Uncross Your Legs

On any given day, more people will be “wearing” Stan Herman than any other American fashion designer. As he continues to work and thrive in his 95th year, Herman is the most acclaimed uniform designer of our time. But that is just part of a life well-lived, and well-loved. In Uncross Your Legs: A Life in Fashion, Herman reflects on a remarkable life and career, from his childhood in Brooklyn, NY and Passaic, NJ, to WWII Army service in Europe, and back to NYC as a young freelance designer in the fashion hothouse of the Garment District. Next up, 16 years as head of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, where he was instrumental in bringing New York Fashion Week to Bryant Park – all the while continuing his thriving uniform and leisurewear design business. It’s also a deeply moving and insightful memoir, following personal triumphs and tragedies, including his nearly 40 year relationship with novelist Gene Horowitz, who suffered a heart attack and passed away in 1992. Together they lived their lives in the shadow of the AIDS crisis that decimated their personal and professional worlds. They also shared a beloved poodle named “Mozart,” who helped fill the void when Herman found himself suddenly alone. With equal aplomb, Herman writes with good humor and compassion, recalling the cruel and casual racism he witnessed in the military, his focus on animal rights in the fashion industry – as well as encountering the indignities of one’s aging anatomy. Learn the story behind the man whose vision, over 60 years, has dramatically helped forge and transform American style.

Stan Herman is a clothing designer, activist, and one of the leading figures in the world of fashion. As head of the Council of Fashion Designers of America for over 16 years, he not only ushered in a period of unprecedented growth for the CFDA but also helped to make New York City the epicenter of the fashion world that it is today. He has designed some of the most recognizable corporate uniforms for Fed-Ex, JetBlue, and countless other companies. This is his first book.