Runway Review | The Row Spring 2015:
Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen are women of very few words. Ask them about the direction of their new Spring collection, and you get the shortest of briefs: "Raw silks." That's not much to go on, but no matter. This show, like most of The Row shows that have preceded it, was highly evocative. Monday morning traffic, the elevator you just missed, your buzzing cell phone… In the face of the serenity on their runway, all that stuff fell away. The setting, a raw, fifth-floor warehouse space in Soho, played a big part. Pouring through skylights, the morning sun glinted off the gold basket weave of a loosely tied coat, and shimmered on an organza top that looked as if it might've been dipped in tea or sepia-dyed. Angels, you thought. 
That's probably too literal an allusion for the Olsens' taste, but there was an undeniable purity to this collection, with its mid-calf hemlines, full A-line silhouettes, and covered-up arms and shoulders. The Olsens experimented quite a bit with wrapping. Long swaths of fabric crisscrossed the torso, twisted around the waistline of dresses, and trailed down the legs, sometimes creating a gentle peplum at the hips. These were not clothes designed to seduce, but they were beguiling nonetheless. A woven tabard finished with braided fringe was especially lovely; not many other labels in New York are turning out this level of handwork. Equally tempting because it was more utilitarian: a crisp, collarless white cotton poplin shirt tucked into a three-quarter-length black skirt, accessorized with a cross-body "hunting" bag. 
The Row's former design director Nadège Vanhee-Cybulski was in the news this summer when it was announced that she was appointed the artistic director at Hermès. She left the company last March and The Row reports it won't replace her. This beautiful show positions them well for the future.
Shop current products from The Row at: Marissa Collections
