New York Fashion Week: The Row by Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen

In this photo provided by The Row a model walks the runway during The Row Fall 2013 fashion show during Fashion Week, Monday, Feb. 11, 2013, in New York. (AP Photo/Christian Siriano)

By Samantha Critchell/Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — It was as if Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen ordered up the chilly and dreary day on Day 5 of New York Fashion Week just so they could invite a small crowd of tastemakers into the lovely, inviting townhouse they used to present The Row collection for fall.

A fire was lit Monday in the Upper East Side entryway. Guests sat on fine wooden antique chairs and velvet settees: the perfect setting for understated luxury — and that’s what The Row turned out.

It no longer seems as if the Olsens take their show far away from the hub of seasonal designer previews at Lincoln Center or even from a downtown gallery for privacy or exclusivity — although they get both.

Editors, retailers and stylists need to be up close to appreciate the silk jacquards and cashmere and tiny flashes of mink on finely crafted silhouettes that look deceptively simple.