EXCLUSIVE: Amazon has greenlit a drama series about a newly revived Barneys New York.
The streamer has handed a series order to Bella from Barneys, which comes from Fake Empire founders Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage, known for series including Gossip Girl, Susan Rovner and Rachel Kaplan.
Bella from Barneys follows Bella Baldwin, an outer-borough outsider with an eye for style, who lands a job in the stock room of the newly revived Barneys New York. When she talks her way into becoming a personal shopper to the store’s most notorious socialite client, she’s pulled into a cutthroat world of fashion and family secrets, and into the orbit of the heir fighting to save the family business.
Deadline revealed the project was in development last year as part of a new first-look deal between Amazon MGM Studios and Schwartz and Savage. Since then, the pair’s Sterling Point, which they partnered with creator Megan Park on, has become a hit on the streamer and was recently renewed for a second season.
Schwartz and Savage will serve as executive producers alongside Aha Studios’ Susan Rovner and Absecon Entertainment’s Rachel Kaplan as well as Corey Salter, Colin Smeeton, and Matthew Gross, who exec produce for Authentic Studios, the production arm of Barneys owner Authentic Brands Group.
Barneys was a New York institution; a high-end department store that was founded in 1923. After being acquired by Authentic Brands Group, it closed its brick-and-mortars stores but remained as a brand, particularly as a partnership with Saks Fifth Avenue as well as its own beauty line. In 2024, there was also a pop-up Barneys in Soho.
“We’re thrilled to be continuing our partnership with Amazon and are excited for what’s ahead,” said Schwartz and Savage. “The response to Sterling Point has been incredibly gratifying, and we’re so happy to be returning for a second season alongside creator Megan Park and producing partners LuckyChap. At the same time, the opportunity to build the fictional world of Barneys is a dream for us. Barneys was more than a store; it was a New York institution, a cultural touchstone, and a world unto itself. We’re so excited to open those doors along with our partners at Authentic Brands Group, and our fellow producers Susan Rovner and Rachel Kaplan, who we have worked with since the beginning of our careers.”
“Josh and Stephanie at Fake Empire have this rare gift for creating worlds that feel both electric and cozy all at once, and Bella from Barneys is a perfect example,” added Peter Friedlander, Head of Global Television, Amazon MGM Studios. “Barneys New York was more than a department store — it was a fashion institution, and when it closed, people genuinely mourned it. This series brings it roaring back to life in all its impossibly chic glory. Fashion, ambition, and intrigue await inside the doors that our partners Susan, Rachel, and the team at Authentic Brands Group will help reopen.”
“At Authentic, our brands are stories, and Bella from Barneys shows what’s possible when iconic IP meets world-class storytelling. We’re excited to bring its legacy to the screen with Fake Empire. Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage, who are unmatched at creating stylish, character-driven drama, are the perfect stewards for the Barneys brand,” said Corey Salter, CEO Entertainment, Authentic.