SS-31: The History of St. John Knits: from Past to Present
It all began with a single, seemingly modest ambition. Gray, then a professional model, had never planned to launch a fashion empire.
She simply hoped that the small run of dresses she designed would help fund a romantic honeymoon in Hawaii with her fiancé, Robert Gray. Marie, who modeled under the name St. John, had designed a sample knit dress on a whim, imagining she might sell a few to local stores.
When their first major order came in—not for 20 dresses as Marie had hoped, but for 200—she was stunned. Robert, on the other hand, seemed to know they were onto something special, and in 1962, what would become the iconic St. John Knits brand was born.
In those early days, the couple operated out of their garage in Southern California, with Marie focusing on production and design, and Robert handling sales and business operations.
By 1971, St. John had moved its headquarters from the family’s garage to a larger space in Orange County to meet growing demand. At this point, their clothing was being carried by major department stores like Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Nordstrom, further establishing St. John’s presence as a leading luxury knitwear brand.
The secret to St. John’s success lay not only in its elegant designs but in its unwavering dedication to craftsmanship.
From the very beginning, Marie and Robert made the decision to control every aspect of production. They sourced the finest Australian wool, which was spun in North Carolina, but everything else—from twisting the fibers into yarn to dyeing the material vibrant colors and knitting it into garments—was done in-house.
The brand’s suits, dresses, and eveningwear were designed to be both sophisticated and comfortable, with a focus on elegant tailoring and luxurious materials.
These investment pieces, designed to last for years and never go out of style, attracted loyal customers, including high-profile figures like Hillary Clinton, Condoleezza Rice, and Gloria Allred, who favored St. John for its blend of elegance and authority.
St. John’s success in the 1970s and ’80s was undeniable. The company rapidly expanded its production to meet growing demand, with annual sales soaring from $55 million in 1989 to $75 million two years later.
St. John became a major player in luxury fashion, rivaling brands like Chanel and Hermès. It opened standalone boutiques across the U.S. in cities like Palm Beach and Dallas, and internationally in London, Munich, and Frankfurt, solidifying its global presence.
In 1989, the German fashion house Escada acquired St. John, but the Grays continued to run the day-to-day operations, allowing the company to retain its family-business feel.
By the time the 2000s rolled around, St. John was faced with the challenge of modernizing its brand.
The company introduced younger spokesmodels like Angelina Jolie and Gisele Bündchen to appeal to a new generation of customers, but it didn’t have the desired effect. The brand’s core audience remained loyal, as St. John's appeal was rooted in its timelessness, not in chasing trends.
Today, under the leadership of creative director Enrico Chiarparin, who joined in 2023, the brand is entering a new era, blending its iconic heritage with a fresh, modern vision.
As part of their efforts to revamp the brand, St. John Knits opened a brand-new flagship store on Madison Avenue in April 2024. I had the opportunity to visit the store and speak with David Muniz, Director of Stores, about the exciting direction St. John is headed.
As St. John moves forward, a unique opportunity emerges to seamlessly blend its rich heritage with modern innovation, creating something remarkable. It will be fascinating to see how this next chapter unfolds, as the brand continues to navigate the delicate balance between timeless tradition and contemporary relevance.