It is a gloriously sunny September morning in Paris, and something about rue du Mont Thabor—an anonymous street sandwiched between rue de Rivoli, in the shadow of the Louvre, and rue Saint-Honoré, lined with boutiques from Balenciaga, Armani, Moynat, and Burberry, et al—is looking particularly kissed by the light.
At 1 rue du Mont Thabor, at the corner of rue d’Alger, that’s especially true. Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen are at the doorway to welcome me, both dressed in long layers of black of their own design dotted with gleaming yet discreet antique jewelry, their faces wreathed in smiles. They are, after all, on the threshold of making a long-held dream of theirs—opening a store for their label, The Row, in Paris—come true. It’s been a long time in the making—quite literally.
“We’ve been looking for years, but then we look everywhere all the time,” said Ashley, ushering me in. “We wanted to be in Paris before we opened in London, but we didn’t find anything here first. Then, 18 months ago, a friend told us about this place.”
They liked that it wasn’t a cookie-cutter boutique space—it had been a restaurant, and the twins would surreptitiously drop by to check it out as they decided on whether to take it or not—and that it was located on a corner and lined with lots of generously sized windows. “Having so many windows is amazing, but also a challenge,” said Mary-Kate, laughing, “because Ashley and I don’t like putting anything in our windows.” Instead, they have some blinds, which are edged with ribbons, designed by Lilou Marquand, whose work they are crazy about, and who has quite the pedigree—she once assisted Coco Chanel. Yet the Olsens are also cognizant that their Paris store is part of a living, breathing neighborhood—and the windows, when the blinds are open, will allow passers-by to glance in and see what’s inside during the day, while the space will be lit to feel homey at night.
