The Row is nothing without its beautifully curated, almost painfully stoic aesthetic. That goes for everything the willfully enigmatic brand does, from The Row's curated Spotify playlists to its store displays.
Witness the ultra-understated showcase that The Row just erected at Dover Street Market Ginza. Deceivingly simple stuff: upon first glance, you assume that you're merely witnessing some wood stairs, boxes, and a couple of mannequins against an undecorated wall.
Well, you'd be right, obviously, but there's much more meaning embedded behind the facade, a simultaneous flex and wink to those in the know.
The staircase, for instance, isn't just any old thing. It's an actual design by Le Corbusier called the "Staircase" (naturally) created for the Firminy Vert apartment complex.
To an ardent admirer of architecture, they speak to elegant spatial proportions elevated by a sophisticated balance of horizontal planks and quasi-industrial iron railing.
To the layman, they are merely wooden stairs.
Neither interpretation is wrong, really, it's just that these stairs so perfectly represent The Row's own ethos. A subtle flex, something most people won't recognize — the average person won't be able to perceive the price, quality and intelligent design behind these stairs, sweaters, or handbags.
Either you get it or you don't. If you don't, then The Row isn't for you.
Likewise, the crates that are delicately arranged as an ascending showcase for The Row's signature fisherman sandals are actually part of The Row's archive, first seen as an accent to the New York-based brand's Fall/Winter 2019 runway show.
Again, subtle nods for those in the know.
The Olsen sisters, who founded The Row over fifteen years ago, aren't alone in incorporating Le Corbusier's quiet sophistication into their oeuvre; Virgil Abloh was also an outspoken fan who occasionally juxtaposed his work against the great architect's creations.
