The Row really wants you to slip your feet into something a little more comfortable next season
While the rest of the fashion world might be shifting back toward Ashley and Mary Kate Olsen’s messy-haired, takeaway coffee-drinking, cigarette-dragging, more-is-more days, the twins are still pushing forward with their ultra-minimal, quiet-luxury styles via The Row. Now – at the label’s SS24 show in Paris – the twins have dropped their latest ultra-simple fashion forecast for the coming season, and no, it’s not another white t-shirt, long blazer, or sensibly-cut shirt dress, but the humble hotel slipper.
Found tucked inside your hotel room’s closet, the modest slippers are most-often used to stumble down the hallway to the ice machine, run next-door to your sneaky link’s room, or – if you’re Ashley or Mary Kate – probably to inconspicuously tip-toe down to the nearest alleyway for a cigarette. While we know the design duo loves a pared-back footwear option, it does come as a shock that the hotel slipper – whose towelled sole and slip-on, mule toe design comes mass-produced for the use of hotels worldwide – showed up in the offering this time around.
Appearing on The Row’s dreamy, golden hour runway, the shoes were styled with an all-white ensemble, including flowy floor-grazing trousers and oversized white shirting that cinched in at the waist. Meanwhile, the slippers also appeared in black alongside black trousers, a boxy tank [cut low to reveal a tasteful glimpse of side-boob], a black leather bag tucked under the arm, and a gold arm cuff. Chic of course, but we wouldn’t have expected anything less from Ashley and Mary Kate.
If they’ve convinced you by now, then the good news is – based on the label’s previous slipper prices – the hotel room sorts will probably range from £300 to £1000 come SS24. How cosy! With The Row’s customer base already copping the label’s classic tees and tanks at a heavy price, however, we wouldn’t be shocked if they make the purchase – unless, of course they already have some pairs stockpiled from their latest five-star stays.
While we can’t say we’ve seen hotel room slippers appearing much across the rest of the SS24 schedule, it does seem that some labels are trading in their usual chunky heels for slip-on or flat-footed options. At Versace, Donatella sent models down the runway in multiple pairs of sweet, ice cream-coloured ballet flats – a big jump from its usual sky-high, sultry heels – and Prada’s awkward, square-toed kitten heels seemed to hold a similar shape to the slippers.
Meanwhile, the Olsen twins did accurately predict flip-flops' recent comeback to fashion all the way back in 2018, so we wouldn’t be too surprised if hotel slippers become Instagram it-girls’ go-to footwear a few years down the road. Even though the slippers are by no means groundbreaking fashion, compared to the current surge of ankle-twisting 2010s platform soles, heavy-duty biker boots, and sweaty fuzz-filled Uggs, we can’t deny that they would be the more comfortable option.