Grayse Careers and Employment in Irvine, CA

In the years since the dynamic mother-daughter duo of Marie and Kelly Gray left St. John Knits, their lives had changed dramatically. Kelly, former CEO of the high end knitwear company, founded Royal Underground with Motley Crue/Sixx:A.M. bassist Nikki Sixx and spent her time developing a line of contemporary designs known for its marked edginess. Meanwhile, Marie co-founder and designer of St. John’s classic fashions was spending most of her days on the golf course. Every afternoon, though, she would stop by the Royal Underground office to visit Kelly. “Just to see how things were going” explains Marie with a grin. But it was clear her passion for designing was as strong as ever and she found herself increasingly more involved in the company. Still, not all her ideas fit neatly into the Royal Underground box. The seeds of a new company began to take root when Kelly realized how much she enjoyed working with her mother again. “We have always been very prolific together,” says Kelly, “so we began to collect our ideas to see what a collaboration would look like at this point in our lives.” A concept collection was the result, and along with it, a new company, appropriately named Grayse. The new collection features sequined and embellished tops and dresses, Italian silk printed tunics, and detailed leather jackets. The fashions will be launched at Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue in stores and online at www.neimanmarcus.com, www.saksfifthavenue.com and www.mkgrayse.com in February 2013. Neiman Marcus also will hold an online trunk show for the collection on its website in late January. Kelly says she has enjoyed her “love affair” with the rock and roll industry and working on Royal Underground, but feels Grayse is the “natural progression at this stage of my life. Nikki and I had a blast creating Royal Underground, but when the opportunity came to work with my mom again I couldn't resist. I am excited to see where Nikki takes the brand in the future.” Nikki says working with Kelly on Royal Underground has been an incredibly unique and rewarding experience. “I wish her the best in her future endeavors and look forward to the next chapter in Royal Underground's history.”