Exclusive First Look: Mary-Kate & Ashley Olsen Launch Shoes for The Row
Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. Photo: FN Archives
By Katie Abel
After building The Row into a powerful ready-to-wear business, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen are ready to tackle their next big project: shoes.
The design duo today will reveal their first footwear offering at The Row’s pre-fall presentation in New York. The line, which hits stores in May, will have the same chic, sophisticated tone as the rest of the collection, which is a must-have at many department stores. The made-in-Italy collection will feature seven styles in various colors and fabrications for pre-fall.
“Footwear was the natural next category for The Row. We want to provide our customers with all her essentials. We hope The Row shoe collection will do that,” Mary-Kate Olsen told Footwear News.
A mule with acrylic block heel. Photo: Courtesy
The collection will be priced from $850 to $1,350, excluding exotics, and will be sold at The Row’s existing retailers and at the brand’s retail stores.
The stylish sisters have already racked up notable shoe experience over the past decade through runway collaborations and other projects. “We have worked with Christian Louboutin, Manolo Blahnik, Barbara Shaum and Enzo Bonafè, among a few others. We wanted to approach footwear organically and have a better understanding of the market before launching an in-house shoe collection,” said Ashley Olsen.
A loafer from the The Row’s new footwear collection. Photo: Courtesy.
The pair also previously partnered with Steve Madden on their Elizabeth & James shoe collection and collaborated with Superga.
This year will be one of major expansion for the 10-year-old label. The Row is opening a New York flagship in a townhouse at 17 East 71st Street. Last year, the brand opened its first store, on Melrose Place in Los Angeles, in a 3,800-sq.-ft space formerly occupied by hair stylists Sally Hershberger and John Frieda.
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