As Barneys opens a new Downtown flagship in Chelsea, the department store is reimagining its 1986 “Denim Jacket” event during which Barneys partnered with influential designers and artists to put their spin on deconstructed denim jackets that were then auctioned to benefit AIDS.
This year, the department store is auctioning leather motorcycle jackets through a unique online charity auction with Christie’s auction house in March.
Proceeds from the auction benefit two iconic New York nonprofit institutions: The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender (LGBT) Center and the art-space White Columns. White Columns, like Barneys, is known for fostering young, undiscovered talent, and Barneys is a longstanding supporter of and creative partner with The Center.
For the 1986 auction, Barneys partnered with designers and artists including Keith Haring, Jean Michel Basquiat, Andy Warhol and Yves Saint Laurent to put their spin on a deconstructed denim jacket to be auctioned for an AIDS charity at an event with Madonna, Debbie Harry, Iman and more.
This year, Barneys is again partnering with artists and designers to reimagine leather motorcycle jackets that will be available for browsing and bidding at Christie’s. The jackets will come from designers including Joseph Altuzarra, Alexander Wang, Isabel Marant and Dries Van Noten, as well as artists Helmut Lang, Ella Kruglyanskaya, Dan Colen and others.
