September 10, 2019 |
Enter the world of The Row. Without a bell or a whistle in sight, the white walls of Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen’s New York studio is only broken up with simple black benches. The (very) selected group of guests sits down, and off we go. It’s been 13 years since the sister duo started their brand, an homage to the quality of Savile Row tailoring providing the world with “refined minimal luxury that is wearable.” And unlike most brands, they’ve stayed true to what they set out to do. Their yesterday’s show, for SS20, could have easily included some of the looks from The Row’s first ever show in 2010. The eternally chic minimalistic vision is shed of any design lines or embellishments, and therefore exists outside the realm of time or place.
Look one: a clinically plain black poplin shirt with matching ankle-length trousers. Pure. Clerical. Beautiful. As the collection continued to unravel, the volume turned up ever so slightly. Towards the end, the textures became enriched – a gown with matte floral appliqués and a croco knee-length coat representing the loudest The Row woman will ever go. Both in black, of course. Here, the luxury comes in the details: the sleeve shape, the hem length, the collar… Nothing is short of tailored perfection. Whether you are this person, or just want to be – looking at the clothes Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen send down the catwalk is aspirational and cleansing at the same time. You sometimes just need a good shirt to make you feel like a god(dess).
