New York Fashion Week: Letting the light in at The Row
In just eight years, Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen’s The Row collection has become a fashion mainstay, a new-generation Giorgio Armani or Loro Piana that’s a go-to for timeless luxe basics, including leather leggings, pleated trousers, midi-skirts, basic black dresses and chunky cashmere sweaters in superior fabrications.
Because the sisters believe in understated elegance, their collection doesn’t change from season to season as much as it evolves.
For spring, the designers staged their show in a loft in Soho, a gorgeously raw brick space with a skylight that filtered the sun in like a James Turrell installation and highlighted the rich texture, sheerness and opacity of the fabrics.
The look: Haute nomad with easy silhouettes, lots of wrapping and tying.
Key pieces: Golden-hued “basket net linen” tie front coat and full skirt. Cumin brown-hued sheer viscose burlap blouse and nubby skirt. Fringed cream silk tunic worn over black pants. Cream criss-cross silk peplum wrap top over full skirt. Navy blue full skirt with ladder stitch hem letting the light in. Suede slide sandals.
The verdict: In contrast to past outings, which have often been characterized by ethnic motifs or over-the-top quirky luxe details, this collection was monastically simple. But it made you focus that much more on the superb materials, which are the collection’s true point of differentiation in the marketplace. The Row is not about trends or even style; it’s about quality. And as is usually the case, after this show, you just wanted to reach out and touch everything.
