Mary-Kate Explains Why She and Ashley Olsen Are So Private

Mary-Kate Olsen and Ashley Olsen are “discreet people,” Mary-Kate explains in a rare interview with i-D. The pair were raised in the spotlight as stars on Full House, but “were raised to be discreet people,” she says, adding that it is reflected in their clothing line, The Row.

“I think that potentially that's just our aesthetic, our design preference,” Ashley adds, “But that doesn't mean that we don't also appreciate something truly ornate or maximal. Sometimes a collection even starts quite like that, and then gets pared down. It doesn't always start from that simplistic place.”

They’re so under wraps, initially they didn’t want their names associated with The Row.

“We didn't want to be in front of it, we didn't necessarily even want to let people know it was us,” Ashley says. “It was really about the product, to the point where we were like: Who could we get to front this so that we don't have to?”

Their perfectionism drives the brand, they add.

“We're hard workers and we've always been hard workers,” Mary-Kate says, adding that she's “happy” people look at their brand “as a perfect product or products that feel complete, or whole.”

“I think the reason we do fashion is to constantly try to fix our imperfections,” she continues. “And you have next season to do that. But it's also our job to find every imperfection in there to make sure that we're constantly pushing ourselves and training our eyes and making sure everyone is served. Just evolving and learning.”