Madden kicks Barneys tires

SHOE guru Steve Madden was putting together an eleventh hour bid to buy Barneys New York, sources exclusively told Page Six. Bids were due in the Barneys bankruptcy bonanza on Tuesday. It’s unclear whom Madden was partnering with in the bid. But a source told us: “Steve’s from New York — of course he’s obsessed with Barneys. He’s obsessed with the brand.”

Madden has been in acquisition mode. In August, his brand snapped up sneaker brand Greats and women’s line BB Dakota. He also owns lines including Betsey Johnson, Brian Atwood and Blondo. The company reported second-quarter revenues of $445 million this year.

Over at Barneys’ flagship store on Monday, sources told Page Six that Freds at Barneys chef Mark Strausman was escorted out of the kitchen by security in front of a dining room “full of moguls” and Ramona Singer. “Everyone was gasping,” said a source. “It was so sad. He’s a legend! Diners were literally weeping.” We hear that Strausman shouted, “Sayonara! I’m out of here!” The Post reported that he’s opening a new eatery, Mark’s Off Madison.

Meanwhile, another Barneys suitor, Kith investor Sam Ben-Avraham — who’s angling to buy the retail chain with the founders of Intermix and Theory plus Ron Burkle and others — sent out a letter to fashion types on Sunday asking them to sign a petition to help save the iconic store. Barneys, which declared bankruptcy in August, has already approved a $271 million offer by licensing firm Authentic Brands Group, which owns Frederick’s of Hollywood and Juicy Couture. But Ben-Avraham told Barneys lovers that his plan will “bring back the brand you’ve come to know and love, and make it commercially viable for the future . . . We have a solution that doesn’t involve mass layoffs and store closures.” He asked other partners to join in his bid.

Authentic has a licensing deal with Saks and said it would aim to launch “Barneys at Saks” stores while maintaining some Barneys sites.

[For more on Barneys, see Page 26.]