In 1962, a young fashion model named Marie Gray experimented with a knitting machine. She made sleeveless dresses for herself and for friends. As word of her designs spread, her entrepreneurial fiancé Robert Gray realized their strong business potential and began taking orders from specialty retailers. The fashion line St. John Knits was launched.
  What started out as the creativity of one woman is today an American icon with over 5,000 employees and six separate fashion lines that are sold by top specialty stores in 28 countries and 32 company-owned retail boutiques. With over 42 years under (and over) its belt, St. John is now poised to fully show the rest of the world a label American women have come to love. In this bid to reach across oceans while still maintaining its core clientele, the Gray family has brought on board one man to help guide the ship. With a proven ability to lead and an unsatiable desire to understand his clients, including those from different cultures, St. John could not have found a better new CEO than Richard Cohen.
  At the age of 18, Cohen was given a choice by his father. He could either go to college or live in three different countries for one year each, provided that they spoke a foreign language. As if foreshadowing what was to come, Cohen left his home in London for France. France, just like his second destination, Spain, allowed him to start learning the garment industry from the bottom up. In both places, he gained valuable work experience in factories and retail stores.
  More than just understanding the practical facets of fashion, his first two years abroad showed him that different cultures have a different way of looking at the world. Even more, the language barrier taught him how to listen, a skill that has enabled him to “create an environment where people will talk, so you can move on with business and drive it to success.”
  For his third destination, Cohen wanted to work in New York. After somehow convincing his father that Americans spoke a foreign language, he moved to New York where he got a job with the retailer London Fog. However, his real introduction to the world of fashion came from designer Bill Blass, whom he worked closely with at After Six Inc. Through Blass, Cohen digested the importance of a trunk show and learning about your customer. From major metropolises to small-town proms, Cohen spent much of his time traveling the U.S., meeting and learning about his clients. “Today, I don’t do anything without trying to understand the way my customers think,” says Cohen. Ultimately, it was this guiding principle that saw Cohen succeed in a string of high-end retailers including Burberry, Ferragamo, and Ermenegildo Zegna.
  When Cohen joined Zegna as president and CEO of U.S. operations, the company was a small 13-million-dollar business. Within 16 years, his partnership with Gildo Zegna saw the company grow enormously—the whole company at $900 million worldwide with his own divisions achieving $160 million in the U.S. and another $20 million in Canada. Needless to say, from his experience with Zegna, Cohen became an expert at building a brand. “If you are a classic men’s house—be that,” he says. “Believe in what you do and carry it through with a consistent message.”
  With Cohen now leading St. John, that message is aimed mostly at professional and/or philanthropic women—in other words, the male equivalent to Cohen. However, as they begin to expand overseas, Cohen, chief designer Marie Gray, and creative director and signature model Kelly Gray (daughter of Marie) will face the interesting task of understanding the aesthetic needs of women from different cultures, climates, and lifestyles. And though these variables may change from one region to another, one thing will consistently remain the same—quality.
  With 90 percent of its products made in-house, St. John has a unique edge in quality control. “We are a vertical company,” says Cohen with a smile. “The sheep walk in and the products walk out.” With respect to quality, the company is widely recognized for its innovative and extensive manufacturing capabilities, which include twisting and dyeing of its own brand of wool and rayon yarns and the finishing of garments with handmade buttons and jewelry.
  Looking toward the future, Cohen couldn’t be more excited. His efforts to solidify St. John’s position as a global luxury brand mean more of what he loves most—understand and acting upon the needs of a new clientele.  Yet, regardless what language they speak, Cohen is confident that the quality and creativity put into each dress will transcend words.
  As for all the loyal St. John customers in the U.S., Cohen hints we may see a new model besides the beautiful Kelly Gray. Who? “When you see her, you’ll recognize her.”

—David Krissman