Kelly Gray was, in a manner of speaking, to the manor born. Her parents founded St. John in 1962, and at six she was a regular at the Irvine, California offices. At 12, when school was out, she worked as a receptionist there. Evidently, summer vacations were not in her foreseeable future.

At 15, she started modeling for the brand, her striking blonde looks lending themselves to the glossy prestige of the name. But Kelly had learned from her parents that fashion was about much more than just appearances. So she made it her business to familiarize herself with every aspect of the industry. She worked in departments at St. John as varied as shipping and accounting, production and retail, each experience sharpening her acumen and helping her work her way up. By the time she became CEO and creative director, she had accumulated the skills to take St. John from a $100 million a year company to $400 million.

But she also never compromised on the essential spirit of St. John. Steering it creatively as well as commercially, she gave it the urbane, modern vibe that all fashion brands seek out. She assumed responsibility for the label’s direction every season, deciding on what silhouettes would work, which fabrics to focus on, whether pewter or dove would be the season’s new grey. She would be in Casablanca one day, Milan the next, shooting upcoming ad campaigns or meeting with top retailers. Her life became conjoined with that of St. John.

Recently, Kelly left the company to pursue her other dreams. Royal Underground is one of them.