So about The Row's no-phone fashion show...
Should we be *that* upset about it?
It seems we could never decide how to feel about our relationship with the internet. On one hand, it was bad and disheartening when a sea of phones were seen recording Paris’ New Year’s Eve countdown. On the other, it was bad and disheartening when The Row said no to phones at their Paris Fashion Week show.
If you haven’t already heard, no one was allowed to take pictures or videos at The Row’s FW24 show. Instead, attendees were given a notebook and pencil – of the chicest kind – to jot down their thoughts on the collection, reports Style Not Com. In even more amusing news, influencers were banned from the show too with only a select group of buyers, tastemakers, and members of the press making it on the list.
Some people were, understandably, upset by this. The thing with the phones, I mean, not the influencers.
For reporters and writers alike, this policy might come as a bit of an obstruction to one’s work. You have to attend like, what, three to four shows a day? Then write about them before the day ends, so having photos or videos of the show would serve as a handy memory refresher. Others were quick to call Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, creators of The Row, elitist and exclusionary for shutting its quiet luxury gates on those of us who could not afford a seat at the table.
Totally valid opinions, but really, do we need to be so up in arms about it?
For one, it’s not like we will never get to see the clothes that were on display at the show. I’m fairly confident a lookbook will be released at some point and if not that, the items will eventually be up for sale on the website after which we can all take a peak at the much anticipated designs. It’s sort of like watching a movie in theatres vs. waiting for it to be released on Netflix. You will still get to see it, just a little later. That is hardly exclusionary, right?
I can’t help but wonder, then, if the internet has made us impatient. Perhaps we have gotten so used to having uninterrupted and instant access to everything that we are left puzzled and affronted by this move from The Row.
But an even bigger question begs to be pondered: has this level of unobstructed access made us entitled too? In an era where public displays of one’s life, including the most intimate, has become so normalised if not encouraged, privacy can be seen as an odd thing to practice. For celebrities, especially.
While it is uncommon for brands to want to keep their products private – because their main goal is to sell anyway – that does not mean they couldn’t do so. If The Row wants to keep their clothes behind closed curtains, for marketing purposes or otherwise, they can very well do as they please.
And if anything, it is very on brand with the Olsen twins to keep things hush hush. Mary-Kate and Ashley, who have been in the limelight since they were 9 months old, have been known to be very private and offline in their adult lives. So, this no-phone policy is simply a reflection of that.
User @nilerturk on Instagram said it best: It's neither innovative nor elitist. It is more of a reflection of the designers' own world, I think. They've always been private people and very vocal about their 'offline' lifestyle, so it is only an element of the DNA of their brand.
I’m lowkey digging this no-phone policy. At an age where we have become so dependent on our phones, it is nice to go analogue and practice our writing skills once in awhile. In fact, I think I am more intrigued by the attendees’ show notes than the show itself, and would much rather read someone’s thoughtful musings than scroll through different angles of the same look.
It is of my opinion, then, that the Row’s ban on phones is neither elitist, nor is it new. But it does prompt us to introspectively reflect on our relationship with social media.
Good news! As I am writing this sentence (5 March 2024, 9:59am UTC), The Row has just released official photos from their PFW show. You can check them out here.
Style Not Com was right, this season’s collection is a lot more ladylike than usual with structured, romantic dresses debuting the runway. Of course, The Row’s signature huge coats and tailored suits continue to dominate the collection, threading the line between the masculine and the feminine.
Overall, the collection feels more mature, formal, and elegant, something I think Lily van der Woodsen would have loved to sport. It reminds me also of the late Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy: she’s cool, witty, and fun but always, always take her seriously.