Our series returns for Spring 2013, following NM fashion director Ken Downing on his four-city Fashion Month!
The scene: cocktail hour in a New York brownstone. An Upper East Side girl with polish and Downtown style, hit with a hefty dose of Brit whimsy. Stella McCartney is half New Yorker, remember—her mom was from New York. Feathers became flowers; there were eagle motifs, embroidery. The models mingled while artists worked at the perimeters. Photos above by yours truly.
Mary Kate Olsen and Ashley Olsen at NM Beverly Hills. (Michael Underwood/ABImages)
When you first meet Ashley and Mary Kate Olsen, two things strike you immediately: they are more soft spoken and petite than you expected. Couple these with their unassuming manner and it’s easy to forget that they’ve been celebrities since they were 9 months old and starred on the hit TV show Full House. Dressed in head-to-toe black and sporting disheveled blond manes, they look more like a pair of art school co-eds – albeit very pretty ones in impeccably tailored pants.
But get the sisters talking about The Row, the luxury brand they created five years ago, and you quickly realize you’re in the presence of fashion titans who run a global empire estimated at $1.5 billion. As the world and tabloids watched, Mary Kate and Ashley transitioned from Hollywood child stars into articulate businesswomen who are redefining the American fashion industry. In fact, this year, the 26-year-old twins won the Council of Fashion Designers of America’s Womenswear Designer of the Year award, becoming the youngest designers to ever win the prestigious accolade.
The Row
Defined by minimalism and meticulous attention to tailoring, The Row has been compared to early Armani. Despite their world-wide reputation as trendsetters, the Olsens focus on creating pieces that are trendless, ageless and seasonless. The Row is all about classic basics that fit well, feel luxurious and blend seamlessly into any woman’s wardrobe. Even the labels inside the clothes are discrete and tiny.
Mary Kate and Ashley recently stopped by Neiman Marcus in Beverly Hills to meet with customers one-on-one. Every season, they prefer to hold intimate sessions like these rather than splashy runway shows. Just another way that the Olsens are defying expectations and writing their own fashion rules.
The Row at NM Beverly Hills. (Michael Underwood/ABImages)
NM: Tailoring is a signature of The Row. Why is fit so important to you?
Ashley: Growing up, because we are very petite, we were always altering clothing. So tailoring is something we’ve always been very sensitive to.
NM: You’ve said The Row is influenced by the way men approach dressing. How so?
Ashley: Well, I think a blazer is definitely an essential piece of a woman’s wardrobe as is shirting and sweaters. So we focus on all these basic categories that you can interchange. Whether it’s a jacket or a pair of pants, we think of the way it fits a woman’s body…
Mary Kate: And the way it feels.
Ashley: Yes, and the way it feels. Those are the most important things.
The Row jacket exclusive to NM.
NM: What were your influences for Resort 2013?
Mary Kate: Resort that we just delivered…was this mix between California…this kind of Palm Springs and Big Sur vibe…combined with rain coat weather…
Ashley: Sorry, we are thinking back to three seasons ago and trying to keep the influences straight [both laugh]. Resort 2013 was focused on outwear.
Mary Kate: Even though it is Resort, it delivers in the dead of winter. So we wanted to have things that you can buy now and, at the same time, will still work for women closer to Spring.
Ashley: It’s always an interesting season to design for, because of that.
NM: You grew up in Southern California…
Mary Kate: Yes, we were born and raised here.
NM: Does that influence The Row?
Ashley: I think it’s there and it’s about having a more casual mentality. It’s a feeling of wanting to make pieces that are easy.
Mary Kate: When it came to using prints in this Resort collection, it’s there because we used palm trees. You can see it in the sweater on the back. [Gestures to Ashley to turn around and traces the design of the a palm tree with her finger in the sweater her sister is wearing.] And you’ll see some of the prints as well in the shirting. It was about asking ourselves: ‘How do we make a palm tree look like the most special palm tree ever?’ [laughing]
NeimanMarcus.com.cn
Earlier this year Neiman Marcus announced it would launch a dedicated site for Chinese consumers, and it has now come to fruition. Neimanmarcus.com.cn launched this month, making the latest collections of 23 European and American designers—including Alexander McQueen, Jason Wu, Donna Karan, The Row and Valentino—available to fashion aficionados in the Middle Kingdom. The site currently offers women’s and men’s ready-to-wear and accessories.
The site has its own blog, Front Row @ NM, to provide global fashion news, trend direction, and stories about NM heritage.
Front Row @ NM
Front Row @ NM
Neiman Marcus China is also active on the social network Weibo.
An elite team of NM staffers has relocated from Dallas to Shanghai to ensure that the new market is served with the standards of the NM brand.
VP Nathan Johnson inspects the goods.
We’re tickled to see our logo and butterflies going global!
Shanghai, home of NM China.
Wed Gordon and models in his Spring 2013 collection.
Emerging design talent Wes Gordon possesses charm and skill beyond his years. This year alone was marked with more than one mega design milestone. After receiving Fashion Group International’s Rising Star Award for womenswear, Gordon garnered the coveted accolade of being a finalist in the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund. After completing several months worth of challenges in conjunction with the annual competition that helps young American designers build their businesses, Gordon, still wide-eyed and energized, took his very first trip to Dallas to visit with the NM team at the historic flagship store.
A delicate lace elongated sleeve.
Wes Gordon: I am visiting ten Neiman Marcus stores this season. It’s so fun to go to the different cities and meet the people and go out to see the sights.
NMdaily: You are not only handsome but are very personable, so I am sure women across the country are thrilled to meet the man behind your elegant work.
WG: And I like to see who is behind the clothes! It’s very fun for a designer to put a face to an abstract idea.
NMdaily: You’re only 26-years-old and you have already had all of this success… and now your CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund nomination. How does this feel?
WG: Well I still have a long way to go. The past couple of years have felt like 30.
Wes Gordon, Spring 2013.
NMdaily: How has the whole process been?
WG: It’s a lot of work, but it’s been such a good learning opportunity. The Fashion Fund competition is just tremendous. It’s such an honor to be included with such a phenomenal group of designers.
NMdaily: You launched your first collection in February 2010 and your designs are already splashed all over the pages of Vogue and hanging in Neiman Marcus.
WG: I can’t believe Spring is our sixth collection! Since I decided to start off as a new brand everything was a first. I think it takes you a couple of seasons to find your voice.
NMdaily: You are from Atlanta and then you went to school in London. Did you always know that you wanted your brand based in New York?
WG: I think that’s why I wanted to go to school in London. Well, I knew I wanted to go to St. Martins, and I knew I always wanted to live in New York, but I thought I would rather to go to school someplace else. There are worst places to school than in London!
Gordon and NM fashion director Ken Downing chat at a NM cocktail party in Dallas.
NMdaily: You take pride in making all of your clothing in New York’s garment district. Why is this important to you?
WG: It’s great for quality control. We are able to duck in and see how its going at any given time. The hand-stitching, the beautiful linings and the details are everything, so we constantly need to monitor that process. New York’s garment district has such a history. It’s also the factories with these incredibly talented people.
NMdaily: Do you do anything else for fun or are you just work, work, work?
WG: I just got a puppy, her name is Bird. She is a ridiculously cute black and white cockapoo. That has been taking over my life at the moment. I got her the day of my show in September.
NMdaily: As a congratulatory gift?
WG: To myself! I actually found her before she was born. My show happened to be the day she was ready to be picked up and I couldn’t get her the morning of.
NMdaily: Does she get to come into the office?
WG: Yes! We have her, a small but hard-working staff and some pretty amazing interns.
NMdaily: And you had some pretty awesome internships yourself…
WG: I interned with Oscar de la Renta and Tom Ford. Oscar actually came to my first presentation.
NMdaily: Would you say that that experience largely shaped your career?
WG: They are both masters at what they do. I definitely learned a lot from them, and if I am some day just a fraction as successful as them, I will be very happy.
NMdaily: What is the most rewarding aspect of your career?
WG: Wow, what an amazing job to have! I get to think of things and realize them and make them. I get to have an idea for a dress or a sweater and watch it come to life. It’s incredible. The best part is the idea of strangers going into stores and falling in love with the pieces I designed.
Wes Gordon, Spring 2013.
NMdaily: Was this always your dream?
WG: I always knew. It started with obsessing over fashion books. I would buy the old Valentino books and I just fell in love with it—the idea of it, the spirit, the elegance, the drama. I am so glad I found out at a young age what I wanted to do because that makes chasing this dream a lot easier. I want to be building this company until the day I die.
NMdaily: Well we are excited to follow you forever.
Every holiday season shoppers feast their eyes on more than beautiful gift items at Neiman Marcus stores, they come to see the attraction that is our windows. All unique across the nation, NM window displays are created by artisans that make up our in-store visual team. This year our Beverly Hills store, located on buzzing-with-energy Wilshire Boulevard, was a spectacle inspired by dramatic theater, digital and film productions.
“We took inspiration from the Cirque du Solis production of IRIS at the Kodak Theater, where vintage theater production meets high tech digital imagery,” visual director Martin Packs says of the 2012 concept that his team began working on in July. “When Neiman Marcus announced the theme of “Oohs & Aahs” we all thought of things that give us those reactions. Mostly they were things we have seen that make us wonder—fireworks, nature, travel and speed.”
Visual Director: Martin Pack
Visual Assistant: Jamie Suh
Fashion Stylists: Mathew Carlin, Hector Martinez
Installation Experts: Jamie Bravo, John Kelly, John Johnson, Carol Choi
Fashion Production: Christian Sartregusi
What better way to marry art and fashion than to paint art onto fashion? Charlotte Olympia shoe designer Charlotte Dellal came to NM Bal Harbour during Art Basel Miami Beach, and jumped into the art scene by doing just that, creating limited edition shoes just for the store. The charming London resident documented her Miami trip in these snapshots, captioned in her own words.
Karlie Kloss and Jason Wu backstage at his Spring 2013 show.
A model, a muse… a best friend. Jason Wu‘s favorite gal pal is none other than supermodel and NM favorite Karlie Kloss. For his Resort handbag collection the designer turned to who else but his beautiful BFF for design inspiration. After all, what are friends for? Like Karlie the catwalk queen, Karlie the clutch is lively, lovable and mesmerizing to look at—proving to be the ultimate sidekick for any glamorous night out.
Jason Wu Karlie box clutch.
To Receive:
1. Celine – The Edge Bag in black and safety orange!
2. Pineider Stationery from Florence, Italy.
3. An advanced copy of Season 3 of Downton Abbey
4. Valentino Rockstud Flap Clutch Bag in Fuchsia
5. The Stuart Weitzman Perfect Riding Boot
To Give:
6. Maison Kayser Pastries – the perfect house warming gift for a holiday party!
7. Altuzarra Shaker and Double Old Fashioned Glasses from the Neiman Marcus + Target #Holiday24 Collection
8. Eddie Borgo Pave Door Latch Cuff
9. Band of Outsiders Cookie Cutters from the Neiman Marcus + Target #Holiday24 Collection
10. Neiman Marcus Cashmere hat for my daughter Olivia.
To Receive:
2. Valentino Rockstud Driving Gloves
3. Lele Sadoughi Pave Bead Slider Bracelet
5. Help donate, foster or adopt a kitty! ASPCA New York.
To Give:
6. Dior Nail Polish in Bar Lucky
7. Panacea Faceted Drop Earrings
8. Tory Burch Fox Studded Bracelet
10. “The Book of Mormon” Broadway Tickets
