The Stan Herman Interview with Fashion Week Online
As part of the celebration to commemorate Sandals Resorts 40th anniversary they commissioned renowned fashion designer Stan Herman to reimagine the brand’s uniforms across its illustrious resort portfolio starting with their first venture into the Dutch Caribbean and their 16th property, Sandals Royal Curacao.
Herman is acknowledged as the “Father of Fashion Week”. Former president of the Council of Fashion Designers of America and a three-time Coty award winner as well as a recipient of the CFDA’s prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award. Herman has popularized the designer uniform, creating looks for many of the world’s leading brands such as JetBlue, United Airlines, and TWA. His uniforms arguably cover more bodies than any other single designer. at the helm of fashion for many of the world’s leading travel brands.
Stan Herman
With uniforms curated for a wide range of categories and venues – from the front of house, including bell service and Sandals’ iconic butlers, to the resorts’ culinary outlets to the heart of house team behind the scenes– Herman and his associate Michael Schwarz spent time on island with Sandals team members to authentically capture a sense of place while prioritizing comfort and ease of care. Updated fibers and recycled materials are also incorporated throughout the collection, upholding Sandals’ commitment to sustainability in the Caribbean.
“The unique way in which Stan has immersed himself into the soul and essence of Sandals to create world class, stylish designs for our new uniforms – and for the future of our brands – is a work of art “. said Sandals Executive Chairman, Adam Stewart. “From the moment we met with Stan and Michael and introduced them to the team we watched the magic of their ability to turn ideas into tangible designs, and knew we had found a cherished partner.”
Q: How did you approach designing this collection?
The collection is designed to tell a story. From day to evening, from check-in to the beach, they are all pieces that guests might even envision in their own personal wardrobes. We sought to evolve beyond traditional hospitality looks to reflect today’s luxury travel aesthetic, just as Sandals has done in their approach to the brand’s own evolution and ingenuity.
Q: Describe the collection for us
When you arrive on the island you are driven through an incredible oasis, so we have dressed the bellmen, greeters and front of house staff in light blues, aquas, turquoise, and sand shades, to mirror the magnificent sea setting and to reflect the contemporary, elegant tone of the property. Building on this, the styles transition across the board at nighttime with rich navys and earth tones to add warmth and elegance. There will be an immediate sense of calm and welcoming upon arrival, regardless of what time of day.”
Michael and I chose fabric colors that are meant to feel sun-washed with a soft fade that reflects the natural and weathered appeal of island style. We added some modern touches that are scattered throughout the collection, such as bespoke silver “S” pins, representative of Sandals, that butlers will wear centered on their shirts in lieu of the tie, and paired with a signature printed pocket square with Curaçao’s signature colors and stunning Dutch architecture.
Q: How did you create uniformity and a brand appropriate wardrobe with so many different venues and areas of the resort
Good question because Sandals Royal Curaçao has more that 10 world-class restaurants on site and each has their own fashion identity, so I started with colors like Island Crimson, the prominent color of Butch’s Chophouse, the namesake restaurant of founder Gordon “Butch” Stewart. We added small ruffles featured on the shirts at Latin-themed restaurant Zuka and traditional tunics with navy piping at Greek staple Aolos; and rich aqua jackets at the Japanese-inspired Gatsu Gatsu. So while each staff member is in a different uniform depending on their location and position, there is a larger sense of inclusion and cohesiveness among the team with these looks which are both wearable and contemporary and still tell a story.
Q: Are you doing anything special to launch the collection?
Yes, Michael and I are actually leaving tomorrow for a weekend of celebrations to mark the grand opening of Royal Curacao and as part of the weekend Adam Stewart is hosting a breakfast for media and guests and we are staging a fashion show. We have 35 team members from the resort wearing various looks from the collection and it’s staged on a beautiful bluff overlooking that amazing Caribbean blue water, so it should be fun and a nice way to launch the uniforms.
Q: What’s next for the Stan Herman Studio?
The Sandals Resorts collection will be unveiled across all of their properties through a phased approach over the next two years so today I am actually sketching and in design meetings for Sandals Dunn’s River opening in Ocho Rios, Jamaica in 2023. So the process continues and be a good excuse to find ourselves doing “research” at another spectacular property.
##
With love,
FWO
