Reticent design duo Ashley Olsen and Mary-Kate Olsen prefer to let their collections for The Row speak for themselves. But unfussy tailored jackets and serene sportswear in a neutral palette can only say so much: Quiet, consistent, understated luxury. Great. End of story?
Fall silhouettes were long and loose yet lean, with two looks that bordered on statements: A lovely lavender astrakhan coat and a long coat in rich cognac leather, that was plain yet generous in proportion with oversize lapels, wide sleeves, a nipped waist and full skirt.
The environment in which the collection was presented was more telling than the clothes about the Olsens’ seasonal mood. Their West Village showroom was redecorated to the gold standard of earthy, mid-century modern taste from a Wyeth catalogue. The vignettes of sofas, leather lounge chairs, marble-topped tables set with gold bowls, small succulents and new handbags — such as the simple rectangular Medicine bags in sheared beaver and lavender alligator — was so comfortably elegant it almost upstaged the clothes.