STYLE FILE
NADINE KAM / NKAM@STARBULLETIN.COM
Kelly Gray was in Hawaii recently signing autographs for fans of St. John and presenting a show of the company's Resort 2008 Collection at Neiman Marcus.
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Gray’s bright scene
"In fashion you're either in or you're out," Heidi Klum informs civilians each week via "Project Runway."
Assuming both states are fairly constant, those in fashion are probably not going to be sitting around, but out trying to make each moment count. Just ask Kelly Gray, famously in one day as creative director and the face of St. John, the American apparel company founded by her parents Robert and Marie Gray, then out in 2005, six years after the company was sold to Vestar Capital.
Out of work for the first time in her life, Gray said: "At first I didn't know what to do.
"I had been working with my parents all the time I was growing up, so I had a relapsed childhood. I took up ballroom dancing, horseback riding, and I met a rock star!"
That was Pamela Anderson's ex, Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee, and Gray, famously recognized in her St. John advertising campaign image as a strong, self-assured and sophisticated blonde, suddenly reinvented herself as a strong, self-assured rock 'n' roll brunette.
"I was able to go on tour with the band. I mean, the last place you'd ever see me would be a Mötley Crüe concert, but there I was, wearing all black and torn-up jeans."
It might have seemed like a fine way to waste time, but there's no question that rock and fashion go together, and in talking to Lee's band mate Nikki Sixx, Gray found a kindred spirit and business partner. Together, the rock guitarist and the socialite founded the clothing line Royal Underground, which Nikki describes in a video on their MySpace page as being in that sweet spot between Diesel and Dolce & Gabbana, where street and luxury merge.
NADINE KAM / NKAM@STARBULLETIN.COM
Rochelle Ovitt wears a sweater and palazzo pant ensemble from St. John's Resort 2008 Evening Collection.
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COURTESY ST. JOHN
Garnet knit gown with sequin detal from the Resort 2008 Evening Collection.
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It's an increasingly important place to be in the world of fashion, as the most successful of the luxury brands strive to remain relevant in light of competition and ever-growing casual constituency.
"It's a lot of fun, and I'd never worked with contemporary fashion before. I feel like it's given me a better eye for St. John," said Gray, who returned to the company as a consultant in March this year, after an 18-month hiatus. Her appearance in Honolulu coincided with a preview of St. John's Resort 2008 Collection at Neiman Marcus earlier this month, during which fans of Gray gave her the rock star treatment, lining up for autographs.
After leaving St. John, the thought of returning didn't cross her mind, so she is about as surprised as anyone of "coming from having no job to having two." She emerged from the rock 'n' roll experience with a dual approach to fashion that works for anyone with an active lifestyle.
"I love getting all dressed up in very high fashion," she said, but was happy to discover the rocker girl aspect of her personality that didn't surface until, free of St. John, she had the freedom to find herself.
She has no intention of going back to modeling for the company, but said she always loved the teamwork.
"Having worked with family for as long as I did, I love working as a team. I really feel like I'm working with a partner with Nikki, while I feel like I have a mentor with Glenn (McMahon)."
McMahon became St. John's CEO in September, after serving as Dolce & Gabbana's USA president, and declined to be interviewed because of his newcomer status at the company.
"It'll be very interesting to see where Glenn takes this," said Gray, who defers to McMahon on business and fashion direction matters, saying that it's nice to be in a position where the company's fate doesn't rest on her or her parents' shoulders.
She doesn't feel the same kind of pressure at Royal Underground, where a sense of fun and adventure outweighs any hang-ups.
"I like working with Nikki, who's such a perfectionist and so detail oriented and passionate about what he's doing."
COURTESY ST. JOHN
A garnet knit dress.
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COURTESY ST. JOHN
Bright white and black knit jacket worn with black knit shorts.
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