St. John is unveiling new leadership following news in January that its chief executive officer Andy Lew would step up to lead parent company Lanvin Group, also home to the Lanvin, Sergio Rossi, Wolford and Caruso brands.
The Southern California luxury brand has appointed Mandy West chief commercial officer and Lauren Parrish chief merchandising officer, effective immediately. The two will work alongside St. John’s chief financial officer, Andy Wong, who will be taking on the additional role of chief operating officer.
This leadership structure was the succession plan put in place by Lew, who was promoted to executive president of Lanvin Group, and who continues to oversee the St. John executive committee.
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“St. John is a female founded brand and it has always been my goal to promote female leadership” Lew said in a statement. “I am thrilled that not one, but two incredible talents will bring their dynamic and unique points of view to this historic brand and I look forward to working with them on charting our growing vision for St. John.”
Founder Marie St. John was working as a fit model and secretary at an L.A. apparel manufacturer when she brought the idea of a simple knitted wool shift dress to the sales team. The manager there, Robert Gray, became her husband, and together they opened St. John in 1962, nurturing it into a global luxury brand with the help of their daughter Kelly Gray, who rose from model to the brand’s face and creative director. The Grays resigned from their day-to-day roles in 2005, and the brand has operated in several incarnations since, the most recent under Lanvin Group.
Over the past five years, West has been promoted from vice president of retail to senior vice president of retail, wholesale and buying, a role created for her in 2023. She will continue to expand the brand’s brick-and-mortar retail footprint and e-commerce platform, aiming to create a more elevated and cohesive client experience across all channels. Prior to St. John, West led client service teams at Nike and Tesla after retiring from a career playing professional basketball in Greece.
“During my tenure at St. John, I’ve seen firsthand the ingenuity, dedication and hard work across the team to breathe new life into this beloved American house. I am honored to step into the role of chief commercial officer at a brand that means so much to me both personally and professionally. I look forward to working with our brand partners on what is to come,” West said.
Parrish is being charged with overseeing both design and marketing at St. John, after launching and growing several designer brands, including Rachel Zoe, where she was president. Her efforts will be seen first in the 2026 resort collection.
“The rich history of St. John and its impact on American sportswear is deeply inspiring to me as a creative professional,” said Parrish, who also founded her own contemporary brand Brochu Walker and cashmere brand ParrishLA. “Being a female founder myself, joining St. John, I am thrilled to architect the new vision of this brand with such an incredible team.”
Both executives will work at St. John’s Anaheim, Calif., headquarters.
