St. John Knits International Inc., commonly referred as St. John, is an upscale American fashion brand that specializes in women's knitwear. The company is best known for its classic styling and extensive use of primary colors

Primary Colors

Primary Colors: A Novel of Politics is a roman à clef, a work of fiction that purports to describe real life characters and events — namely, Bill Clinton's first presidential campaign in 1992...

. A St. John's garment can be identified by its knit-in hem (most companies use sewn-in hems). The garments especially appeal to executive women or women in positions of authority, due to the use of gold buttons reminiscent of military or nautical officer clothing. The moderately heavy knits are flattering to women 'of a certain age' or over 40, and accentuate their good features. The St. John Sport line contains slightly trendier, more youthful styles appealing to women in their 30s. All lines feature cruise wear in the winter.

History

St. John was founded in 1962 by Robert and Marie Gray.

The original face of the brand was model Kelly Gray, the daughter of the founders. Following Gray, supermodel Gisele Bündchen

Gisele Bündchen

Gisele Caroline Bündchen is a Brazilian fashion model, occasional film actress and goodwill ambassador for the UN Environment Programme.In the late 1990s, Bündchen became one of the first in a wave of Brazilian models to find success...

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

Angelina Jolie

Angelina Jolie is an American actress. She has received an Academy Award, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, and three Golden Globe Awards, and was named Hollywood's highest-paid actress by Forbes in 2009 and 2011. Jolie is noted for promoting humanitarian causes as a Goodwill Ambassador for the...

 became the new face and spokeswoman for St. John. In 2010, St. John announcee that they are replacing Jolie with British supermodel Karen Elson

Karen Elson

Karen Elson is a British model, singer-songwriter and guitarist.As a child, Elson attended North Chadderton School in Chadderton with her twin sister, filmmaker Kate Elson. She began working as a model as a teenager....

. After a three-year campaign as the face of the company, St. John has announced that they are replacing the actress because Jolie's fame has "overshadowed the brand."

St. John today

Headquartered in Irvine, California

Irvine, California

Irvine is a suburban incorporated city in Orange County, California, United States. It is a planned city, mainly developed by the Irvine Company since the 1960s. Formally incorporated on December 28, 1971, the city has a population of 212,375 as of the 2010 census. However, the California...

, the brand has its collections and styles sold in specialty stores in 29 countries and 31 company-owned retail boutiques in the United States. The company has an estimated 1,300 employees and 2010 sales of $325 million.

Lines

Started out specializing in knitwear, St. John has since branched out into the following lines:

• Evening
• Couture
• Yellow Label
• Caviar
• Swim
• Accessories
• Beauty