Royal Underground launched in October 2006, born from a partnership between Nikki Sixx and Kelly Gray, former CEO of St. John. Tommy Lee introduced them at a Mötley Crüe concert. They didn't hit it off at first, but eventually found common ground in fashion.
Kelly Gray wasn't just anyone. She spent 25 years as the face of St. John, then became CEO and quadrupled the company's earnings to $400 million a year. When she left in 2005, she was looking for something different. Nikki gave her that.
The style was "grungy and dirty but at the same time stylish and classic." Clothes for rock stars who wanted the attitude without looking like they raided a costume department. Luxe fabrics: cashmere, antiqued leather, Italian and Japanese denim. Old English shields and lions on the details. Leather jacket linings inscribed with lyrics from "Home Sweet Home."
Prices matched the quality. T-shirts ran around $100. Cashmere hoodies hit $590. Leather jackets topped out at $1,200. The line sold at Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, and Bloomingdale's.
In 2007, Royal Underground expanded into women's clothing and launched a jewelry line with Mitchell Binder of King Baby. Bold silver and gold pieces featuring the Om symbol and Ganesh, some with pave diamonds. Nikki and Kelly wore matching custom bands daily.
Celebrity clients included Steven Tyler, who admired the cashmere hoodie and got one gifted to him. Billy Duffy from The Cult, Chris Chaney from Jane's Addiction, Jonathan Montoya from Saliva, and Donovan Leitch Jr. from Camp Freddy all wore the line.
The brand ran for about six years. Kelly Gray left in Fall 2012 after her father died from a long illness. She launched GRAYSE with her mother in 2013. Royal Underground didn't survive without her.
This wasn't Nikki's first fashion venture. In the late 90s he invested $250,000 in Outlaw U.S.A., a skateboard clothing brand with his then-wife Donna D'Errico as spokesmodel. That failed. So did N. Sixx by Dragonfly. Royal Underground was the one that actually worked, for a while.
The line is gone now, but pieces still surface on eBay, Poshmark, and Mercari.
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