Barneys New York

Barneys New York Review

Barneys sets itself apart by identifying up-and-coming designers first. Fashion is taken seriously here—a pair of distressed shoes that look like they've been mowed down on the highway can cost you over a grand—but it's always offered with a wink and a smile. Check out the witty touches from the infamous store windows to the details of design (on the third floor, copper pennies create a rack for designer ready-to-wear). As you enter Barneys' six-story corner locale, a flight of stairs extends to the mezzanine, with its salon displaying thousands of shoes. Below street level, cosmetics and fragrances reign. You can sample new scents in the state-of-the-art cylindrical sniffing chambers.