She Weaves Her Touch Into Label
Penchants for short hemlines and wovens rather than knits distinguish daughter Kelly Gray from her mother, Marie Gray, the matriarch and founder of St. John, the Irvine-based knitwear empire.
But when it comes to creating sophisticated feminine dressing, Kelly Gray, who introduced Griffith & Gray, a division of St. John a season ago, identifies with her mother.
Griffith & Gray styling and influence are pronouncedly St. John: the timeless designs, Chanel-inspired jackets and the use of details, such as ribbon bows and gold hardware.
Kelly Gray, 28, has grown up in the business that was started more than 30 years ago by her parents. (Her mother’s maiden name is St. John.) Kelly Gray appears in all of St. John’s print ads, a role she began as a teen-ager and continues even though she also serves as the company’s senior vice president and creative director.
Add the title of designer now to her list of accomplishments. Kelly Gray shares the position with another St. John senior vice president, Diane Griffiths, 43.
A Fashion Institute of Technology graduate, Griffiths is equally familiar with St. John’s look: She’s a 22-year veteran of its design department and has been working side by side with Kelly Gray for eight years.
Together, they bring to their namesake label everything they wanted in their wardrobes but couldn’t fit in St. John’s knitwear design scheme.
“I’ve always been kind of the black sheep because I preferred wovens to knits,” said Kelly Gray. “That’s why I dressed in Armani and Chanel all these years--besides St. John, of course. I’ve always loved the way Armani makes clothes that are spirited and relaxed.”
There are signature statements in the spring collection that distinguish Griffith & Gray from its parent company. A man’s tuxedo shirt is abbreviated into a halter top that generously reveals the back. Hemlines take a dramatic leap in two lengths, from below the ankle to a few inches above the knee.
Another popular item is the cigarette-slim pant, a silhouette that’s selling ahead of the trouser and pajama-wide shapes.
While Gray teases that they can get away with their daring halters or skirt lengths because they “don’t have that many customers yet to scare,” customers are responding to their sexier approach.
The pieces, made of quality wool, viscose crepe or silk linen and produced in Italian factories, “move it away from being purely trendy into a classic,” says Griffiths. Pin-tucked seams give the illusion of constructive tailoring, but the clothes are anything but constricting.
Customers can expect wool crepe to remain a collection basic, Griffiths says, “so women can convert their wardrobe by adding a few key pieces each season.”
Designed with that in mind, the jacket is offered in several shapes and lengths.
“It’s the centerpiece of the collection,” says Griffiths. “It’s the centerpiece of a wardrobe for the woman of the ‘90s.”
Prices run about $200 for skirts, $300 for pants, and $600 to $1,000 for jackets and evening wear. Griffith & Gray is available at Saks Fifth Avenue, Beverly Hills and Palm Springs; Neiman Marcus in Fashion Island Newport Beach, and Nordstrom, South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa.
Gray says she never considered another line of work.
“I just assumed I’d always work in this industry,” she says. “I guess I really followed in my mother’s footsteps. She was a model. I ended up being a model.
“She was very gracious in allowing me to learn and make mistakes,” she says, remembering when the cocky confidence of her youth overpowered her experience in running a business.
“I wish I was more like her, she’s so graceful and patient. I’m a little more aggressive. That’s where I take after my father. I’m learning, though. But my mom is as much of a lady as I’ve ever come across.”
