NEW YORK — For the first time in their billion-dollar careers, Ashley and Mary-Kate Olsen are fronting a designer label — Badgley Mischka.
While Mark Badgley and James Mischka are well aware of the frenzy the 19-year-old sisters caused at the designers’ fashion show last year, they said they were even more drawn to the Olsens’ freewheeling style.
For the spring ad campaign, which makes its debut in April magazines, Gilles Bensimon shot the twins glamming it up in the presidential suite of the St. Regis. What consumers won’t see is Mary-Kate Olsen dancing to her iPod tunes on top of a baby grand piano, the MTV pick-me-ups and the constant Starbucks runs — all of which happened in between takes.
During an interview in their newly finished showroom here, Badgley said: “Gilles didn’t stop and they were like the Energizer bunny.”
The Olsens also will appear in the designers’ fall campaign and may make special appearances on behalf of Badgley Mischka. “This is not about the Olsens, but about beautiful pictures that the Olsens just happen to be in,” Mischka said.
They also provide the bonus of a twofer — two gowns in the shot instead of one.
The Olsens’ sometimes overly energetic approach to fashion may get them into trouble with the tabloids, but their stylist-free way of dressing was selling a point with Badgley Mischka. “They love clothes and embracing glamour. They also love vintage and appreciate that,” Badgley said.
So much so that each already has ordered six dresses from the designers. But they are certain to wear them with flair, as they did at last week’s show. At that time, the fair-haired Ashley paired a Badgley Mischka evening gown with a leather motorcycle jacket, while Mary-Kate went with a shrug from the Platinum collection and a vintage dress. A modern-day Cinderella is the underlying theme of the new campaign, with the girls looking slightly undone to play up a more approachable glamour.
In a statement, Ashley said, “We have been fans of Mark and James for years and were honored when [we were] approached to appear in the ad campaign. When I wear Badgley Mischka, I feel sexy and feminine.”
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Mary-Kate added, “Recently, we attended their fall fashion show. The clothes were glamorous, beautiful, colorful and fun.”
The designers’ first major advertising campaign is certain to make people pause, said Neil Cole, chairman of Badgley Mischka’s parent company, Iconix Brand Group. “I hate it when people are just turning the pages of a magazine. You have to do something to distinguish yourself. I think when people see this ad, they will stop and say, ‘Wow.’ We’ve all watched the Olsens grow up and now they are all grown up.”
Iconix is investing more than $1 million in the campaign and aims to drum up more interest in Badgley Mischka’s eight licenses, he said.
Meeting with the designers — something they preferred to do without any handlers — the sisters recalled seeing a Badgley Mischka ad years ago in Paris, and their manager at the time told them how one day they will know they have made it when they wear those clothes. During Tuesday’s interview, Mischka said he and Badgley figured out when they were starting their business nearly 18 years ago that the twins were just starting their “Full House” careers. “We’ve been in business almost for the same amount of time,” Badgley laughed.
But the generation gap is something Badgley Mischka plans to use to attract younger and edgier customers to its label. The Platinum licensed bridge collection is the category being introduced this spring.
Dari Marder, creative director for the Iconix Brand Group, Badgley Mischka’s parent company, said the twins are far from divas. When an unexpected 12-person entourage showed up at the shoot to give the Olsens manicures and pedicures, they agreed one person would be just fine.
Despite the countless paparazzi shots that are published, Mischka lauded his new models for not courting the tabloids the way so many other celebrities do. He also liked that little is known about the Olsens’ family life, like the fact that they have three other siblings. He and Badgley, who has a twin sister, were struck by how affectionate and nurturing the girls are to one another, with a fair amount of you-try-this-first going on. But when it was time to shoot, Mischka said, “They are very confident and professional.”
They were also keen to learn the ins and outs of the design process, and peppered the designers with questions about fabrics, techniques and inspiration. Mary-Kate, for example, wanted to know how a fabric rose was embellished with crystals, and they both asked more than once, “Where did that idea come from?”
Badgley added, “They know their stuff.”
The twins do know a few things about the apparel business, considering their company, Dualstar Entertainment Group, rang up more than $1 billion in 2004 sales, with apparel accounting for 80 percent of that. After the Badgley Mischka show, they said they are considering designing eveningwear or a more formal collection. That hasn’t been discussed with Badgley and Mischka, but Badgley said he wouldn’t be surprised, given the girls’ far-reaching and independently owned business.