A group of glamorous but unknown models are the new faces of Irvine-based St. John Knits International Inc.
The models appear in ads set to debut soon from the upscale women’s knit clothing maker. The move marks a shift for St. John, which created a stir by featuring actress Angelina Jolie in its ads for the past three years.
Jolie’s contract expired in May without renewal.
“We felt that a multigirl campaign would best show St. John’s diversity,” cofounder Marie Gray said. “This is an exciting time for St. John. The team players have changed and their well-honed talents have brought new synergy and energy to the brand.”
This campaign is part of a new era for St. John and is the company’s first under Chief Executive Glenn McMahon, former president of the U.S. arm of Italy’s Dolce & Gabbana SRL.
He came to St. John last year, to help the company rebound from an unsuccessful push to court younger buyers by former chief executive Richard Cohen, who signed Jolie.
The plan backfired when St. John customers,politicians, socialites and celebrities in their 40s, 50s and 60s,balked at tighter fits.
Since, St. John has worked to strike a delicate balance: woo back faithful wearers while still broadening its appeal to a new generation. This time, more slowly.
The company overhauled its executive and design teams, rehiring longtime executive Bruce Fetter as chief operating officer and bringing in designers.
Gray and her daughter, Kelly Gray,former creative director and company model,also came back as consultants after leaving a few years back.
McMahon recently told trade publication Women’s Wear Daily that Kelly Gray “was involved in all aspects” of the latest advertising campaign, which breaks in the August edition of Vanity Fair.
It was a “mutual decision to not put Kelly in front of the camera,” he said.
For decades, Kelly Gray was the face of St. John, typically posing in slinky dresses or fitted pant suits with groups of buffed out male models.
“We didn’t want to look like we were trying to recapture the Kelly Gray ads,” McMahon said.
The new ads, which promote St. John’s fall collection, play up the company’s design changes.
They were shot around New York, including Central Park and Times Square.
“Since the ads are in color, it will show some of our exciting colors and will feature product that can capture a very wide audience,” Marie Gray said.
Newer designs, which include knit suits, ruffled blouses, slinky dresses, coats and skirts, are in a range of colors, and patterns.
The looks got applause in January when the company showed its fall collection at a runway fashion show at the Orange County Performing Arts Center.
“The loyalty of our customers never ceases to amaze me,” Marie Gray said.
The company is set to hold another fashion show on July 22 to give customers a peak at its spring 2009 clothes.
McMahon has said he’s targeting $400 million in 2009 sales for St. John, which is majority owned by New York’s Vestar Capital Partners Inc. The company has been trying to work itself back from 2005, when sales fell 5% to $379 million.
In the past year, the company added handbags and glasses and has been renovating existing stores and opening others. St. John has 28 stores in all.
The company faces a decision on what to do with its 169,555-square-foot Irvine factory at Jamboree Road and Michelson Drive. In late 2006, the company sold the building to Houston-based developer Hines Interests LP.
Hines has proposed building offices, which would require the demolition of the factory. Most of St. John’s 1,800 local workers are there.
St. John hasn’t said what it plans to do with the operation.
Higher profits on the company’s upscale products have allowed St. John to be one of the few apparel companies to actually make clothes here. But, like others, it faces higher labor, healthcare, gas and other costs.
For the past few years, St. John has found ways to streamline operations and cut costs, including closing a plant in Van Nuys in 2004 and another in San Ysidro earlier this year and moving some jobs to Irvine.
In past interviews the apparel maker said it was looking for a local area to relocate to.
