From pageboy at Bonwit Teller to CEO of Bergdorf Goodman, Ira Neimark crossed Fifth Avenue unlike anyone else. Christmas 1938, when he began working at Bonwit Teller on 56th Street & Fifth Avenue, he had just turned 17. Mary Martin, the toast of Broadway, sang at Bonwit's exclusive 721 Club Christmas cocktail party where young Ira, in a snug bellhop uniform, greeted the rich and famous. Four decades later, as the new CEO of Bergdorf Goodman (located across the street on Fifth Avenue), he transformed the store from an 'old, dull, expensive and intimidating store', into a 'young, exciting expensive and intimidating store' that became first in luxury and glamour! Among his stunning achievements: the re-introduction of the Paris couture in the United States, unique showcasing of great Italian and French designers, developing the best new Americans -- and throwing fabulous parties and events featuring haute couture that lit the spark for Bergdorf's revival. Crossing Fifth Avenue to Bergdorf Goodman captures the magic of fashion retailing at its most dramatic moments, as well as the 'lessons learned' that made Ira Neimark a legendary success in the business. It is replete with intriguing, personal stories about famous people known around the world, among them Princess Diana, Salvador Dali, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, John Lennon and Yoko Ono, Donald Trump, and Margaret Thatcher. And there are insights into the art and business of fashion that only an insider could give in the stories about Giorgio Armani, Geoffrey Beene, Bill Blass, Carla Fendi, Oscar de la Renta, Perry Ellis, Massimo Ferragamo, James Galanos, Hubert Givenchy, Calvin Klein, Estee Lauder, Ralph Lauren, Mary McFadden, Charles Revson, Pauline Trigere, and many more. Only Ira Neimark could tell these stories and articulate the business lessons that made him the 'last man standing' among the greats of fashion retailing -- lessons that continue to compel leading multi-national companies to seek his counsel.

From assistant to the doorman at Bonwit Teller to CEO of Bergdorf Goodman, Ira Neimark crossed Fifth Avenue unlike anyone else. He was just seventeen years old when he began his career at Bonwit Teller on 56th Street and Fifth Avenue during the 1938 Christmas season. Four decades later, as the new CEO of Bergdorf Goodman, he would transform that iconic 5th Avenue store from an "old, dull, expensive and intimidating store" to a "young, exciting, expensive and intimidating store." Among his stunning achievements was the reintroduction of Paris couture into the United States, dramatically showcasing the great Italian and French designers, and developing the best new American designers. Crossing Fifth Avenue to Bergdorf Goodman captures the magic of the fashion business at its most exciting moments. and it is replete with intriguing personal anecdotes about the world's most famous fashion personalities.

A New York Times Bestseller A Cosmopolitan Best Nonfiction Book of 2024 ‘Compulsively readable: I found myself dashing through it like a novel’ The Wall Street Journal ‘Riveting’ Financial Times The New York Times bestselling story of the golden age of luxury department stores, and the trailblazing women who ran them. The twentieth century department store: a wonderland of consumption where every wish could be met under one roof. Dropping off the baby at nursery; an afternoon tea; a stroll through the latest fashions. A wedding (or funeral) could be planned. A Bengal Tiger cub could be purchased. Inside these towering price-tag palaces, anything was possible. They were beacons of modernity, and within this atmosphere of glamour and luxury, women dominated. Men may have owned the buildings, but inside women ruled. Among the rising prices and growing opulence, three women climbed to the top: Hortense Odlum, Dorothy Shaver, and Geraldine Stutz. Julie Satow draws back the curtain on these three visionaries who took great risks, forging new paths for the women who followed in their footsteps. This stylish account, rich with personal drama and trade secrets, captures the department store in all its glitz, decadence and fun, and showcases the women who made that beautifully curated world go round. ‘If you liked Mad Men then you’ll love When Women Ran Fifth Avenue’ #1 New York Times bestselling author Kate Andersen Brower, author The Residence and First Women

Institute a culture of learning to boost organizational performance and agility What makes organizations successful? Today, most successful companies are learning organizations. Building an Innovative Learning Organization shows you how to join their ranks and bring your organization up to the head of the class. This book is a practical, actionable guide on how to boost performance, successfully manage change, and innovate more quickly. Learning organizations are composed of engaged, motivated employees who continually seek improvement, which leads to organizational agility and the ability to innovate ahead of the curve. When you encourage learning at every level, from the intern to the C suite, you gain a more highly skilled workforce with a greater ability to act in any situation. Building an Innovative Learning Organization shows you how to create this culture in your organization, with detailed explanations, practical examples, and step-by-step instructions so you can get started right away. Written by a recognized thought leader in the training industry, this informative and insightful guide is your roadmap to a more effective organization. You will discover how to: Attract, retain, and motivate the best employees Become a more innovative and agile organization Create a culture of continuous self-improvement Encourage learning at all levels and translate it into action Learning and education doesn't end at graduation—it's a lifelong process that keeps you relevant, informed, and better able to achieve your goals. These same benefits apply at the organizational level, making the culture self-sustaining: learning organizations attract top workers, who drive the organization forward, which attracts more top workers. If you want the best people, you have to be their best option. Building an Innovative Learning Organization gives you a blueprint for building a culture of learning, for a stronger, more robust organization.

From lavish events attended by high-profile personalities such as Princess Diana, Margaret Thatcher, Jacqueline Onassis, and Yves Saint Laurent to the latest creative ventures of Marc Jacobs, Donna Karan, Michael Kors, and Donald Trump, Ira Neimark, the legendary leader of fashion luxury retail, recounts how he and his talented fashion and merchandising team brought Bergdorf Goodman to its leadership position-an approach, he shows, that continues to inform the most successful designers and business leaders today. While his personal anecdotes focus on how and why Bergdorf helped build the fashion industry during one of the most exciting periods in its history-the late sixties through the early nineties-the author also shares his views on how contemporary retailers have increased profits by skimping on service, resulting in the loss of customer loyalty. The Rise of Fashion and Lessons Learned at Bergdorf Goodman is a valuable resource for anyone who aspires to succeed in the business of luxury fashion.

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In 1868, Jacob Kaufmann, the nineteen-year-old son of a German farmer, stepped off a ship onto the shores of New York. His brother Isaac soon followed, and together they joined an immigrant community of German Jews selling sewing items to the coal miners and mill workers of western Pennsylvania. After opening merchant tailor shops in Pittsburgh’s North and South sides, the Kaufmann brothers caught the wave of a new type of merchandising—the department store—and launched what would become their retail dynasty with a downtown storefront at Fifth Avenue and Smithfield Street. In just two decades, Jacob and his brothers had ascended Pittsburgh’s economic and social ladder, rising from hardscrabble salesmen into Gilded Age multimillionaires. Generous and powerful philanthropists, the Kaufmanns left an indelible mark on the city and western Pennsylvania. From Edgar and Liliane’s famous residence, the Frank Lloyd Wright masterpiece called Fallingwater, to the Kaufmann clock, a historic landmark that inspired the expression “meet me under the clock,” to countless fond memories for residents and shoppers, the Kaufmann family made important contributions to art, architecture, and culture. Far less known are the personal tragedies and fateful ambitions that forever shaped this family, their business, and the place they called home. Kaufmann’s recounts the story of one of Pittsburgh’s most beloved department stores, pulling back the curtain to reveal the hardships, triumphs, and complicated legacy of the prominent family behind its success.