for the
In America: A Lexicon of Fashion exhibition in 2022 The idea for the brand started as a personal project in 2005 when
Ashley Olsen challenged herself to create a perfect T-shirt. She tested the design on a variety of women of all body shapes and ages in an attempt to find a "commonality in fit and attitude". In 2006, the Olsens created a 7-piece collection that included the T-shirt, a pair of cotton sateen
leggings, and a
cashmere wool tank dress.
Barneys New York bought the entire collection. The brand is named after
Savile Row in London. In 2008,
Lauren Hutton modeled for the brand's first
look book. Hutton explained: "... I saw the clothes, and they were wonderful, real simple, minimalist designs ... Ash had a place on the beach, so we did it at her place ... And they would dance on the deck, and I would do what they were doing. And it was good." Hutton accompanied the Olsens to the
Council of Fashion Designers of America's annual awards show in 2012, the year they won their first Womenswear Designer of the Year award. The Olsens work primarily out of The Row's
Tribeca studio at 609 Greenwich Street in New York City, which they have occupied since 2012. A Paris office was opened in 2011 and a London office opened in 2019. In August 2018, The Row announced a complete menswear collection that included suiting, denim, and knits. The Olsens conducted two years of research prior to launching the collection, which became available in stores in October 2018. In July 2020, it was reported The Row was weathering financial difficulties and had laid off half of its staff, stemming from the
COVID-19 pandemic and the bankruptcy of
Barneys New York, one of its largest accounts. In September 2021, it was announced that The Row had launched its first children's collection.
The Cut estimated that The Row reached $100 million in sales per year in 2021. In 2024,
Chanel owners
Alain and
Gérard Wertheimer and
L’Oreal heiress
Françoise Bettencourt Meyers bought stakes in The Row, valuing the brand at around $1 billion. The Olsens remain majority stakeholders. == Retail locations ==