Phoebe Philo and the Brands Having Fun Online

Back in 2013, The Row’s Ashley and Mary-Kate Olsen launched their Instagram account with a filtered photo of bolts of fabric accompanied by the words “Office décor.” It was the kind of post we were all doing at the time: something familiar from our surroundings, with a trendy filter and simple caption. They soon added images of artworks, movie stills, and historically important buildings and furniture, which they would sometimes mix with flat product images and photographs of editorial placement in different magazines. By 2018 the account had morphed into one primarily about art; for every 20 or so images of a Gauguin, Modigliani, or Le Corbusier, they’d post one image from a recent look book or runway collection.

In the past couple years, they’ve almost course corrected, posting a more one-to-one mix of the artworks currently inspiring them (Alexander Calder’s Spectacles or a René Lalique lamp) and images of their own clothes and accessories. Their newsletter is used in a similar manner; sure, it alerts its subscribers to new arrivals and sales, but more interestingly they use it to send a monthly playlist with a link to their Spotify account. Their latest for the month of April is more than three hours long and features songs by Spandau Ballet, Smashing Pumpkins, and Luscious Jackson, for starters. They were one of the first brands to engage in a vibes-first approach to social media, where the goal is to transmit a feeling that will enhance the decision to purchase a pair of shoes or a handsome coat. For the designers, who are notoriously press averse, it’s also a way to create intimacy with their customers (OMG, we both love unique cutlery!) without having to give anything personal away. At the Paris shows in March, The Row asked editors and influencers to abstain from posting on social media, offering a notebook and Palomino Blackwing pencil to take notes instead. The minor stir that followed proved just how subversive choosing to take a break from the online conversation can be.