GENE PRESSMAN was co-CEO, creative director, and head of merchandising and marketing for Barneys New York, and a veteran of the store for more than 25 years. Under his leadership, Barneys New York emerged as the defining force in retailing for upscale men’s and women’s ready-to-wear, accessories, and home furnishings. He is the co-author with Noah Kerner of Chasing Cool: Standing Out in Today’s Cluttered Marketplace, a distillation of his marketing philosophy, which is required reading at more than 100 universities. A graduate of the Newhouse School at Syracuse University, he lives with his family in Palm Beach, Florida.