How Mary Kate And Ashley Olsen's Clothing Brand Is Taking Over Pop Culture
As children, Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen starred in shows such "Full House," "Two of a Kind," and "So Little Time" and in films like "Double, Double Toil and Trouble," "Passport to Paris," and "Getting There" (via IMDb). While these twins are known for their acting, they have also made waves in fashion.
First, there was their collection at Walmart in 2004, as reported by Showbiz Cheat Sheet. There was Elizabeth and James. And in 2006, The Row was born, with a plain white tee (via i-D), and now, according to PopCrush, The Row even has gender-neutral children's clothes.
"I don't know how conscious we were of what we were doing at that time, to be really honest," Ashley told i-D. "We had just moved to New York. We were 18 years old, and I think what we did know was that we wanted to take that time to take a break from what we were previously doing and to explore things that interested us and explore what life has to offer."
Lately, stars have been sharing photos of themselves wearing The Row
Now, the Olsen twins are known well for The Row's simple staple pieces. The brand's luxury, as well as their name behind it all, has added to the success ... and, as of recently, so have celebrity endorsements.
Late last year, Kendall Jenner shared a photo of herself to Instagram, captioned, "The Row head to toe." A few months later, Bella Hadid posted a photo of herself in clothes from the fashion brand. Next, Zoë Kravitz shared a picture of her and Jonah Hill wearing The Row. A final example is the Haim sisters donning items from this company to the Brit Awards (via Yahoo!).
So why is it turning to celebs now, especially when, like its founders, it has always been known for being discreet?
The Row is an independent company. It's a top seller at places like Bergdorf Goodman. Its "magic is in the details," as "it's quality and understated," according to Bergdorf Goodman's president, Darcy Penick. And "it's intimate," said retail consultant Ron Frasch in 2019. The twins don't give very many interviews, there are only three stores in the whole world, and the first ad for the brand was made up of two blank pages that simply said "The Row" at the bottom — all helping to build up this idea of a cult following and quiet luxury, as stated by Robert Burke Associates.
These celebrity endorsements started up after The Row's rough couple of years
In 2019, Barneys filed for bankruptcy, owing The Row $3.7 million. Then, The Row's president, David Schulte, left, as did design directors Jim Robinson and Anna Sophia Hövener and several others. Additionally, Schulte is suing the company, its parent company, and the designers. Next up, the pandemic happened, and in April, The Row had 51 employees — a number that was pretty much halved by July, due to people leaving and/or being fired. On top of all of that, the brand was accused of not hiring very many people of color (via The Cut).
With hit after hit, it does seem like a new plan would be put into place, so it does make some sense that celebrities are suddenly posting all about these clothes. Is there some sort of partnership? Are stars being paid for these posts?
Stylist Dani Michelle spoke a bit on the topic with Vogue. "Kendall [Jenner] and I always chat about a vibe before fittings, what her vision is, then I pull the pieces to bring it to life. Once together, we collaborate on ideas to make the final look because it all stems from her vision. Right now, she's gravitating towards a minimal style, and The Row was one of the ways we executed it."
Things may be changing, but the Olsen twins' brand is still beloved and respected
What started as a brand with a simple white shirt has exploded into a go-to of luxurious and classic pieces. Some may not even know that Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen are behind The Row, and many may have not been up to speed on all the struggles that have been faced in the past few years.
However, everyone saw big names like Kendall Jenner and Chrissy Teigen wearing and carrying items from The Row (via Vogue). So while this fashion company has been known for its quiet luxury, as Robert Burke Associates stated, it is now making waves in a whole new way. And no matter what comes next, one can be sure that these well-known twins will keep doing whatever they can to make it work.
"They're there every day, and their desks are within and amongst the people that work with them at the office," said Gigi Hadid. "I really respect that" (via L'Officiel Malaysia).