What were you doing in 2006? maybe looking x factorGoing out wearing a bandage dress and listening to “Crazy” on repeat on my iPod shuffle. But amidst all these sickly sweet mischiefs in pop culture, there’s something Little There was something getting more sophisticated in the land of fashion: The Row.
In 2006, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen were former child-star It Girls, with the power to make a pen-stained Baleniaga moto bag, a smoking habit, and goth-esque black layers the height of chic (what can we say? It was a different time). Moving away from acting towards fashion, he had a simple idea: create the perfect T-shirt. The result was released with a broader collection, which also included a wool tank dress and leggings. If that sounds low-key, knowing the brand as well as we do now, it sounds like “The Row.”
In the 20 years since, these two little whispered words have become the ultimate in discreet, classic and minimalist fashion, bought by those on a budget and emulated by the rest of us. Who hasn’t tried to get the look without dropping £640 on a tank top? I am certainly guilty as charged.
(Image credit: Getty Images; Backgrid)
Content Curator olivia wayman There is a fan. She says, “Don’t tell my fiancé, but I counted last night, and (I have) about 80 (pieces).” However, the impact goes far beyond this impressive collection. She adds, “I not only take notes from the pieces, but also pay attention to the styling.” “There’s a lot to learn from the simple tricks The Row uses in its campaigns, like a popped collar, a rolled sleeve or a purposeful shape.”
fashion curator brittany bathgate Agree. “[It]has changed my wardrobe and the way I dress. There’s a lot more spontaneity now, and a quiet inner confidence in what I wear. I reach for less clothes, but what I wear feels thoughtful and fits perfectly,” she explains. Clothes are one thing, but The Row’s conscience extends to its communication, and that’s part of the lore. If most brands promote their designers and share imagery from their shows, The Row famously does not allow phones (often giving viewers notebooks and pens to make notes), and the designers rarely appear in public.
This, of course, makes any tidbit of insider information go viral, like the time guests were given perfectly juicy, individually wrapped blackberries before the autumn/winter 2026 show this March. “Most Luxury fashion didn’t appeal to me because of its extravagance, logos and loudness,” says Bathgate. “[It]can sometimes feel really game-changing to refuse to participate in the circus of the fashion world.”
It’s also, well, all kinds of chic. Like everyone else, when I saw Sarah Pidgeon as Caroline Bessette Kennedy, I made a point of making minimal changes to my outfit. love story. Still, Olsen offers an equally camera-shy blueprint of how to do it in 2026. In a world obsessed with selfies and ‘fit photos’, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen are opposites, and it works. Case in point: seeing only a rare image of Mary-Kate this winter, wearing a long coat and a samba, recently made me reconsider the classic trainer once again.
Clothes are one thing, but The Row’s conscience extends to its communication, and that’s part of the lore. If most brands promote their designers and share imagery from their shows, The Row famously does not allow phones (often giving viewers notebooks and pens to make notes), and the designers rarely appear in public.
With The Row’s success also comes imitations of other brands – not that the twins would begrudge themselves the point of pointing it out. Instead, others have done it for them. Last year, respected fashion journalist Rachel Tashjian called out Designers are exhibiting as “copycats” at New York Fashion Week, with “roification” taking place. And of course, there are the line-up items on the high street that we all buy. For example, I love sweaters from COS or fisherman sandals from Massimo Dutti. “It would be an understatement to say that other brands have taken inspiration from The Row,” says Wayman. The Row style is realized from high street to luxury, all (to capture) a Rowesque customer.”
There are also ex-The Row designers who bring that exquisite taste to other brands they associate with. Sophia Menace, now design director at Gwyneth Paltrow’s GWYN, used to work at The Row, as did Veronica Leoni at Calvin Klein and Nina Kristen, the new design director of shoes at Dior. confirms, “It’s definitely nice to say you have The Row alum.” Amy Odell, the woman behind fashion Substack back row. “It’s got cachet.”
However, this was not always the case. Olsen was a child actor on TV shows like whole house They were It girls and then fashion founders, and like Spice-Girl-turned-fashion-designer Victoria Beckham – she faced industry preconceptions when she first started her brand. “(The programs) are really lousy if you go back and look at them,” says Odell. “It’s night and day compared to The Row. So they had to overcome that, and I think they did.”
And nearly 20 years after The Row began, it’s far from a “celebrity” brand. Instead, it’s reaching the point O’Dell says Olsen always wanted: to become America’s Hermès. It will be worth $1 billion in 2024, and with investment from the channel’s owners, a portion of that has trickled down to a relatively new addition to the offering – Margaux, a bowling-bag size that costs more than £4000, if you can get it. “If you want to stay in a luxury space for a long time, it’s essential to have an it bag,” says Odell. “People were comparing it to Birkin.” The brand has also followed Margaux with an East-West style Terrasse released in February, and now – you guessed it – it’s sold out.
Beyond the product, fans who love this less-is-more brand want even more. “I believe (Olsen) would have completely expanded the world of The Row,” says Wayman. “Art galleries, dedicated homewares and antique shops. One can only hope.”
Shop our favorites from The Row:
Quarrel
Large N/S Park Tote Bag
