Got a girl crush on: Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen

“The Olsen Twins, Unlikely Designers, Are Finding Success” by Cathy Horyn, The New York Times

I don’t care what you think. The Olsen twinsMary-Kate and Ashley Olsen are amazing. There’s something about them that gets people very defensive/offensive, which is worth something.

Check out this profile of the pair by the great Cathy Horyn from the The NY Times on how they’ve established a strong foothold in the fashion industry with their two labels, The Row and Elizabeth & James:

Almost perversely, the atmosphere in The Row’s cramped office on 39th Street is old school — before big brands, indeed before celebrity. The Olsens and their production manager, Joe Karban, a veteran of a number of designer studios, including Ralph Lauren’s, schlep to the sewing rooms and patternmakers in the garment district. (The label is produced entirely in New York, mostly with Italian fabrics.) And while the sisters may attend the odd fashion show, they are not interested in staging their own. “It’s much like the old days at Polo,” Mr. Karban said. “The kids on the team are really passionate about making clothes. How do you set a proper sleeve? How does a fabric perform? It’s the art of making clothes as opposed to making everything cookie-cutter. Plus everything Mary-Kate and Ashley do turns to gold. Lots of people in the industry are worried about their excess inventory. My reorder business is phenomenal.”

It’s been fascinating to see MK&A go from veritable style icons to savvy businesswomen in such a short amount of time. It’s also fascinating to think about how much effing money they have.

(Thanks for the article, Shannon!)