Luxury retailer set for Copley mall

By Naomi Aoki,
Boston Globe Staff

Barneys New York made it official yesterday: The luxury retailer is opening a 46,000-square-foot, two-story flagship store at Copley Place in the spring of 2006.

The newest addition to Copley's lineup, Barneys cements the Back Bay mall's transformation into an ultraupscale destination.

''Gone are the days of Boston being conservative or provincial," said Allen Kaplan, senior vice president of leasing for Simon Property Group Inc., the owner of Copley Place.

Since taking over the mall in 2002, Simon has set its sights on luring the creme de la creme of retail to establish itself as the city's top shopping destination for luxury and haute couture. From newcomers like Gretta Luxe to mainstays like Tiffany & Co., the mall is a veritable who's who of luxury brands. For several of them, Louis Vuitton and Gucci included, their Copley stores are their only locations in the state. Others like Kenneth Cole, Coach, and Christian Dior have plans to expand their Copley Place stores.

Barneys has had a store at The Mall at Chestnut Hill for more than a decade, and said yesterday it is extending its lease there. More than two years ago, it began talking to Simon about the possibility of opening a second store at Copley. At first, the New York retailer was considering a store similar in size to the 6,200-square-foot Chestnut Hill location.

But in the end, it decided Boston was ready for a bigger store that could showcase Barneys' full complement of products. Barneys is occupying a vacancy left by the Loews theater.

''The Boston flagship signifies our belief in the considerable untapped potential of the Barneys New York brand," said Peter Boneparth, the president and chief executive of Jones Apparel Group Inc., which owns Barneys.