The Row Opens Flagship Store in Paris
After establishing successful physical store locations in New York, London, the Hamptons, and Los Angeles, fashion’s most famous twins, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, have finally opened their highly anticipated flagship store for their brand, The Row, in Paris.
A Special Place in the Heart of the Olsens
Paris holds a special place in the hearts of Mary-Kate and Ashley, as their brand has been a part of the seasonal Paris Fashion Week schedule for years, showcasing their latest collections. Now, The Row has found a permanent retail home in the 1e arrondissement, located on the corner of rue d’Alger at 1 rue de Mont Thabor, between rue de Rivoli and rue Saint-Honoré.
A Long Time Coming
For the twin designers, finding the perfect location in Paris has been a long time coming. In an interview with Vogue, Ashley revealed, “We’ve been looking for years, but then we look everywhere all the time.” She added, “We wanted to be in Paris before we opened in London, but we didn’t find anything here first. Then, 18 months ago, a friend told us about this place.”
A Store That Feels Like Home
The importance of setting up a retail location in Paris is evident in the level of detail seen throughout the store. The former restaurant space has been transformed into a unique storefront, featuring windows that were initially a challenge for the twins. Mary-Kate explained, “Having so many windows is amazing, but also a challenge because Ashley and I don’t like putting anything in our windows.” To solve this, each window has a custom blind designed by Lilou Marquand, a favorite of the Olsens.
A Part of the Neighborhood
The sisters wanted to ensure that the store felt like a part of the neighborhood, creating a homey and welcoming atmosphere for the community. Ashley stated, “It has to be a nice experience for the community – a sense of the store being local. Their experience is as important to us as anything else we do.”
A Harmonious Space
The harmonious feeling of the store was crucial to the sisters, who aimed to create a third-home experience with their store. The space maintains the original and historic structure of the building, with its industrial piping, while staying true to the brand’s minimal elegance. Walking through the store is like walking through someone’s home, with incredible taste and key design pieces such as wooden Traineau chairs by Victor Coutray and a modernist 1930s coffee table by Michel Dufet.
A Unique Shopping Experience
The dressing rooms also feature key design pieces, including a Jean Prouvé dressing room door. Ashley expressed, “We just want to open, because there are so many learnings when you do. You need to be very agile, and to make adjustments, so opening the doors and learning one day at a time… that’s very us.” The store may not be on the most obvious street in Paris, but the Olsens are happy with their choice. “This may not be the most obvious place to be in Paris – we looked at almost every major street in the city – but we’re very happy here.”
Visit The Row’s Paris Flagship Store
If you find yourself in Paris, be sure to visit The Row’s new flagship store at 1 Rue du Mont Thabor, 75001 Paris, France. Experience the brand’s unique aesthetic and immerse yourself in a shopping experience like no other.
