Fred Pressman; Led Barneys New York Fashion Firm

Fred Pressman, 73, who transformed Barneys New York into an international arbiter of men’s fashion. A native of New York educated at Rutgers University, he joined the discount suit company begun by his father, Barney Pressman. The son slowly but definitively changed the merchandise from unstylish suits found at auction to clothing on the cutting edge of style. He sought out emerging young designers unknown in the United States, including Giorgio Armani, and then made them famous by marketing their work. Pressman also expanded Barneys into women’s fashion and made it an upscale chain, with major outlets in Beverly Hills and Chicago as well as New York. Always interested in helping inner-city youth, Pressman developed a summer program two decades ago to hire disadvantaged young people. He was on the board of the Fresh Air Fund, which sends inner-city youth to summer camp. Pressman had been honored by both the Federated Jewish Philanthropies of New York and the National Conference of Christians and Jews. On Sunday in Harrison, N.Y.