Elizabeth and James was created by the famous twins Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, bringing together two dynamic personalities into exquisite balance. They perfectly complement one another in a beautiful contradiction: uptown sophistication and feminine detail is paired with laidback, downtown edge and masculine tailoring. Individually, each would be incomplete. Together, they are striking in perfection. For Elizabeth and James, the magic is in the mix.
The Olsens’ contemporary movement was named after their younger sister Elizabeth, and older brother James. Each season it’s interesting to see Ashley and Mary-Kate Olsen showcase their younger, contemporary Elizabeth and James line.
As far as inspiration for the collection, Mary-Kate, who shares the title of design consultant on Elizabeth and James with her sister, said: “We wanted it to be based on a relationship between a young girl and a boy and tell the story through the clothing.” “It’s a clash between masculinity and femininity,” Ashley added.
When designing they keep in mind the “early 20s, figuring out life and just experimenting.” “It’s a sophisticated woman with a playful side but still chic. It’s someone who understands fashion and understands details and expects that as well.”The result is a full contemporary collection that is a play on masculine versus feminine and casual versus dressy. In the end, Elizabeth and James is about their vision.
“We’re always going to stay true to ourselves and what we believe is chic and flattering and fashionable” Mary-Kate said. “That’s something that we really look at in the line, whether it’s color or themes or fabrics. We really think about the customer.” “The look of the line is very modern with an urban approach,” she said. “It’s fresh, appealing and very eclectic. I think that customers will notice that it will reflect their own personal styles without taking over their look by being super trendy. The line shows a great balance of vintage meets masculinity and rock ‘n’ roll, which makes it unique.”