The Row’s Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen have opened their first flagship store on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles this month. The move comes after nearly a decade in the industry, with what started out as the perfect tee shirt has turned into a multi-million dollar empire; which earned the girls the prestigious CDFA Womenswear Designer of the Year award in 2012.
“We’ve always wanted our own store; it’s always been part of the plan” Mary-Kate says. “It was a toss-up between New York and L.A., and when this space became available, we jumped on it. It used to be a hair salon and my sister and I used to come here, so we were very aware of the space”.
The store has a distinct minimalist LA feel and is structured around a pool in the centre of the store. “Ultimately, for us, it was about setting it up like a home and just having the apparel be a part of the space,” Ashley says.
“It was important to us to open up our doors quietly. We’re not going to have a party or anything; we want to make sure it’s set up properly, merchandised properly, that things are working. Maybe in a month or so we’ll do a dinner. For now, we just want to be open and get feedback from people close to us”.
