Why The Row’s Effortless Elegance Has Enduring Appeal
Beautiful tailoring, cult bags and pared-back accessories – New York-based brand The Row’s collections deliver instant chic
In the years since The Row launched in 2006, the brand has quietly made its name creating pieces that form the backbone of a forever closet, carving a niche alongside luxury behemoths that have been in business for decades. Visible branding is almost non-existent, save for discreet embossing on the inside of a leather bag, or a gold chain recognizable to those with a sharp eye and insider knowledge. In place of a logo is a surefooted DNA that ensures those who know, know.
The brand’s initial mission was to create the perfect white T-shirt, and the collections quickly expanded to include ready-to-wear, shoes and accessories. Today, legions of smart shoppers hang on every collection. Ask any fashion insider what they love about The Row and the terms ‘timeless’, ‘beautifully crafted’ and ‘deeply luxurious’ appear again and again. Paying homage to the adage that ‘the devil is in the detail’, it is exacting in pursuit of perfectly pared-back design. The palette is achingly chic monochrome and neutrals, occasionally punctuated by a soft blue, or an intensely pigmented green. Print is sparing and enduring, confined almost exclusively to stripes; texture comes via tactile knits and slinky silks.
Though the brand is underpinned by design finesse and the very best fabrics – silk, cashmere, virgin wool – its real USP is an innate sense of exactly what women want to wear. These are the sorts of staples that remain in a closet for decades, worn on rotation – wide-leg pants, oversized shirts, butter-soft knitwear. Its calling card has always been not-so-basic basics – from strategically placed cutaways to a shoulder detail draped just so; detailing is subtle, but impactful.
The pre-fall ’23 collection remains true to form – see ankle-grazing trenches to belt at the waist over crisply tailored separates. Leather is celebrated, not only on bags, but via long gloves and a beautiful, butter-soft leather scarf. A cotton-poplin maxi shirt dress and straight-leg wool pants are almost monastic in their minimalism, the latter paired with the brand’s wool and silk-blend ‘Cosima’ blazer. Answering every event dilemma is the inky black ‘Reeta’ dress, a highlight of the runway show and re-rendered in crisp white exclusively for NET-A-PORTER. This collection also illustrates that The Row is not averse to a flourish – see the knitted patchwork detailing that will lend crisp separates an artisanal sensibility.
Cleverly judged for layering, pieces always have transitional appeal – shirts to wear open over a tank, then layer under a sweater; dresses that work as well with slides and a tote as a blazer and chunky boots. Enveloping coats are a collection stalwart, designed to address year-round styling – throw over a slip dress on spring evenings, then layer over a chunky knit later in the year. The lineup is confident, the vision unwavering. Canny, too, is the brand’s knack for staying consistently relevant – button-down vests answer this season’s tailoring brief, while pared-back column dresses nod to the current passion for all things ’90s.
Unsurprisingly, accessories, are carefully judged. Bags crafted in sleek, supple leather arrive in the same palette as the ready-to-wear collection – silhouettes are architectural, detailing subtle. The brand’s ‘Margaux’ bag is a case in point – available in several different sizes, it’s become something of a cult style, regularly selling out. The brand’s footwear treads a smart line between comfort and chic – think kitten-heel strappy sandals in soft leather, simple slides and flats to wear on repeat.
The Row is the antithesis of flash-in-the-pan appeal – the embodiment of ageless, understated style. Always bubbling below the surface is true passion for clothing and accessories – the cut of a shirt, the drape of a silk, the precise hold and yield of polished leather. The collection has always been a paean to enduring style, and a love letter to the discerning sartorialists who wear it.
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