The pleasant scent wafting through the Parisian salons of The Row, and the ikebana floral arrangements staged throughout, proved such sensory distractions that it took a moment to realize something was missing. This season, there were no mannequins.
Usually, for these non-runway visits, they are stationed like studied compositions that attest to either The Row’s stylistic wizardry, or how a loosely tailored blazer attains a kind of Platonic ideal. In their place: a sculptural clothing rack designed by Julian Schnabel, where three hangers presented Look 24—a vintage silk shantung pajama ensemble and a cashmere sweater vest—with a pair of low pumps underneath (they go by the name Liisa and will look good with just about anything including white socks). It was as though the clothes had become part of an art piece, open to interpretation.
Yet there were noteworthy items all around: a jaunty yellow cape as sturdy as a Mackintosh, and a cashmere coat with the ease of a robe; a men’s trench with removable flannel lining; the structured Georgia bag in natural linen canvas and compact Amber in tightly woven leather. They can all be found in this photo series by Mark Kean, who translated the season’s “lived in” narrative with the arty tinge of an old magazine editorial.
If a mostly black-and-white lookbook misses subtle tones like a shirt that glowed light pink, it draws attention to the men’s and women’s white underpinnings (in jersey with the slub texture of many washes) as everyday clothes. These also appear as visible layers, like outside and inside clothes as a single outfit, just dressed up with heels. When the weight of the world feels intractably heavy, light, comfortable and uncomplicated dressing is most welcome. But at a certain point, one wonders whether we are seeing Veblen’s leisure class theory coded into clothes that look more and more inconspicuous.
Of course, the lounge-y, more intimate feel follows the ultra-discreet preview during Milan Design Week of a homewares collection that shifts The Row into lifestyle territory. The brand marks its 20th anniversary in 2026, and let’s not forget that Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen started The Row in pursuit of the perfect T-shirt. Everything they do still reflects this superlative simplicity, only on a grander scale. Maybe, after all this time, what’s missing is a closer connection to them.