Look Back at Iconic NYC Department Store Henri Bendel in Photos

A Manhattan socialite staple and Blair Waldorf-approved, the Henri Bendel department store was a fashion mainstay for over 100 years.

Louisiana-born businessman Henri Bendel moved to New York City and became famous for dressing Manhattan’s elite out of his Greenwich Village millinery in the late 1800s (he's even credited with bringing Chanel to the United States). As his name moved upwards in social status, so did his eponymous store, which was established uptown at 57th Street and Fifth Avenue. The luxury department store that we think of today, however, wasn't in the picture until 1957, 21 years after Bendel's passing, when Geraldine Stutz became the president of the company. A hub for luxury fashion accessories and celebrity spottings, Henri Bendel became the first retailer to carry its own branded fragrance, host fashion shows, and offer in-store makeovers, laying the groundwork for future department stores.

Henri Bendel not only became a recognized name among Manhattan’s best dressed, but a staple in pop culture, referenced repeatedly in shows like Gossip Girl and known for its notorious (and ever impractical) brown-and-white striped hat boxes.

Despite Bendel's Girls emerging worldwide, the store wasn’t able to sustain itself. After more than a century in business, parent company L Brands permanently shut all of the Henri Bendel stores in 2019, including its Fifth Avenue flagship. Other famous New York department stores followed suit, with Barneys declaring bankrupcy and closing its Madison Avenue location permanently in February 2020, just a few blocks up from Bendel's.

After more department stores were forced to close last year and shopping shifted dramatically online during the coronavirus pandemic, the future of remaining shopping centers has been put into question. Is there a place for them in this new fashion world, other than landmarks of nostalgia?

Regardless of the future of retail, Henri Bendel not only introduced some of the household names in luxury fashion today, but also cultivated a distinct culture in Manhattan and beyond. On the late founder's birthday, L'OFFICIEL takes a trip back in time to look back at the famous department store through the years.

1 / 14

Henri Bendel was established in 1895 in Greenwich Village before moving uptown to Fifth Avenue.

Bendel's branded the brown-and-white striped boxes in 1907.

Geraldine Stutz, long time president of Henri Bendel from 1957 to 1986, was known to be at the forefront of fashion, discovering the newest names and representing them at Bendel. Some designers she was among the first to champion include Ralph Lauren and Perry Ellis.

A blueprint for department stores to follow, Bendel's flagship boasted a "street of shops" layout that featured separate "shops" within the store.

Bendel's had over 20 locations across the U.S., but its New York flagship was the most famous. Here, a Bendel's doorman stands with Stutz.

Mac Cosmetics revealed RuPaul as the “First Face of Mac” in 1995 at a Henri Bendel event.

The department store became known for luxury accessories, jewelry, handbags, home decor, fragrances and gifts.

Henri Bendel hosted parties with celebrities well into the 2000s. Socialites and Bendel Girls Nicky and Paris Hilton are pictured here in 2001 at one of these star-studded events.

Legendary makeup artist Kevyn Aucoin debuted his line of makeup brushes at Bendel’s in 2001.

Bendel’s Girls were illustrated by artist Izak Zenou, and became signature to the brand’s advertising campaigns.

Henri Bendel was a frequent filming location, including in the 2003 movie “Thirteen Going on Thirty” with Jennifer Garner.

Along with the Met steps and Empire Hotel, Henri Bendel became one of the famous Manhattan landmarks in hit TV show “Gossip Girl.”

Back when both Bendel’s and Fashion’s Night Out were still a thing, Henri Bendel hosted extravagant displays, like featuring Cirque du Soleil performers at its Fifth Avenue flagship during Fashion’s Night Out in 2012.

Bendel's Fifth Avenue flagship location stood until it was closed in 2019.