The Fall and Rise of The Row 

in terms of salaries related to their stockists. As an ex Brand Manager for The ROW, the majority of stockists are whole sale. Our salaries were paid 20-50% by TR, the remaining by the department store. some locations had no brand manager / specialist at all and will rely on generic sales associates to sell. One of the best brands to work for however! they are so involved.

Personally, what i think was the most notable thing that sets The Row apart over every other celebrity brand, and a huge factor to it's success, was that the twins genuinely made an effort to avoid the spotlight following the release of the brand. The twins were always known to be private but they became even more elusive and avoided doing any more tv interviews and red carpet appearances that wasn't the CFDA or anything to do with fashion. They basically tried to disappear into obscurity. I believe this was their attempt into being taken seriously as designers and be forgotten as celebrities. One point you made in the video that I don't agree with was, if I'm not mistaken, you believe the initial customer base of the brand were fans of the twins. I believe the opposite. The first customers of The Row were wealthy women who had no idea who were behind the brand and just saw an impeccably constructed cashmere coat. There used to be a lot of shock when people found out that this understated luxury brand that has insane quality and pricing to match were ran by the the Olsen twins. One last thing, The Row cultivated a cult following not only because, as you mentioned, they were basically doing what Phoebe Philo was known for, but because The Row was even more radical than Phoebe. The designs made available on retail were even more simple, more basic, made of higher materials, were more expensive, understated and unknown to the masses. Every item they had was made of cashmere, vicuña, silk, the most supple leather, etc. I always thought of The Row as a cross between Phoebe Philo and Loro Piana.

it's time people started valuing quality > trends

If you contrast this with other "celebrity" brands, the thing I come away with that sets them apart is quality. Many celebrity brands really don't seem to value a well made quality product as much as a gimmick or something briefly of quality only to end up cheaply made. I think if you made a quality product that people want to buy...you will eventually be successful, and more important...you will keep them as customers. That is a lesson I don't think many brands take to heart

One thing I note from your videos is that slow growth but steady growth work better for long term result

It blows my mind how many huge companies everyone knows about are operating under debt and have never turned a profit. Companies like Uber, Lyft, Netflix even are all low key not profitable for their investors. I think it’s important to point this out often since entrepreneurs like to paint themselves as self made millionaires but in reality many are just smart at spending other people’s money and the best thing they can hope for is to sell their ownership for a big chunk of change before their creditors catch up to their game.

Finally! So glad to see this video! I have so much respect for the Olsens for how they navigated their careers and personal lives, and how their work ethic and relationship drove them to success.

This is perfectly timed. I saw this Twitter thread the other day which somewhat contextualised the brand as something created to explore the twins' true passion for fashion design. Interesting to now see that they aren't even the main designers at The Row anymore! Thanks for all the detailed research, I really love how you dug into the business structure behind the brand - maybe the twins' real genius is in business,, too?!

Elizabeth & James was discontinued in 2018 I think, so it's a shame that you didn't talk about the reasons behind that decision and how it might have changed the trajectory of their business model. Overall, a great video demystifying the myth of the Row's humble beginnings

I knew most of this, especially the early stuff, as i was working in fashion around this time. And have now moved into business. They never do things im half measures. From the way they set up their contracts and production companies as children. They have a great head for business it's truly the most impressive thing about them imo. What a really well-done video as usual

Wow! I really fell for the “it all started with the perfect t shirt” bit. I had no idea they had all these diffusion brands!!! I learned so much about The Row. Ty❤

I remember when The Row started - they did really well quickly moving away from mimicking MK & A personal style to simplicity. I also was familiar with Elizabeth and James from Sephora - I had no idea they were a brand outside of fragrance! But I wish you covered what happened since they are no longer stocked. TBH the difference I see between The Row and VB is the ruthless emphasis on quality - deserved or not. VB puts her vision at the forefront of her brand vision but who knows what's happening the the atelier of The Row other than whatever or whoever is behind the curtain will put out a consistently quality product. It's not my vibe but I don't question that it's well made.

What an excellently researched video this is. The Row is truly a brand to follow and the Olsen twins are living testaments to the phrase "working in silence and letting success make the noise". I especially love it when they dress their sister Lizzie for her rare red carpets. Having said all that, I still am patiently waiting for your Céline video. The chic leather-RTW they put out is a personal fave and I really want to know more about them. I discovered them through BLACKPINK's Lisa which was groundbreaking because I've never heard of them here in the Asian market before they signed her up. Happy new year, by the way! I'm such a big fan of your channel.

Your content is so educational and entertaining! Thanks.

Wonderful video as always. I remember seeing their 1st collection at Barneys. I didn't know it was by the Olsen Twins. It was a small capsule collection of luxurious basics. The stretch leather leggings, classic blazer, classic dress, silk camisole, etc. Initially l thought it was odd but then felt it was very smart to have very well made basics that women would want. The Row reminds me of the issues that Barneys had. The Row/Barneys did great in NYC and Los Angeles where you have an abundance of affluent fashion insiders. It took a while for it to be well known elsewhere. I am glad they are more well known. They should come out with and Artisanal fragrance line similar to Tom Ford to generate more income to support their main line.

You should do a retailing history series. After seeing the screenshot recipes from the Barneys bankruptcy I am super interested in the timeline and logistics of this and many other great or past pillars in the fashion/retail space

Very insightful video, thank you!!

Great video and wonderful channel to clearly explain fashion to someone who's outside the industry, isn't a target consumer of fashion, but finds the artistry of the product inspiring and the brand management fascinating.

Another great video! I’ve always loved the rise and fall of diffusion lines - maybe that subject is a good one to get into

Your videos are so well done! In a different design field, I learned a lot

NEW UNDERSTITCH VIDEO YASSSS This gonna be my video to eat to for tmrw 😍

Great video as always. It's also important to point out that they have a few star products now like the Half Moon and Margaux bags, which are both, honestly, of great quality.

Loved that in their FT interview they quietly threw shade at Gabriella Hearst for poaching some of their staff and still not finding success.

thank you for you amazing work and research

This is the one I’ve been waiting for! I subscribed to this channel (and the beauty one) last month and I’m nearly done watching all the videos. Thank you for the great videos!

Thank you for this extremely thorough review of the brand’s history. I’ve been collecting The Row for a long time but some of this information was new to me. I’m of an older gen so the draw isn’t the designers’ status but rather their impeccable style choices and attention to detail. They’re still, in my humble opinion, the only one in this category of minimalism that creates classic pieces but with an edge. It’s not like some of the other luxury lines that can feel mature when styled head to toe. I hope their renewed success leads to financial viability - both for them and for The Row lovers like me. 🖤

Absolutely love your content.

Great story and mention quality to keep customers coming back.

Quality work! Thank you.

Your content is beyond....... love ❤

It is so interesting that the twins used the LVMH model of luxury loss leader, brand burnisher The Row to juice up their other cheaper lines. Amazing research and so good to know the real story and not the creator founder startup myths.

This might be my new favorite channel.

My favourite fashion channel reporting on The Row? Such a good video. But I was expecting you to mention the 55,000 dollars backpack studded with pills (a collab with Damien Hirst) controversy around 2012. That's when I first took notice of the brand. I remember it being talked about alot. How it is supposedly glamourised drug taking. I personally thought the bag was ugly and tacky, but after looking at their collections, I ultimately loved and still love their fashion line. Love them too.

When you stated you know how to sew it made me so happy. You are a true talent.

Thank you for your research on this brand. I only knew that the brand was owned by the twins, but you gave a lot of information. I didn't realize the menswear line was short lived. I remember owning a sweater from the brand, very simple, and the only branding on it was a tiny metal looped tag that was sewn at the back of the neck (where was tags are sewn). That eventually disappeared after the a couple dry cleaning trips. Anyway, can't actually remember how I purchased it, I know it was online because I was stationed in Kuwait at the time. It was a great sweater, wish I still had it. Oh well.

YESSSS!!!... thank you @understitch 😘

First of all, let me say thank you for all that you do with informing us on this very important information in the past industry and to the research that you do to build your contact very impressive. I have a request. I didn’t see where I could personally message you, but I wanted to ask you can you please do a video on Kanye West DW line and how that fostered into His role in the fashion industry today and what happened to the original two collections that were produced

As a potential customer, the row just doesn’t sell enough accessories to cover the costs of their garments. Understanding the LVMH model, it’s unfathomable to me how €460 beanies and €1000 jeans is financially viable. It’s like, I just bought a pair of €1,150 pants from Helmut Lang, a business which has famously been struggling for recent years, and is now making loungewear to cover their costs. If a brand of that stature has to resort to making €500 sweatpants, how is The Row surviving - diffusion lines no one has ever heard of included.

I have this black wool and cashmere blend coat from Uniqlo and I always pretend it's the Row. I'm obsessed with this brand and with Mary Kate and Ashley because it's the epitome of quiet luxury.

I see The Row perfume and skincare incoming! You heard it here first! 😉

its a good day when understitch,

I thought it was known knowledge that they've been profitable for a while? The stores are routinely picked clean and the notoriety of the selling/popularity with genuine "old money" hyper-wealthy clientele is an observable fact for people (actually) operating in the industry (wonderful video/content regardless)

My favorite trousers are Elizabeth and James… hope to add a few items from The Row to my wardrobe soon 👌🏽

I read influence as a teenager, and it was a lot of interviews of mostly fashion designers, and each other, along with aesthetic images. I think they must have mentioned the row?? but I think it was very very quick- which was smart because it created, like their privacy as celebs in general, a desire to know more due to its mystery and inaccessibility. I ended up associating them with the incredible fashion icons they interviewed- and felt they must have an eye for fashion and good taste to have such conversations and connections. it felt mature at the time .. I really felt like I grew up with them since childhood and I ate this book up as a teen- I haven’t read it in over a decade and I eventually cut it up for collages, but it was very influential(hah) for me.

Excellent and unusual vid.

I know that this brand is fairly new, but I would love if you did a video on area. It’s very interesting and I would love to learn more about how they rose so fast

At the end of the day, their pieces are fucking incredible in terms of quality materials and tailoring. I’m happy to fork over money for subtly luxe staple pieces that will age well.

Your voice is so soothing. It reminds me of Mel in Melbourne

Quiet luxury is trending right now and that is helping their brand grow.

They have been working since before they could walk or speak. If they want to invest the money they've made into a fashion line, I'd say they have every right. The pushback from other designers feels a little unfair. What else did they make all that money for if not to invest it into something they love? And one more thing I think that's worth noting: they became billionaires because they produced, starred, and DISTRIBUTED all of their films themselves vis-a-vis a straight to video model. They weren't making their money through a deal with outside studios (like other child actors) back then. I don't see why they would go through traditional channels in launching their fashion line, either. They were the bosses then. They are the bosses now.

I truly appreciate the TRUTHFULNESS in every video that is Revealed 🤩

Customers falling into the younger end of their target age group may not remember the Olsen twins for their TV and movie fame. I think the quality of the garments and the consistent aesthetic are more important to the brand's ongoing success than the celebrity status of its founders. Personally, I really hope it continues to be successful.

I have the Mary Kate and Ashley influenced book, I found it at a used book store for $1

Amazing! Could you do Samuel Ross founder of A-Cold-Wall?

i think Zadig would be an intresting brand to explore

Can u pls do a video on comme des garcons and rei kawakubo ?

I love The Row. They also put out GREAT playlists on Spotify.

Not sure if this is the right approach to think of the brand, but given their seemingly consistently growing revenues, I can see why they were comfortable with losses as their valuation must have been growing as well. This was during a period of cheap money too, and when the cheap money era ended they truly exploded as quiet luxury started to trend.

Where can i find info on marine serre? It seems to appear in a lot of music videos but is it actually a well known luxury brand?

As a side note: I credit Zoe Kravits as the celebrity endorsement of the brand. Her celebrity rose almost simultaneously as did the noteriaty of the brand to xennials and gen z. It's litterally all she wears and I believe her publicist worked out some sort of deal to with the The Row to make her a silent ambassador. And they chose the right person because she's not obvious like the Kardashians so it feels genuine. They don't seem like the kind of line to do that but desperate times call for desperate measures.

Elizabeth Olsen (Mary-Kate Olsen & Ashley Olsen sister; known from her role Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch from the MCU/Marvel Cinematic Universe) inspired from the defusion line of the ELIZABETH AND JAMES

I purchased the 2010 sunglasses from Selfridges and never wore them, they are somewhere in storage

I don’t feel this resurgence is a flash in the pan. The Olsens capitalized on luxury items during the recession. Remember their backpacks that were insanely expensive? I recall reading an article post Great Recession on how luxury brands did well during the recession, and there was a quote from one of the Olsens mentioning how historically this is always the case which is why they decided to release the backpacks (paraphrasing of course).

The row has been iconic since 2007 and many fast fashion of that era stole design and concepts such as the vests and that “one tshirt”

I'm curious how the business model works now since Elizabeth and James shut down in 2020? I cant imagine that those other little brands turn enough profit to keep things going. Wondering if that means that the Row can now stand on its own two feet? 🤔

love love love

They launched the first collection in a video of a girl walking around a house showing the versatility of the pieces

I always got the vibe that they wanted the brand to stay small and gatekept from the ones who didnt know it. Never crossed my mind that it didnt make profits 😮

The Olsen twins were so effortlessly cool to middle school and teenage me.

That's what we called Industry Plants in the music business

The only downside is that their internships are credit only like most of the industry

You’re watching Understitch✨

With an impending recession, i genuinely dont think we will ever see another young luxury brand cement their place the way the old fashion houses have

But if they TRULY wanted to get into design, which they did because I remember, how else are they supposed to do this as already established celebrities who are also very smart? They couldn’t ever be the struggling designers…and they have always been quiet about their stuff. And their fans trust them…so idk what else you want from them.

love everything i have from their almost can’t wear anything else

are you the voice of gecko's garage?

They need a perfume.

16:26 i have heard that most businesses don’t make money their first year, but a loss of £18,000,000 over 15 years before making profit is insane to me (i work in the industry)

The row is the best

Please do Chrome Hearts next

Call me crazy but I feel like they didn't pic a winner cause Gabi didn't like how hers translated on camera 🤣 I love this channel I say that with love lol

it's going to ex-plode! the number of margaux bags reviews and outré lotd with them i'm seeing is amazing. what i love is that there's nothing to review or wit to pose. it's a 2d cut of blackness. the end. the military-industrial complex of fashion-show-off can't cope with minimalism.

🎉

The Olsen sisters are based.

love them sm but this is just overpriced af, yeah it's good quality but not made of diamonds, it would've been cool if they stayed more affordable as it started instead of just marketing for basic millionaires

Why would they be obligated to hire black people? They should hire people based on talent and suitability for the role not race.

I would have never thought of Rockafella as a luxury brand. I know Sean Jean had a 5th Avenue store in NYC. It would be interesting to see a vodeo on the rise snd fall of hip hop brands. I know people will think it's a disservice to individual brands to put them together, but I always thought that with the exception of Kanye's brand they all had similar trajectories. Phat Farm, Baby Fat, and l Sean Jean on the high end, and Rockafella, G-Unit, Wu Wear, and FUBU on the lower end.

Who knows of this because of Soft White Underbelly?

Never never never. And I'm not alone. Over hyped and over priced. Have you seen these clothes? You can tell if you handle them, no no no.

like kk , kylie , vic Beckham its HYPE. no one who knows about style would buy such crap .

13:37 If the Row has a 30-60 year-old demographic, then why is their model a child?

Brands like the Row and Phoeby Philo know that their patrons and fans are the type of people that will support them through their racism.

Not having black staff doesn't surprise me, their brand isn't geared towards black people

You‘re making at least three figures from this video. The least you could do is buy their $45 book when you are this short on information on their brands.

Their business acumen is quite impressive. I have not seen other celebrity brands attempt to independently emulate the LVMH business model quite like the Olson twins have. In some ways, they remind me of Max Mara and Hermes in that the focus seems to be on creating the best luxury version of functional wardrobe staples. Interesting that their brand reflects their personal choice to remain extremely private now that they have retired from acting; it's obviously their brand, but unlike the Kardashian clothing brands, they have prioritized letting the quality of their garments and the notoriety of their customers speak for themselves. Truly the epitome of quiet luxury. I always admired their sense of style growing up, and in a way, The Row feels like the grown-up version of their personas.