In his famous love song "You're the Top", Cole Porter famously has a man and woman sing compliments to each other by comparing themselves to high-end consumer items or things of great value or various l'objects d'amour. You know the song, it goes,
You're the top! You're the colliseum!
You're the top! You're the Louvre museum
You're a melody from a symphony by Straus ...
and then,
You're a Bendel bonnet, a Shakespeare sonnet,
You're Mickey Mouse!
"Bendel bonnets" refer to fancy hats made by Henri Bedel, the upscale Fifth Avenue department store. To call Henri Bendel a NYC institution is an understatement -- it's over 120 years old, it was the first American retailer for Coco Chanel, Andy Warhol was an in-house illustrator, it invented the idea of a "store-within-a-store" where merchandisers could set up shop, and it also was the first department store to develop it own fragrances and fashion shows.
Henri Bendel basically invented the modern day department store as we know it, and the history of American fashion and retailing would be very different without it.
And now it's gone.
Henri Bendel, both the flaship store on Fifth Avenue and all its outlets, are closing up and going out of business. A vital piece of New York and American history, an amazing legacy, is no more. Even the luxurious world of Fifth Avenue fashion isn't safe from the scourge of corporate shenanigans.
This is a loss for our city that can never be replaced.
Oh, but don't worry, the Playboy Club is back because, you know, in this day and age, that's what we really need! Maybe Henri Bendel will resurrect itself one day (after all, it remains valuable brand name) but it'll never be the same. You can't recreate something like that ever again.
Interesting note: Henri Bendel, the man who founded the store back in 1895, wasn't French. He was from Louisiana and came here as a young man. And depite being a Fifth Avenue institution, the first Henri Bendel store had a more funky origin -- it opened in Greenwich Village. Amazing to think, Henri Bendel is actually older than Greater NYC!
Au revoir Henri Bendel. You served this city well.
You're the top! You're the colliseum!
You're the top! You're the Louvre museum
You're a melody from a symphony by Straus ...
and then,
You're a Bendel bonnet, a Shakespeare sonnet,
You're Mickey Mouse!
"Bendel bonnets" refer to fancy hats made by Henri Bedel, the upscale Fifth Avenue department store. To call Henri Bendel a NYC institution is an understatement -- it's over 120 years old, it was the first American retailer for Coco Chanel, Andy Warhol was an in-house illustrator, it invented the idea of a "store-within-a-store" where merchandisers could set up shop, and it also was the first department store to develop it own fragrances and fashion shows.
Henri Bendel basically invented the modern day department store as we know it, and the history of American fashion and retailing would be very different without it.
And now it's gone.
Henri Bendel, both the flaship store on Fifth Avenue and all its outlets, are closing up and going out of business. A vital piece of New York and American history, an amazing legacy, is no more. Even the luxurious world of Fifth Avenue fashion isn't safe from the scourge of corporate shenanigans.
This is a loss for our city that can never be replaced.
Oh, but don't worry, the Playboy Club is back because, you know, in this day and age, that's what we really need! Maybe Henri Bendel will resurrect itself one day (after all, it remains valuable brand name) but it'll never be the same. You can't recreate something like that ever again.
Interesting note: Henri Bendel, the man who founded the store back in 1895, wasn't French. He was from Louisiana and came here as a young man. And depite being a Fifth Avenue institution, the first Henri Bendel store had a more funky origin -- it opened in Greenwich Village. Amazing to think, Henri Bendel is actually older than Greater NYC!
Au revoir Henri Bendel. You served this city well.
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