Fashion queens Ashley and Mary-Kate Olsen stoked controversy last week when they asked attendees at The Row show at Paris Fashion Week: “no photos, please.”
Various media outlets had fun poring over the move as a f-you for all the women who have recently had a front-row seat at luxury fashion shows through social media photos and videos, live streams, stories from celebrities on Instagram and more.
But perhaps the Olsens were suggesting something else: that the new definition of luxury is presence.
The exhibition was held Wednesday at the usual luxury home on Paris' Rue de Capucines, with the dazzling Rococo interior accented by modern art screens that could have come from the Fondazione Prada's recent exhibition on the subject. The iPhones were not confiscated or recorded, and no one monitored the people taking photos or recording videos. They were simply asked not to do it and to enjoy the moment.
On each seat there was a notebook and a pencil to jot down thoughts and sketches, as was done in the old days.
Since the pandemic, fashion shows have become a groupie circus with the kind of passion and excitement one would expect to see at a Blackpink concert. Brands love it, of course, and are hiring celebrity ambassadors at a rapid pace to fuel the frenzy of fans who discover through social media accounts where their favorite stars stay and go during fashion week so they can hang out. of the security barricades for a while. photo session or autograph, even in the pouring rain at Alexander McQueen this season.
The Olsens, who were at the center of the celebrity storm throughout their youth as child stars, have created a brand that is quieter and more private, and they wanted that for their show this season. And The Row is in the position, at least for the moment, of not needing the celebrity roadshows and social media coverage from within its shows. They don't sell small leather goods, beauty products or sunglasses like most of their business. They sell super luxury fashion, shoes and Margaux bags, which in some circles are the new Birkin.
Five days after The Row show, when the official photos were released, they were higher than in the past, and certainly higher than snapshots taken with an iPhone. As happens in Hollywood, they had the luxury of controlling their image.
From my memories and notes, the collection was gorgeous, with a sense of historicism in feminine sculptural volumes and eclectic collector's touches like beaded hats, giant gold disc earrings, and a large shearling with a red-tipped belt. There was a glut of lovely outerwear that will cost as much as a small car, from the elegant flared trench coat that opened the show to a beautifully draped chartreuse cape and a gray trench coat with padded shoulders and softly puffed back.
A masculine black double-breasted coat over striped harem pants and high-heeled sandals; a black pantsuit with sneakers and a double-layered brown jacket with raw edges over slim pants offered a more tailored counterpoint. In the accessories department, in addition to the pointed pumps with transparent black stockings, which was the main proposal, the suede sock boots stood out.
Not looking through a phone lets subtleties reveal themselves, like the soft bounce of a draped black pleated dress and the threads hanging at the hem of a black boucle dress. There seemed to be more emphasis on formal looks, including a pleated corset dress and an ivory textured column with feathers sprouting near the face.
Hollywood has embraced the appeal of The Row this season; Greta Lee wore a relaxed-textured dress from the brand to the SAG Awards, and Ayo Edebiri chose a white suit from The Row to the Critics' Choice Awards. The “It” girls’ choices seemed exclusive and special, not transactional. Whether it's true or not (although I can't imagine The Row paying), there's something about the idea of being a person who can't be bought, of seeing something that can't be shared in an instant.
Fittingly, the Olsens' parting gift this season was a box of Proustian muffins, a reminder to savor the moment.
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