The Olsen twins just won fashion. So, yeah, no ‘Fuller House’ for them.
The Council of Fashion Designers of America Awards was held last night and the big winners of the event was none other than Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen. The stylish sisters were named Womenswear Designer of the Year for their line, The Row.
It was, as the New York Times put it, “a vote for both the quiet power of their clothes and the quiet way they’ve gone about building their line and becoming industry power players.”
Dressed in their signature head-to-toe black ensembles and, awesomely, flats, the twins accepted their award and gleefully thanked each other (aww).
So much props to the Olsen sisters—they are, when you think about it, kind of amazing. When we were watching them as baby Michelle on Full House so many years ago, could ANYONE have predicted they’d become such a powerful force in the fashion world? It’s no wonder they’re (sadly) not going to appear on Fuller House. They’ve got a high-end business to run and the world is watching. But TBH, they’ll always have a place in our hearts as TV twins. So let’s take a memory-lane stroll through their epic journey from tweens to no-joke fashion gurus, shall we?
Got to admit, that denim overall look is kind of rad, but a reaaaaally big departure from the monochromatic loose-fitting simplicity of The Row.
After Full House, the twins both starred in the sitcom Two of a Kind. No one was safe from “The Rachel” haircut, not even Mary Kate and Ashley.
1998’s Billboard Dad had the girls sporting some cool colored lenses. And remember how much mixed patterns and brightly colored clothes they had to wear? No wonder they changed things up.
In 2001, Mary Kate and Ashley had their first foray into fashion with a clothing line for Wal-Mart. The collection, which included a variety of apparel along with accessories, handbags and jewelry, was focused on tweens and teens. OK, say what you will, this is when they probably started to learn the big business of fashion.
The sisters star in 2004’s New York Minute as Roxy and Jane. Roxy’s style is edgy with her red cap and Metallica tee, while Jane has more of a classic look in a pink blazer and blouse. The girls are still going bold on the colors, but they’re starting to use their clothes to reflect their individual tastes. They’re playing with fashion to reflect their identities, and TBH, Ashley’s blazer is pretty awesome.
In 2005, Mary-Kate is labeled a style icon by magazines, working her extreme version of boho chic. This was the turning point, the moment the world realized, love it or hate it, these women owned their unique sense of style. No costume designer was dressing them anymore.
Mary-Kate and Ashley launch The Row in 2006, a line focusing on well-tailored basic pieces. Yeah, they know what they’re doing.
That same year, Badgley Mischka has the twins model in a print campaign. “They have an amazing sense of fashion and individuality that intrigued us,” said the designer at the time. Seriously.
In 2007, they create their second luxury fashion line, Elizabeth and James, named after their younger brother and sister. The collection is more feminine and more affordable than The Row.
Olsenboye, their collaboration with JCPenney, launched in 2009. It’s a trendy juniors clothing that also includes bags, shoes and accessories. It’s a return to their mass market roots, but this time, they’re riding on the well-respected brand they’ve built, rather than their childhood TV career.
In 2012, Mary-Kate and Ashley win their FIRST CFDA award for Womenswear of the Year. NBD.
That’s right, this is their SECOND one! Add it to the pile. Congrats to the Olsen Sisters for their continued success in the world of fashion! They’re the real deal and they’ve got the statues to prove it.
