L.A. Fashion Week Spring '06: St. John
The most anticipated show of the week delivered plenty of good fashion but not the expected celebrities.
Although Angelina Jolie and Gisele Bundchen were not on the runway or in the front row, supermodel Carmen Kass and plenty of New York models strolled the catwalk for the newly revamped Irvine, Calif.–based company.
St. John made its debut at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at Smashbox Studios in Culver City, Calif., on Oct. 20 as the finale runway show of the week’s events. Under new design direction by Tim Gardner after the exit of Marie and Kelly Gray, the company known for its knit suits with gold buttons delivered more than the typical “ladies-who-lunch” look. Instead, safari-inspired sportswear, feminine dresses and lighter-weight knits worn with wide belts, sandals and chic fedoras were the order of the day. The collection included thoroughly modern looks with slimmer, fitted silhouettes. Styles included a crisp white poplin safari jacket and cuffed shorts, a black taffeta trench coat and a black silk georgette ruffle blouse worn with a cummerbund and cigarette pants. A turquoise ruffled shirtdress and a flirty black chiffon minidress were perfect for the new younger customer St. John hopes to attract. A palette of olive, navy, black, khaki, turquoise and white kept the line sophisticated, and there were plenty of updated knit suits for the faithful follower. —N. Jayne Seward
