Media celebrities and style icons Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen have turned their hobo-bohemian style into a fashion empire that has included a children’s lines for Wal-Mart and a high-end brand, the Row, which includes minimalist separates and expensive knit T-shirts. Both brands have reflected the Olsen twins taste for oversized, disheveled duds. But with their new brand for JC Penny’s, Olsenboye, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen have abandoned their funky street urchin aesthetic for classic, traditional separates that every young teenaged girl would love to have in her closet. These junior miss looks are great additions to what some young girls already have in their wardrobe, and parents will love these back-to-school looks that reflect a young girl’s innocence and zest for life.
At the launch of their new brand on February 3, Mary-Kate and Ashley abandoned their hobo-bohemian chic style for more updated, downtown, fashionista threads. Though the smokey eye and thick mascara remain, the Olsens are coming into their own with a look that fits their growing recognition in the fashion industry.
Though Olsenboye has some great hoodies, and some jazzy skirts and tops, the brand does not separate itself from perennial favorites already found in JC Penny’s. If the only distinct quality to Olsenboye is the media-saturated celebrity status of the Olsens, I am not sure if the cost-conscious, savvy consumer will stand up, take notice and purchase.
