Angelina Jolie to be face of St. Johns

NEW YORK, Sept. 14 (UPI) -- Conservative suit-maker St. John Knits is looking to change its staid image by hiring Angelina Jolie as its new "face," it was reported Wednesday.

Company officials would not comment, but sources told the Wall Street Journal an annoucement was forthcoming.

Kelly Gray -- the daughter of St. John's founders Robert and Marie Gray -- has represented the brand for more than two decades as the clothing required for powerful, middle-aged women. In fact, its luxury suits are favored by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., the Journal noted.

Gray and her parents sold the company six years ago to New York-based Vestar Capital Partners Inc., and left the company earlier this year.

The hiring of the exotic, tattooed Jolie will be a radical shift from St. John's traditional target of women in their 50s as it tries to appeal to a younger generation, industry experts said.