How luxury knitwear brand St. John is reinventing itself under Chinese ownership, and pivoting from power dressers to modern multitasking women
- Joann Cheng, the China-based owner of St. John, concedes the luxury fashion market has changed and a label that was a powerhouse of power dressing must evolve
- St John launched a modernist capsule collection under a new creative director, aimed at women who juggle career and family, but will keep its focus on knitwear
In the 1990s, American brand St. John was a luxury fashion force.
The Irvine, California-based company – known for its silky, pricey knitwear – routinely spent millions of dollars a year on advertising in top-tier publications.
Its muse Kelly Gray, the daughter of St. John founders Robert and Marie Gray and a striking, svelte blonde, appeared in most of the brand’s ads. There she would be, sitting coyly at the entrance to a black limo, or perched on a piano, or poised to kiss a giraffe, always surrounded by young, sculpted men.
The brand, through its marketing and merchandising, conveyed power and prestige. Hillary Clinton and journalist Diane Sawyer were fans, as were the socialites of Park Avenue in New York and Beverly Hills in Los Angeles.
St. John had modest origins – it came into being in 1962 when Marie Gray made a dress in the garage of their home and persuaded Robert, her then-fiancé, to show it to a store buyer. By the 2000s, it had become a global brand, employing more than 4,000 people and ringing up some US$365 million in sales. It’s had various investors and owners (including German fashion powerhouse Escada).
Eventually, the Grays left the company; Robert died in 2012, while Marie and Kelly now helm a brand called Grayse.