Tom Kalenderian Celebrates 40 Years at Barneys

There aren’t many retail executives who can say they’ve worked for one company for 40 years. But Tom Kalenderian is not just any retailer. Kalenderian, the executive vice president and general merchandise of men’s, children and home for Barneys New York, is one of the most respected merchants in the luxury men’s business. He’s survived a bankruptcy filing, five ownership changes and a similar number of chief executive officers. He’s seen the business shift its focus from downtown to uptown and lived through its expansions and contractions — all without losing focus on making Barneys’ men’s business the best it can be. What sets Kalenderian apart is not only his passion for the industry and his deep knowledge of the business, but also his ability to unearth little-known brands that Barneys can incubate and help build into powerhouse brands, whether that’s Boglioli, Isaia or Ovadia. But something else sets him apart as well: his humility. In an industry where self-promotion has become a career objective and egos can fill an auditorium, Kalenderian is the opposite. Ask him, for example, why he’s been so successful and he always answers the same way: it’s because of Barneys, not him. And although he’s undoubtedly received other job offers through

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