Famous before they turned one, twenty-one years later, it is no exaggeration that they’ve achieved global domination like no other celebrity – especially in the pre-teen demographic (while remaining a guilty pleasure for the young at heart!). P. Ramakrishnan was in rapt conversation with the world’s most celebrated twins and fashion-forwards; Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. Over diet-cokes and still water (their respective choices over the chat), they talked about fame, fashion, frenzied fans and fanatical photographers. “We are sooooo coming back to Hong Kong and looking around next time, our schedule’s been so tight, I really want to see the city and maybe check out Thailand too. And India’s a dream destination where we were planning to go last year but it didn’t work out in the last-minute and…” says Ashley Olsen, 22, as she rattles off the Asian hot-spots in a frenzy of youthful exuberance and excitement as no visible signs of a 16-hour-flight from New York lags on her rosy cheeks.
And why would it? Painfully young and exquisitely well put-together in her signature line of Elizabeth and James, with costume jewellery in exaggerated portions sparkling off her finger… Scratch that. Costume? They could very well be the real deal – with a net worth of over US$1 billion, being in full financial control since 2005 when they turned 18 of their company Dualstar Entertainment Group, the Olsen siblings are not short for change. So if a girl wants a diamond ring the size of a quail egg, by George, she’ll have it! Ashley Olsen’s every bit the fashion icon her press release states her to be, confident in her stride, sure in her every step.
Each step over a pair of Balenciaga shoes which look dangerous in their black leather high-heeled extremity. when she scuttles to her chair for the chat, it seems she could trip and tip right over. With three security guards (two agents, three representatives from the company and a host of nameless faces part of their entourage) within an arm’s reach, should she teeter and fall, when an avuncular chide to be careful is said out loud, Ashley giggles and says. “Oh they’re my favourite pair! They are so comfortable.” As the precarious six-inch heel seems to engulf most of her petite frame, we’ll take her word for it.
If you fell and tore a sleeve, would you be able to sew your shirt up? “I’d give it a try,” she says with a sly grin. “It won’t be that good, but I’d try it!”
As we laugh like children who’ve shared a secret, there lies that faint recollection that this half of the multi-millionaires heiress has lived in a bubble of fame as far as memory serves.
Born to Jarnette and David Olsen in Sherman Oaks, California, the girls started their acting careers on the television series Full House in 1987. Courtesy of syndication and perpetual re-runs and an inexplicable mass appeal that crosses borders, language and cultures, the poorly acclaimed yet vastly popular sitcom took a life of its own and spawned nearly eight seasons. A few weeks shy of turning one, the girls were both cast to play one character; Michelle Tanner. Cherubs with large blue-green eyes, they were an instant hit – as was the show.
What was supposed to be a platform for three adult comics, it become the mother of all family shows, capturing a young audience (and the young at heart). Espousing good family values and a squeaky clean image, the girls played the same character with engaging expressions and precocious punch-lines which did wonders for ratings. The show lead to videos, to TV movies that went on to full length features… and more. A small empire with a big turnover was born landing them both on the Forbes power list, ranking the two as the eleventh-richest women in entertainment.
In town to promote their line of clothes, we meet a day after the launch bash at Lane Crawford’s store in IFC mall. With more gatecrashers and guests playing fast and easy with their invitations, nearly everyone brought their young ones along to meet their idol Americans. “We were a bit taken aback by the response,” says Ashley in wide-eyed surprise. “Usually when we’re meeting clients in a new market, its usually a quiet cocktail and we meet a few people, take a few pictures – but I’ve never seen so many people head straight towards us.“People were very sweet. Some guy shook my hand and then kissed it,” says Mary-Kate with a smile. “Didn’t know who he was but everyone was being so nice. I wish we had more time to stay and take pictures with everyone and meet them all but, we were booked up.”
While their clothes were on exhibit around the shop, for most of their frenzied fans, the Elizabeth and James line spear-headed by the twins, is all too familiar. For the rest of the fashion un-savvy, Ashley tries to explain the ethos behind one of their brands (The Row line – inspired by the casual chic of Savile Row - is also under the aegis of the awesome twosome), of mixing masculine and feminine virtues. She reads her inept audience. With most in the room double her age and twice her size, it’s time for a little show and sell.
“Look at this shirt,” she says, getting up and striking a pose prior to the shoot. “It’s a guy’s shirt. Well, it could be. The stripes, the ease of it, the way the sleeves roll, the lack of frills. But it goes with this girly black skirt – it’s combining the silhouettes of masculinity and femininity in the same look. And everything in the collection is a mix and match - which really reflects our own style. With a high-end top, a chic scarf that doesn’t cost as much, everything can be put-together. Having fun with the look is so important – and making it affordable from a price-point.”
Skimming through their line of clothes, there’s the peacock Penelope dress, a stripe woven T with a simple black skirt, a lush sequin vacation dress drapes next to white tuxedo shirt - her words resonate. Suddenly you see it – get it. Colour me converted! And yet lies the hint of suspicion.
Celebrity sprinkled designer duds (Madonna, Jennifer Lopez, Jessica Simpson and the similar ilk) are often fronted by the famed, but affronted by the ‘real’ designers. As Roberto Cavalli famously stitch-slapped Madonna, “Maybe tomorrow, I get up and sing eh? And I become a rock-star. Singers should stick to singing, designers should design!”
Gently I broach the subject. Known for her turn in film and television, not having studied the craft of dress-making, when asked how involved she is in the process of the designs, says the straight-haired Olsen, Ashley, “In almost all of it. OK, I’m not a great sketch artist and I can’t sit and needlepoint but when it comes to the entire collection, from themes and ideas, to what patterns to use, to which fabric and why, how we mix and match, the colour scheme we want to incorporate, what materials to repeat and discard, what shapes we want, the silhouette we’re looking for - we are involved in the entire process. It’s our project, our name – well, our brother and sister’s name– on the items. It’s so important to be physically a part of it.”
Says Mary-Kate, “And everything we see inspires us. When we were landing in Hong Kong, the skyline of the city is so incredible. We had this mental picture of what the city would be like – but it’s so much more than its promises. The architecture, the street-style, everything’s inspiring. So in the next collection, if you see something that reminds you of Hong Kong, it’ll be because of our trip here.”
Though often reported that they named the brand in ode of their brother and sister, the girls are quick to clear up the false reports. “It was purely coincidence!” they both chime. Though the interviews were conducted in separate rooms with each individual, apart from their striking looks, they share an exquisite likeness in thought; reiterating each other’s beliefs and sentences, mirroring their philosophies. Either they’ve got the PR spiel down pat, or it’s the echolocation brought on by their unique bond. As the girls intertwine their fingers during a shoot or flow into joint poses, the phenomenon the two are becomes all too apparent.
Did your other siblings (the girls have two half-brothers) get vexed that they weren’t chosen in the final call? Did they hanker over favoritism as their monikers weren’t considered? “No, they really didn’t care. Even when the brand came out first, Trent (that’s what we call James at home) and Liz were completely surprised. We didn’t tell them in advance and they weren’t that fussed over it honestly! We were with our company’s partner and wanted to create this line of clothes with a strong name and it just so happened that these names were selected.”
Though their company Dualstar engulfs most of their empire (with video, CD, DVD, games and other Olsen paraphernalia having sold over US$150 million), why choose other names to establish a label, when their own is one of the most widely-recognised trademarks on the planet?
“We were working on names with our company partner and Elizabeth is such a beautiful name and so was James, which is so masculine and it sounds so strong,” explains Mary-Kate. “It’s as simple as that.”
How did germ of an idea come about that you guys could do this design line? Says Mary-Kate, “When we were younger, around the ages of 10, 11, 12, the show and videos were doing really well, and we were getting really well-known and we would have these events to go to – but with no appropriate clothes. What would happen is that we’d get adult designer clothes and alter them to our sizes. I’d see a great Marc Jacobs jacket but have to cut it to my size. There was this huge lack in the market for great clothes for young people. We thought we could do something about this – make great clothes at affordable prices for young people.”
A philosophy that major brands, run by men who’ve been in the business for half-a-century, try to espouse with variable degrees of success. Its alarming that these gifted girls have captured the market as swiftly as they have. “The clothes for kids were all candy-coloured and with cartoon characters, which is fine if you’re into that, but we weren’t. We had our own style...”
The bohemian hippy chic?
“Oh that was then,” laughs Ashley, near impeccable now in her polished incarnation. Lampooned by the New York Times for ‘pioneering their signature homeless look’ the girls sartorial succession was dramatic. “Every look has a season and its constantly changing – you know that. We are evolving and growing and its unfair that once the media gives you a label, you’re stuck with it. Yes, we liked over-sized clothes and scarves - but that was then!”
The press, especially the online e-media stalkers, had a field day with the girls and their every move, outfit, bag or shades. “Things I used to read or hear from others was frustrating. About how often we were at Starbucks – well, that was ridiculous,” says Ashley. “We had our morning cup and that’s the only time the press could see us out and that become our box. We were just stuck in it and what was said about us was rarely true.”
With more online sites and a flurry of tabloids dedicated to their every move and breath, how these young girls take on the sniper paparazzi cannot be fully comprehended as Mary-Kate tries to explain, “Well, in LA its just dangerous. They will do anything for a picture. In New York, people are slightly more respectful – just slightly. It’s been such a pleasure to be in Asia where the media treats us with such dignity. They are far more ruthless in the US because they have no privacy laws and no way to stop them. Even France has stricter rules.”
What’s been the most hurtful or false misconception about you?
Responds Mary-Kate, “You know what, we stopped reading anything about us. We just block it out. It’s hard to believe but its true. The tabloids, the sites, we just don’t want to know. We wake up, go to yoga, have breakfast, go to the office, have our meetings or our film or TV shoots, our work – that’s our life. The rest is not important. We try to lead our lives with as much integrity as possible and we zone out the negative.”
Having been under the spotlight for decades now, you’d think the two are immune to the harsh glare.
“We don’t go to clubs and have wild parties. We have dinners at home, our friends who we trust come over, who won’t sell us out, who won’t say false things to make an easy buck…” she continues, with a quiet pause and a reflective look out to the sea-view of Hong Kong harbour from their expansive Four Seasons suite. Mary-Kate comes back and her blue eyes pierce through. “If we meet someone, they don’t suddenly become our BFF. Trust takes time.”
The softer, more chilled out of the two, there’s an endearing insouciance to Mary-Kate that’s complimented by the tougher, straight-to-the point Ashley. Sporting a Chanel bracelet on one arm and twiddling with her ring on the other, when asked if she still wears other brands (the girls famously did the ad-campaign for Badgley Mischka, spoke to Vanity Fair about their vast collection of Juicy Couture) says Mary-Kate. “Of course. But recently we’ve been buying accessories more than outfits. If there’s a style we’d want to wear, we’d get it made!”
Images, Courtesy of photographer Olaf Mueller.
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