She's dressed women in the White House and rock stars on tour buses, run a $400 million dollar company and appeared in thousands of fashion advertisements, but for Kelly Gray, it is her current passion, Royal Underground, that best explains her fashion sensibility. “For me, style is a state of mind,” says Kelly about her edgy line of contemporary designs. “As our moods change, our fashion needs change and I wanted to create glamorous, sexy clothing infused with that kind of fluidity.”
Kelly comes by her fashion aesthetic honestly, from a lifetime spent in the industry. She grew up at St. John, the high end knitwear company founded by her model-turned-designer mother and businessman father in 1962. When she was only 12, her father hired her to work answering phones during summer vacation, and by the time she was 15, Kelly began modeling for the company. Within a few years, she became the face of St. John, appearing in the company's iconic ads for over two decades. But Kelly had learned from her parents that fashion was about much more than just appearances and advertising. She made it her business to familiarize herself with every aspect of the company, working in departments as varied as shipping and accounting, production and retail, each experience deepening her knowledge of the industry.
She moved up the corporate ladder quickly, becoming the company's Creative Director when she was in her mid-20's, and – just before her 30th birthday – taking over the reins as CEO. During her years at the head of St. John, Kelly steered it through a period of amazing growth, taking the firm from a $100 million-a-year company to one with annual revenues of $400 million. Though she left St. John in 2005, she returned less than two years later as a part-time creative consultant.
In the interim, Kelly and Motley Crue bassist Nikki Sixx had formed Royal Underground, a men's clothing line with an edgy vibe. The two had met backstage at Kelly's first Motley Crue concert and soon discovered a shared love for fashion. Of the collaboration, Kelly says she and Nikki have worked to fuse rockstar style with luxury fabrics.
Following the success of its men's line, Royal Underground launched its women's line in late 2007. “Women seem to love the clothes,” says Kelly, “perhaps because each piece is created with a strong identity, but one that can be re-arranged and matched to fit your state of mind.” The Collections are currently carried at Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue and select boutiques.
Kelly lives in Orange County, skis in Colorado and estimates she spends the equivalent of two days a week on airplanes.