It’s presidential campaign season and there has been an undercurrent of Americana in a few of the spring 2025 collections at New York Fashion Week, in Ralph Lauren’s preppy flag sweaters, Ronald van der Kemp’s American flag jeans and dresses, and St. John’s red, white and blue palette.
For St. John, the reference was about a Western state of mind, which has informed the last few collections, and how that outlook has influenced the world. It played out here in a cream fringe leather skirt suit, on contrast stitching and yoke collars on easy separates, as well as in the prints. A navy-and-white polyester succulent-geo-floral dress, for example, was in a print from an Italian mill that was originally inspired by vintage California textiles. Talk about a global fashion exchange.
Creative director Enrico Chiarparin also worked more sportiness into the collection, expanding the versatility of the St. John lifestyle beyond office and evening with colorful pointelle knits and plenty of short hems and shorts suits, including an adorable navy knit cardigan and short-shorts set with the throwback St. John 1968 label inside.
But the heart of the brand now and forever is tweeds, and this season’s tied back to Slim Aarons’ Palm Springs style with a kiwi cactus Lurex shorts suit and lilac mini coatdress with crystal embellishments that hit well with St. John’s new younger, customers. Chiarparin has also brought back some of brand founder Marie Gray’s fun, gold and shiny enamel jewelry from the 1960s and ’70s, picking up on the Gen Z trend for oversized earrings.
Also with the younger customer in mind? Bare midriffs and lacy slipdresses. A burgundy taffeta ball skirt featuring a sparkle knit drop waistband, matched to a cropped button-front jacket, was a standout, as was as a more sporty cactus green ombré sequin maxi knit tank evening dress with the ease of a basketball jersey.
Next up, the brand will release a capsule collection of sporty mesh knitwear with its signature crochet hems and scallop edges, including sets, T-shirts and minidresses “to give new life” to the archives, the designer said.
“At least the last two RealReal reports, we were one of the top three brands, and that’s the younger customer,” said chief executive officer Andy Lew. “It’s about getting that shopper into new St. John besides buying vintage.”
