Why Has The Row, Mary Kate & Ashley Olsen’s Beloved Brand, Banned Cameras from Their Shows?

Alyssa Hardy
·2 min read

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Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen are not playing by the unspoken rules for a fashion show in 2024; instead, they are staying true to their roots. For The Row, the twins’ iconic brand, it’s still 2004 whether their guests (or anyone else hoping to get an immediate glimpse at the collection) like it or not.

Showing during Paris Fashion Week’s spring-summer 2025 season, once again, the designers are asking that no phones, cameras, or social media be captured or posted during the event. Instead, guests were encouraged to take in the looks and use a notebook provided to them to note down their thoughts.

It’s back to the Bryant Park, indie sleaze, analog era of fashion where they themselves once sat front row, the pinnacle of fashion influence. But actually viewing the clothes without the barrier of a screen might not be the worst thing. While some may find a no-phones approach exclusionary and counter to the push for the democratization of fashion, perhaps there is something to pulling back a bit on the constant consumption of not only clothing but also the social currency of being at fashion week. Democratization as a concept has been turned into everyone should be able to participate in everything while neglecting that; in order for that to happen, cuts and sacrifices are happening somewhere else — whether it’s quality or experience.

And weren’t we all just talking about the merits of quiet luxury? This is the literal version of that concept in real time. Do we really lose anything with a little mystery? The attention being on the clothing and not the circus means that maybe there’s a bit more thoughtfulness in the work. Plus, the aspirational quality is what makes them have cross-generational appeal — whether or not you can partake in The Row right now.

The Row’s designs might be married to simplicity, but to flip the fashion books, the twins continue to make bold choices with their presentations. Not only did they ban cameras and social media, but they also encouraged snacking, giving attendees a paper brown bag with some bits to goûter, a solid choice we can all get behind because full stomachs should always be very much in fashion.

Originally Appeared on Teen Vogue

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