Editor’s Note: Featuring the good, the bad and the ugly, ‘Look of the Week’ is a regular series dedicated to unpacking the most talked about outfit of the last seven days.
The sartorial journey of Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen remains a source of endless public curiosity. From the days of matching dungarees on the set of “Full House” (1987-1995) to pioneering the 2010’s revival of bohemian chic through a well-documented combination of bangles, ballet flats and Balenciaga city bags — their personal style has long been inextricable from their celebrity.
These days, the twins’ wardrobe is more subtle — though no less influential. The award-winning fashion designers (who launched luxury label The Row in 2006) are dedicated to their industry’s unofficial all-black uniform, occasionally making an exception for brown, white, navy, or gray. Until now.
Earlier this week, Mary-Kate was spotted in a look that was truly technicolor: a firetruck red trench coat, a gold-and-red paisley scarf and a pair of metallic gold loafers.
It’s a significant departure from the sisters’ monochrome wardrobe. Depending on who you ask, their slouchy black full-length coats and duvet-sized scarfs are a fool-proof formula for sophisticated, effortless dressing — or the butt of a joke. “This isn’t a dress, it’s an electric blanket,” said actor Zooey Deschanel, impersonating Mary-Kate in a 2014 Saturday Night Live sketch. “I’m freezing, all the time. But I did find it in the garbage.”
Many have speculated on the reasons behind their dramatic shift in style. After a childhood spent in the limelight wearing identical outfits in alternating colors, are they reclaiming agency by prioritizing comfort and elusivity?
But why all black? Perhaps it was a rebranding tactic that lent authority to their move from child actors to fledgling designers. “Black is modest and arrogant at the same time,” Japanese designer Yohij Yamamoto reportedly once said. “Black is lazy and easy — but mysterious.” There is plenty of mystery surrounding the notoriously private Olsen twins.
That same aloofness is at the core of The Row, too, which has steadily built a cult following through expert tailoring and quality fabrics. No celebrity endorsements feature on the brand’s Instagram page (it is mainly populated with moodboard images, runway photos and the odd magazine editorial), though wearers such as Kendall Jenner and Zoe Kravitz are keen to announce their support on their own social media accounts.
Mary-Kate’s eye-catching golden loafers (and the rest of her fiery look) seemingly fly in the face of The Row’s branding and ethos. To some fashion fanatics, this might signal a change in direction. Or, does it mean they’ve truly made it? With five CFDA awards under their belt, a spot on the Paris Fashion Week schedule and industry critics fawning at their feet, perhaps the Olsen twins, or Mary-Kate at least, are happy to loosen their grip.