says Janes on this wave of nostalgia from the industry. “Trends naturally evolve in cycles and sometimes things just feel relevant and it’s hard to really pinpoint why now. You look back and think, this feels cool again – we were recently looking at the old Hourglass logo and some of our original products and my team said we really should bring this back. I’d never considered that but it could kind of work now.”
When you reach a milestone anniversary, it’s natural to reflect on how far you’ve come. But it’s also important to stay focused on the present and the future, something Janes is well aware of during a time when the beauty market is so crowded, with new brands launching what feels like daily. “It’s about staying relevant, and in life, not just in business, but as a human being. I want to be connected. I think if you stay engaged and if you truly want to innovate and you have ideas, then you can stay relevant and it keeps you in the game,” she says. “You don’t know what’s going to come but there’s always an idea, there’s always a new point of view. Never would I have thought we’d do this Barneys thing – there’s just so many things that are surprises even to myself which is what makes it fun.”
In the future, she says she’ll work to stay engaged and continue to do something disruptive and surprising to keep us interested. “I think that would be my hope – that people are excited about what’s coming and hopefully that just lasts forever. You never know.”
The Hourglass x Barneys Pop-up is open to the public now until 11 October, located on 14 Prince Street, NYC.
