If you have watched Full House then
you could possibly never forget the adorable Michelle Tanner, played by
both Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. But the present day fashion divas are a
far cry from the four month old babies that auditioned for the sitcom.
  Although
they may seem identical - Mary-Kate and Ashley, born on June 13th, 1986
California, are actually fraternal twins. Since Full House they have
appeared in many television programs, films and commercials. Two of a
Kind, The Little Rascals, To Grandmother’s House We Go are some of their
hits.
Shortly after the end of Full House, they began heavily merchandising
their image.
They established a company called Dualstar in 1993 and their brand
has been sold in more than 3,000 stores in America and over 5,300 stores
worldwide.
They became household names constantly featured in clothes, books,
fragrances, magazines, movies and posters. They were ranked number three
on the VH1 program 100 Greatest Child Stars.
But as the twins matured it was apparent that they had greater
interest in fashion, especially Ashley Olsen. From Christian Louboutin
and Karl Lagerfeld to Jean-Michel Basquiat, Mary-Kate and Ashley have
found inspiration in some of the greatest tastemakers in art and
fashion.
“Until we were 13 or 14, if my sister and I did an appearance, we
would be wearing the same outfit. It would be the same dress and we’d
fight over who would wear it in red and who would wear it in black” says
Mary-Kate Olsen.
Their new book, Influence, celebrates not only their fashion choices
throughout the years, but also the countless designers and artists who
have inspired them-and their amazing style.
 Mary-Kate
and Ashley have been trendsetters from the start, with their sailor hats
and ‘Boho-chic’ style to seriously high-wattage red carpet formal wear.
The New York Times declared Mary-Kate a fashion icon for pioneering
her signature “homeless” look. Ripped jeans and casual approach to
dressing is synonymous with the style of Mary-Kate. The style sometimes
referred to as ‘ashcan’ or ‘Boho-chic’ or bohemian-bourgeois, is similar
to that of Bohemian chic popularized in Britain. The look consists of
oversized sunglasses, boots, loose sweaters, and flowing skirts.
Although embraced by fans this sort of attire was initially subject to
much controversy.
Mary-Kate is renowned for rebelling against conventional fashion
norms while Ashley conforms much easier.Teen Vogue selected them for
their December/January issue in 2007. Mary-Kate and Ashley have a
clothing line in Wal-Mart stores as well as a beauty line called
‘Mary-Kate and Ashley: Real fashion for real girls’.
 Now
they have their own new fashion design label “The Row” named after the
famous Saville Row of London and also started a new line for The Row,
entitled “Elizabeth & James”, named after their siblings.
In a recent interview with the Boston Globe Ashley Olsen has said “I
like building brands, so for me it’s building the brands that my sister
and I are working on, which are Elizabeth and James, and the Row. Once I
have more time, then I’ll start looking at what else I’d like to do.”
Mary-Kate in a cover story told the Fashion magazine 2009 “I can’t
stand looking like everybody else.”
However PETA’s 2006 identified Ashley Olsen as one of the ‘Worst
Dressed’ when it came to fur. In fact the twins have been under severe
criticism by the animal rights group for heavy use of fur in their
fashion line Raw.
PETA’s youth group, PETA2 referred to them, in 2007, as the Trollson
Twins, Hairy-Kate and Trashley.
- Sajitha
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