St. John (clothing)

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St. John is an upscale, luxury American brand for formal wear, founded in 1962 by Robert and Marie Gray.

Headquartered in Irvine, California, the brand has its collections and styles sold in specialty stores in 29 countries and 31 company-owned retail boutiques in the US.

Beginning in Spring of 2006, Angelina Jolie became the new face and spokeswoman for St. John.

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St. John

St. John, one of the premier names in American fashion, was founded in 1962 by Robert and Marie Gray. The company’s simple beginnings started when a knitting machine inspired Marie, then a young fashion model, to design dresses for herself. Her innovative pieces quickly drew attention, first from friends, and then from specialty retailers who began to place orders. As interest continued to spread, her entrepreneur husband Robert recognized the strong business potential and began taking orders from exclusive stores. Virtually overnight, St. John Knits was launched.

Since that fortuitous beginning, St. John has expanded far beyond its origin of a small family business. The company, headquartered in Irvine, California now employs 3800 people and operates dozens of offices and manufacturing facilities worldwide. Its fashion collections are sold by top specialty stores in 26 countries and 28 company-owned retail boutiques nationwide.

St. John is widely recognized in the fashion industry for its innovative and extensive manufacturing capabilities, including the twisting and dyeing of its own brand of wool and rayon yarns and the finishing of garments with handmade enameled buttons and jewelry. The inimitable Santana knit, a combination of luxe wool and rayon, is renowned for a beautiful wrinkle-free fit. The majority of St. John’s collections are manufactured at the company-owned manufacturing facilities.

The faces of St. John, originating with Marie Gray, then her daughter Kelly, depict the St. John woman: elegant, charming, confident. In Spring 2006, Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie took on the role of spokeswoman for St. John.

One vital factor has remained constant during the transition from a small family operation to a highly visible international corporation: St. John’s absolute commitment to the best fabrics and manufacturing techniques. To that end, St. John is today, as it has always been, a carefully-manage company, maintaining consistency of product by controlling almost every stage of the design and manufacturing process.

In 1999, the majority of St. John was sold to Vestar Capital. Both Marie and Kelly Gray continue to work with the company on a consultancy basis. Marie Gray serves on the Board of Directors and retains minority shares in the company. And while the label still honors tradition, it continues to grow on a global scale.