Just as fall snuck up on San Diego this year, so has the arrival of brilliant fall fashion. And in the most timely style, no under-the-radar opening is so celebrated as the newest resident of Fashion Valley: Barneys Co-op.
The wayward offspring sister store of the high-end department chain Barneys New York, the Co-op is a one-stop shop for value-conscious edgy and chic apparel and accessories. At Barneys Co-op, twenty and thirty-something guys and gals will find it-look ingredients for everyday comfort and trendsetting evening style, all at a reasonable price.
Barneys Co-op officially opened on October 4, 2008, and surprised Fashion Valley shoppers with a fall fashion spectacular. Most of the best specialty boutiques in San Diego have a great showing of fall and winter looks right now, but I have to personally say I was blown away by the variety and wildly unique styles for both men and women.
The Barneys Co-op fall fashion lineup features a mix of ready-to-wear linear designs for school and work, and designs with a thematic bohemian or romantic influence. While many San Diego boutiques often specialize in female or male looks - the Co-op is equally irresistible across the board. Playing off the back-to-school current that flows through fall, the Co-op styles for him and her can be summed up with a few key trends and themes.
Co-op chicks make their mark in the following subjects: English Plaid and Prep, Punk Flunk, Swedish Grunge, Organic Sister, Luxe and Grunge, Naughty and Cheeky. Expect to see a lot of brutal jewelry and rare metal accessories, purples and plaids, tough leather, bohemian comfort, and flirty party frocks with a dash of after-dark excitement.
Stand-out designers for her at San Diego Barneys Co-op: Vena Cava (pictured, right), Loeffler Randal exclusively for Co-op, Mike & Chris (pictured, center), Trovata, Marc by Marc Jacobs, Twelfth Street by Cynthia Vincent exclusively for Co-op, Helmut Lang, Mason by Michelle Mason (pictured, left).
Co-op guys can choose to stay innocent in private or go bad-boy public with these electives: Country and Townie, Edge Pledge, In the Trench, Distress Test, Tough-ish. These school boys will find a lot of pencil shrunken suits, convertible multi-piece jackets, prep sweaters and vests, tough leather, trench coats, and boyish basics.
Stand-out designers for him at San Diego Barneys Co-op: Nice Collective, Rogues Gallery (pictured, right), Engineered Garments, Obedient Sons, Theory, Rag & Bone (pictured, center), Gant, Paul Smith, Mason's (pictured, left), Loden Danger, Marc by Marc Jacobs.
The new San Diego Barneys Co-op is located on the second level of Fashion Valley, on the plaza's east end near Bloomingdale's, perched between Abercrombie & Fitch and Custo Barcelona. From the outside, tall glass walls within a black frame show hand-picked Co-op outfits for him and her rocked by baby blue mannequins. Faintly visible designer name stickers dance about the effervescent glass pane. A prelude to lines waiting within: Marc by Marc Jacobs, Alexander Wang, Diane Von Furstenberg - welcome to Barneys Co-op.
After a few short minutes at Barneys Co-op, I fell in love with a dream three-quarter sleeve leather jacket by Mike & Chris and Vena Cava's party frocks punctuated with rare metal and bold zippers. I found myself a helpless kid in a candy store, twirling up and down impromptu aisles, eager fingertips grazing the warm textures of autumn and the adjacent it's-always-summer breezy styles displayed for the hopeless romantic of beach chic.
What I first appreciated about the Co-op is shoppers get department store variety and in a boutique atmosphere. Don't bother looking for an escalator and level guide, the Co-op is the size of an average mall store with an open layout filled with fun and youthful design.
Inside the Co-op, the right front interior is dedicated to designer handbags and accessories. Keeping watch of bags by Sissi Rossi, Kooba, Alison Wood, Jas M.B. and Marc by Marc Jacobs is a multicolor array of glitter portrait profiles, each with a name and personality trait. As you peruse for A Bolder Shoulder, meet Rose the serial dater, Anka the religious cult member and Tara who dresses older.
Leading to the right back of the store, the Co-op's youthful energy is expressed through interior design. The words "Courageous," “Outrageous” and “Contagious” color the white wall in varying magazine cut-out letters, each a new shade and style. Further back, the word “Denim” is spelled out in designer jeans, skinny and wide-leg designs roped off to mutate text. Curved silver racks twist and turn up walls, home to designer sections around the store. Atop wood floors, weathered antique dressers store more denim and basic tees as well as hats, scarves, ties and socks. And a glass-enclosed circular case shows cutting-edgy jewelry by Giles & Brother, Bling Bang, Fallon and incredible rings by Manu.
Insider Tip: Apparel prices range from an affordable $50 to upwards of $500, ranging from simple tees to intricately adorned jackets and suits. Check out layering basics, business and party looks, and accessories from the new Barneys Co-op brand. The Co-op brand offers crisp collar shirts and sweaters for him, and fanciful silk tops and cold-weather long sleeves for her.
The new San Diego Barneys Co-op is now open at Fashion Valley.
