Henri Bendel
Encyclopedia
Henri Bendel is an American upscale women's specialty store based in New York City
that sells fashion accessories, cosmetics and fragrances, gifts and gourmet foods. The company currently operates thirteen stores: its flagship New York store, established in 1895 and currently located at 712 Fifth Avenue, and stores in Columbus
; Boca Raton, Florida
; San Diego
; Aventura, Florida
(Miami); Dadeland, Florida (Miami), Orlando, Troy, Michigan
(Detroit); Dallas
; Short Hills, New Jersey
; King of Prussia, Pennsylvania
(Philadelphia); Orange County
; Washington D.C.,Atlanta, Santa Clara (California) and Los Angeles
. In the Fall of 2011, Bendel's will open three more stores in the following cities: Tampa, Palm Beach and Chicago.
, a milliner by trade, was the first retailer to bring the designs of Coco Chanel over to the United States from Paris. The company he founded maintained this tradition of introducing influential socialites to what's new and next in fashion by launching designers including Anna Sui, Stephen Burrows, Rick Owens
and Diane von Furstenberg. Bendel's also fosters the work of upcoming designers through its semi-annual "Open-See" events, at which vendors can present merchandise to corporate buyers on a "first come, first seen" basis, with the chance that their pieces will be selected for a trunk show or even for sale in the Fifth Avenue store.
The brand is well-known for its brown-and-white striped shopping bags, its signature hatboxes and an extensive matching line of cosmetics bags.
In April 2009 Henri Bendel made the decision to stop carrying apparel, choosing instead to focus on fashion accessories, cosmetics, and gift items such as candles. The company announced six smaller shops would open in malls across the country. These included Somerset Collection
in Troy, NorthPark Center
in Dallas, The Mall at Short Hills
, King of Prussia Mall
, Beverly Center, and South Coast Plaza
.
based in Columbus
, who purchased the company in 1985. The personality most associated with Henri Bendel is Geraldine Stutz
, who was its president for 29 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
.
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 (712 Fifth Avenue) and Coty Building (714 Fifth Avenue), 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 35000 square feet (3,251.6 m²) 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 the Henri Bendel accessories collection. You will also find hair accessories, home fragrance as well as bath and body products. Featured cosmetics brands include Mally Beauty, Kevin Aucoin, Laura Mercier, Nars, Trish McEvoy, and, on the mezzanine, Chanel. The store was also one of the first to carry Annick Goutal fragrances.
The second floor houses with their expansive costume jewelry selection, cold weather accessories, sunglasses, small leather goods, fragrances such as L'Artisan Parfumeur
, and hair accessories
The fourth floor is the home of the Frédéric Fekkai
hair salon.
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
that sells fashion accessories, cosmetics and fragrances, gifts and gourmet foods. The company currently operates thirteen stores: its flagship New York store, established in 1895 and currently located at 712 Fifth Avenue, and stores in Columbus
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
; Boca Raton, Florida
Boca Raton, Florida
Boca Raton is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida, USA, incorporated in May 1925. In the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 74,764; the 2006 population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau was 86,396. However, the majority of the people under the postal address of Boca Raton, about...
; San Diego
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
; Aventura, Florida
Aventura, Florida
Aventura is a planned, suburban city located in northeastern Miami-Dade County, Florida. The city name is from the Spanish word for "adventure", and was named "Aventura" after one of the developers of the original group of condominiums in the area remarked to the others, "What an adventure this is...
(Miami); Dadeland, Florida (Miami), Orlando, Troy, Michigan
Troy, Michigan
Troy is a city in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan, and is a suburb of Detroit. The population was 80,980 at the 2010 census, making it the 11th-largest city in Michigan by population, and the largest city in Oakland County...
(Detroit); Dallas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
; Short Hills, New Jersey
Short Hills, New Jersey
Short Hills is an unincorporated area located within the township of Millburn, in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. It is a popular commuter town for residents who work in New York City...
; King of Prussia, Pennsylvania
King of Prussia, Pennsylvania
King of Prussia is a census-designated place in Upper Merion Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2010 census, its population was 19,936. The community took its name in the 18th century from a local tavern named the King of Prussia Inn, which was named after...
(Philadelphia); Orange County
Orange County, California
Orange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County...
; Washington D.C.,Atlanta, Santa Clara (California) and Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. In the Fall of 2011, Bendel's will open three more stores in the following cities: Tampa, Palm Beach and Chicago.
Influence
Henri Willis BendelHenri Willis Bendel
Henri Willis Bendel was an American businessman, fashion designer, and philanthropist who founded an upscale women's fashion company bearing his name in New York City, which more than 100 years later remains in business on Fifth Avenue, one of the premier shopping streets in the world.-Early...
, a milliner by trade, was the first retailer to bring the designs of Coco Chanel over to the United States from Paris. The company he founded maintained this tradition of introducing influential socialites to what's new and next in fashion by launching designers including Anna Sui, Stephen Burrows, Rick Owens
Rick Owens
Rick Owens is an American fashion designer hailing from California, celebrated for his avant garde and subversive eye.He is married to Michele Lamy.Since 2003, Rick Owens has lived in Paris.-Biography:...
and Diane von Furstenberg. Bendel's also fosters the work of upcoming designers through its semi-annual "Open-See" events, at which vendors can present merchandise to corporate buyers on a "first come, first seen" basis, with the chance that their pieces will be selected for a trunk show or even for sale in the Fifth Avenue store.
The brand is well-known for its brown-and-white striped shopping bags, its signature hatboxes and an extensive matching line of cosmetics bags.
In April 2009 Henri Bendel made the decision to stop carrying apparel, choosing instead to focus on fashion accessories, cosmetics, and gift items such as candles. The company announced six smaller shops would open in malls across the country. These included Somerset Collection
Somerset Collection
Somerset Collection is an upscale super-regional shopping mall, with over 180 stores located in a Metro Detroit commercial area on 2800 W. Big Beaver Rd. in Troy, Michigan...
in Troy, NorthPark Center
NorthPark Center
NorthPark Center is an upscale shopping mall located in Dallas, Texas . The mall is located at the intersection of Loop 12 and US 75 . The center has over 235 stores and restaurants. NorthPark is the first shopping center featured on Vogue Magazine...
in Dallas, The Mall at Short Hills
The Mall at Short Hills
The Mall at Short Hills is a high-end mall in the Short Hills area of Millburn, New Jersey, United States. The mall developer is The Taubman Company...
, King of Prussia Mall
King of Prussia Mall
The King of Prussia Mall is the largest shopping mall on the East Coast of the United States, and largest shopping mall in the United States of America in terms of leasable retail space....
, Beverly Center, and South Coast Plaza
South Coast Plaza
South Coast Plaza is an upscale-luxury shopping center in Costa Mesa, California, USA, in Orange County. The largest mall in California, its sales of over 1.5 billion are highest in the United States...
.
Ownership & Leadership
Henri Bendel is owned by Limited BrandsLimited Brands
Limited Brands is an American apparel company based in Columbus, Ohio. In 2009 it reported 9.04 billion dollars in revenue for the last fiscal year.-History:...
based in Columbus
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
, who purchased the company in 1985. The personality most associated with Henri Bendel is Geraldine Stutz
Geraldine Stutz
Geraldine Stutz was an American retail groundbreaker. She was appointed president of Henri Bendel in 1957, serving for 29 years until stepping down in 1986.She was born in Chicago, Illinois....
, who was its president for 29 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
57th Street (Manhattan)
57th Street is one of New York City's major east-west thoroughfares, which runs east-west in the Midtown section of the borough of Manhattan, from the New York City Department of Sanitation's dock on the Hudson River at the West Side Highway to a small park overlooking the East River built on a...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
Bendel on Fifth Avenue
The main floor is home to the Gazebo Shop and many cosmetics brands, most of them in limited distribution. The Gazebo Shop features the Henri Bendel accessories collection. You will also find hair accessories, home fragrance as well as bath and body products. Featured cosmetics brands include Mally Beauty, Kevin Aucoin, Laura Mercier, Nars, Trish McEvoy, and, on the mezzanine, Chanel. The store was also one of the first to carry Annick Goutal fragrances.
The second floor houses with their expansive costume jewelry selection, cold weather accessories, sunglasses, small leather goods, fragrances such as L'Artisan Parfumeur
L'Artisan Parfumeur
L'Artisan Parfumeur is a French niche perfume house, established in 1976 by Jean Laporte. He later left the company to form rival Maître Parfumeur et Gantier.L'Artisan is based in Paris, but now has outlets worldwide....
, and hair accessories
The fourth floor is the home of the Frédéric Fekkai
Frédéric Fekkai
Frédéric Fekkai is a French celebrity hairstylist.-Early life:Fekkai was born in Aix-en-Provence, France, and grew up in Aix-en-Provence and Paris...
hair salon.