Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen are two of the most press-wary celebrities in the world, but they recently gave a rare interview to WSJ Magazine about the launch of their line The Row's first full menswear collection. They also briefly touched on their relationship, which is totally separate, okay?—Mary-Kate is firmly settled in New York City with her 49-year-old French husband; Ashley may move back to Los Angeles soon—but still pretty united in that uniquely twin way. WSJ's writer Christina Binkley describes them as regularly completing the other's sentences, for starters.
'It’s been 32 years of learning how to communicate,' Ashley said of their bond, going further to describe her and Mary-Kate as being in 'a marriage and a partnership. We have had ups and downs....We do everything together.'
'We came out of the womb doing that,' Mary-Kate quipped.
Throughout the interview we also learn that Mary-Kate and Ashley are very, very particular though about the smallest details of the clothing they create: Once, they spent six months debating whether to put the two handles of their Margaux bag on the inside or outside of the bag; their office was split when asked to vote, and the Olsens ultimately produced it both ways.
They also spent one full year 'really figuring out the fit of the suit,' Ashley said, with both marveling over the difference a slightly higher rise on men's pants makes. Ashley called it "quite sexy.”
'We’re talking millimeters,' Mary-Kate said of the height difference.
Alyssa Bailey is the senior news and strategy editor at ELLE.com, where she oversees coverage of celebrities and royals (particularly Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton). She previously held positions at InStyle and Cosmopolitan. When she's not working, she loves running around Central Park, making people take #ootd pics of her, and exploring New York City.
