The Row (fashion label)

The Row is an American luxury fashion design house founded in 2006 by Ashley Olsen and Mary-Kate Olsen. The name was inspired by Savile Row in London. Part of The Row's mission is to support high-end fashion manufacturing in the United States.^[1]

History

The idea for the brand started as a personal project in 2005 when Ashley Olsen challenged herself to create a perfect T-shirt.^[2] She tested the design on a variety of women of all body shapes and ages in an attempt to find a "commonality in fit and attitude."^[3]

By 2006, the sisters had created a 7-piece collection that included the T-shirt, a pair of cotton sateen leggings, and a cashmere wool tank dress. Barneys New York bought the entire first collection.^[4] The brand has expanded to include ready-to-wear, resort, handbags, sunglasses, and shoes.^[5]

Initially, the Olsens did not want their names attached to the brand and preferred to let the clothes speak for themselves. They did not give an interview about The Row for the first three years after its inception.^[6]

In 2008, Lauren Hutton modeled for the brand's first look book. Hutton explained: "... I saw the clothes, and they were wonderful, real simple, minimalist designs ... Ash had a place on the beach, so we did it at her place ... And they would dance on the deck, and I would do what they were doing. And it was good."^[7] Hutton accompanied the Olsens to the Council of Fashion Designers of America's annual awards show in 2012, the year they won their first Womenswear Designer of the Year award.^[6]

The Olsens work primarily out of The Row's TriBeCa studio, which they have occupied since 2012, though a Paris office was opened in 2011.^[2]

In 2014, The Row opened its first store in Los Angeles. The brand's second flagship store opened in New York in May 2016 with the brand's Pre-Fall 2016 collection.^[2][8][9]

The brand's collections are regularly presented at New York Fashion Week and have been presented twice at Paris Fashion Week. The Spring 2016 collection was shown at the Château de Courances.^[10]

A number of celebrities have been seen wearing The Row, including Michelle Obama,^[11] Jessica Biel, Julianne Moore,^[4] Selena Gomez, Reese Witherspoon, and Chrissy Teigen.

The Row is currently available in 164 stores in 37 countries.^[2]

Collaborations

In 2011, The Row collaborated with TOMS Shoes for a limited-edition collection for the latter brand's one-for-one model.^[12] Afterward, the Olsens accompanied TOMS on a shoe drop in Honduras.

In 2012, The Row teamed up with Damien Hirst to create a line of luxury backpacks.^[13] The collection featured The Row's signature crocodile backpack in 12 different designs by Hirst. A portion of the proceeds of each sale went to UNICEF.

In 2015, The Row collaborated with Oliver Peoples on an eyewear collection, which includes both optical and sunglass options.^[14]

The Row has also collaborated with Superga.

Awards

References