Stanley Silver, the Fred Segal Feet visionary who revolutionized independent retail, was in a league of his own.
Silver — who died Tuesday at age 90 — and his late wife, Patti Silver, built their Melrose Avenue boutique in Los Angeles into one of the country’s most powerful and innovative stores during its four-decade run. Stanley was an early supporter of the luxury sneaker and consistently embraced young and upcoming designers that later became some of the industry’s biggest names.
But in the beginning, a young Mr. Silver didn’t plan to follow the career path of his father — a shoe buyer for the 34-store O’Connor and Goldberg chain in Chicago. Instead, he dreamed of being a professional baseball player.
While he was attending the University of Colorado on a scholarship, an injury benched his major league dreams. So he accepted a job with his father. Later, he joined the Florsheim training program, eventually rising to VP of sales, as well as serving on the board of directors.
Despite his success, Stanley’s mother wanted the then 29-year-old bachelor to settle down. That’s when he first saw Patti. “Her picture was in the Chicago Tribune,” he recalled, when the couple was inducted into FN’s Hall of Fame in 2007. “My mother said, ‘What about this one?’ So I called her. I figured that would satisfy [my mother] for another year.”
After his first date with Patti in a German restaurant, the superstitious Stanley realized he had found his good luck charm. His hunch proved correct and the couple soon married.
“My bride was a wonder woman. It was a match made in heaven,” he said at Patti’s funeral last year.
In 1968, the pair relocated to Los Angeles, along with their three children. There, Stanley took a job as a sales rep for Nunn Bush and Brass Boot.
“Stanley Silver was part of our company family for 30+ years, and his energy and sales prowess set an example for all who worked with him,” said Tom Florsheim, chairman and CEO of Weyco Group. “Stanley was consistently our number one salesperson for Nunn Bush during his time at the company and leaves behind an esteemed legacy.”
As he built his career in sales, Silver opened 11 leased shoe departments, including the location in West Hollywood. Very quickly, the Melrose Avenue haunt became a destination for actors, rock stars and stylists, from Bette Midler to The Beatles. “We still have Paul and Ringo come in,” enthused Stanley in 2007. “We had no competition back then. We were the only game in town for fashion-forward product.”
The couple traveled the world to put together an assortment you couldn’t find anywhere else — stocking everything from $60 flip-flops to $7,000 designer sneakers. They were early believers in Ugg, which is now one of the shoe industry’s most influential and enduring brands.
Top footwear executives considered the retailer the place to be in Los Angeles — and they remembered the Silvers as the ultimate shoe couple.
“Fred Segal was always my first stop on a trip to L.A. Patti and Stanley had a unique eye for predicting trends and mixing high and low, which made you want to buy it all,” recalled Tamara Mellon, cofounder of Jimmy Choo and her eponymous brand, on Wednesday. “An eclectic mix of products ran through the store, mirroring the art collection they built at home.”
Alain Baume, president and CEO of Giuseppe Zanotti USA Inc., said Stanley was a unique character in the shoe business. “I met him many years ago, and it always gave me joy to see him,” he said. “He was eccentric, amusing, and full of life.”
Stanley Silver is survived by his children, Harry, Deena, and Champ; and his grandchildren, Bridget, Charlotte, Livvy, Lily, Andrew, Michael, Jake, and Ryan.
