Things Are Looking Questionable at Barneys Again

Things seemed to be going so smoothly at Barneys lately, having completed what appeared to be a seamless transition in ownership with the current executive team intact...until last weekend.
Howard Socol, Barneys' chief executive has mde it clear that he plans to resign not because he is retiring or a better offer has presented itself, but because of what has been reported as sharp disagreement with new owners over the still small chain's business strategy, particularly concerning how overseas expansion would be operated. Apparently, he and Barneys' new owners, Dubai-based Istithmar clash over how to map the company's future to the point where Socol, who helped guide the chain through an embarrassing bankruptcy in during the 1990s, no longer feels able to lead the store.
This of course, leaves the top spot open at a company that has seen more than its fair share of turmoil over the past couple of decades. To it's credit, the retailer's famous cutting edge sensibility has been protected by longtime creative and merchandising executives like Simon Doonan and Julie Gilhart, who have served as the store's public face much more than Socol has. The question is, who will they get to replace Socol who can maintain the store's consistency and work cooperatively with its demanding new owners?
The Chief of Barneys Is Expected to Resign by Michael Barbaro and Eric Wilson (NYTimes)