The Madison Avenue store opened its new beauty department, entitled The Foundation, Thursday night, unveiling some impressively original ideas.

Inspired by the French emporiums of the 1920s, the space meshes such unlikely influences as Coventry Cathedral, Ken Russell's classic film "The Boyfriend" and elaborate collages by Jean-Paul Philippe.

The opening soiree, sponsored by YSL Beaute and American Vogue, also celebrated the introduction of Saint Laurent beauty products into the tony store.

YSL Beaute had makeup artists on hand to embellish shoppers, some of whom couldn't help dancing to DJ Frank Delur's sounds.

Others kept off the dance floor, including "Behind the Velvet Rope" host Lauren Ezersky and the affable coiffeur Edward Tricomi, who revealed to FWD his plans to open a London addition to his 14-salon chain later this year.

But the most unusual element in the revamp was a series of glass "smelling columns" in a corner devoted to Frederic Malle, a brainy Frenchman whose Editions de Parfums offers scents composed by a selection of France's most legendary noses, rather like a publishing house issues works of art by its contracted authors.

As a customer leans inside the interior of the column into which he has just sprayed some perfume, Malle explains, "it's like when someone passes you on the street and you capture the sensation of scent they are wearing."

Malle's Barneys space is a clever mixture of high-tech refrigerated cabinets -- to protect his perfumes from heat and light -- his cool red, white and black packaging and classic mid-century furniture by Jean Prouve.

"If there's one thing I hate, it's retro," smiles Frederic, a cousin of the late great French filmmaker Louis Malle.

The Foundation is a clever mixture of specialist fragrance houses like L'Artisan Parfumeur, Acqua Di Parma, The Different Company and Parfums D'Orsay, bigger brands like Kanebo, Chantecaille and Versace, plus exclusive launches from By Terry, Carita and Molton Brown Colour.

Barneys' CEO Howard Socol argued that The Foundation provides "women the opportunity to meet all of their cosmetic and skincare needs in the most luxurious surroundings in New York."

You know what? He's right.