When Barneys closed its doors in February 2020, the venerable shopping institution wasn't the only thing New Yorkers mourned — Freds, the power lunch hotspot in the 9th floor of Barneys, was also another casualty.
Now, nearly 2.5 years later, the iconic restaurant is being revived for a limited time thanks to Louis Vuitton. The luxury house is taking over the former Barneys building on Madison Avenue for 200 Trunks, 200 Visionaries, the last stop of its exhibit that traveled everywhere from Singapore to Los Angeles.
As part of the exhibition, which celebrates the brand's iconic trunks and its many collaborators (including a personalized trunk from BTS), Freds is being revived temporarily as Freds x Louis. Louis Vuitton worked with the original team of Freds to offer signature items from the menu, including the famous Mark's Madison Avenue salad, french fries and lobster bisque.
“This project has always been about creativity — a real tribute to Louis’s ingenuity and entrepreneurial spirit," Louis Vuitton's image director Faye McLeod says. "We get to see how such a cross-section of talents answered the same brief while also taking a moment to appreciate the man himself. The 'Residency' concept, newly developed for this final stop, is also a real gift of creativity — bringing the artistic expression at the heart of this project to the city of New York.”
Freds x Louis, located on the 9th floor, will be open for lunch through the late afternoon and aperitifs and small bites until 8:00pm daily for the month of October with a reduced schedule to follow November–December. Guests can secure their reservation to the restaurant via the exhibition booking site.
Photos courtesy of Louis Vuitton