They may have started with a career as infant actresses, yet they managed to distance themselves from it, evolving into fashion and media moguls, trendsetters, and style icons. The 30-year-old Olsen twins are unexpected, daring, creative, and vintage-loving. As fashion collectors and designers, they appreciate tailoring, texture, volume interplay, and statement accessories. Among their ongoing projects, their two brands have made them worth around 300 million.

Serious Style Credentials

They got their interest in fashion from their backstage fittings as actresses. Today, they are praised for frequently walking in flats and mid-heels, despite their petite frames. They artfully layer clothes, indulge into rich colors, and rock roomy silhouettes. At their girliest moments, they try romantic gowns and at their most boyish ones, they love suiting mixed with precious jewelry.

Setting Trends Their Own Way

The Olsens style-coordinate on the red carpet. Off-duty, they adopt ‘lazy chic’ or else the ‘homeless’ look. They reintroduced boho-chic as ‘bohemian-bourjois’. Their wardrobe includes lots of crochet, fringed hems, suede, embroideries, metallics, velvet, and all things retro. They love oversized sunnies, classic designer bags and investment pieces. When not in the mood for color, they sport all-black or black & white looks. As confident laid-back fashionistas, they popularize ‘normcore’ and long-forgotten styles combined with perfectly undone hairstyles and natural makeup.

Olsen Sisters: The Cosmopolitan Fashionistas

These fashion chameleons are hardworking and all-travelling, drawing inspiration from other cities especially Paris which Mary-Kate visits often as she recently married Olivier Sarkozy, half-brother of the former President of France, who in turn is married to runway legend Carla Bruni. The Olsens maintain another showroom in New York, the city that inspires their urban looks. They travel in boots, loose sweaters, maxi flared skirts and various high-low combos.

Fashion Accolades

First The New York Times called Mary-Kate a fashion icon. The sisters’ ‘ashcan’ style is the Californian alternative to that of Kate Moss and Sienna Miller. In 2006 they became spokespersons for Badgley Mischka. They ardently support worker rights and US manufacturing. For their work at The Row – named after London’s Savile Row – they have been CFDA-awarded as ‘Womenswear Designers of the Year’ in 2012 and 2015, and as ‘Accessories Designers of the Year’ in 2014.

Their Fashion Brands

In 2006 The Row came into being after their desire to create a couture-level line of minimalist wardrobe staples with focus on high quality and comfort. A year later they launched the contemporary version of their retro and eclectic aesthetics, Elizabeth & James. Both labels are very successful, although they maintain a social-media-shy attitude.