St. John Knits International Inc., commonly referred as St. John, is a luxury American fashion brand that specializes in women's knitwear founded in 1962 by Robert and Marie Gray.[2] The company is best known for its classic wool and rayon yarn knits, Chanel inspired jackets, and extensive use of primary colors. The brand is owned by Fosun International under their Lanvin Group subsidiary. Headquartered in Anaheim, California, the brand has its collections and styles sold in specialty stores in 29 countries and 27 company-owned retail boutiques in the United States. The company has an estimated 1,300 employees and 2010 sales of $325 million.
History
St. John was founded in 1962 by former model Marie St John and her husband Robert Gray. While working in Los Angeles as a model, St John hand knit simple straight knit skirts and matching short sleeved tops for her own use. Her designs proved popular among her fellow models and she began designing and producing samples. Her fiancé at the time, Robert Gray, showed the designs to local retailer Bullock's who ordered 84 dresses. St John and Gray hired their mothers and another knitter and quickly set about production. The couple, now married, divided duties over the fledgling Irvine, CA business. St John designed the clothes and oversaw production while Gray handled the marketing and sales.