Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen give rare interview discussing their ‘discreet’ lifestyle and we’re here for the tea

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen gave a rare interview to i-D magazine about their luxury fashion brand The Row and steered clear of any discussion involving their childhood as stars on Full House and their teen acting days.

The twins starred as Michelle Tanner on Full House and had very successful acting careers in their teen years with a long string of MK&A movies and their own TV series, So Little Time. 

They stepped away from the limelight after the late 2000s, which Mary-Kate credits in part due to the fact they “were raised to be discreet people.”

The twins, who turned 35 on Sunday, spoke about their fashion brand with the magazine to commemorate the 15th anniversary of The Row.

Mary-Kate mentioned that their humble upbringing is one reason they are a “bit out of practice” when it comes to interviews.

The Olsen twins, who began their brand at the age of 18, initially didn’t want to be the faces of their company.

“We really didn’t want to be in front of it,” Ashley said. “We didn’t necessarily even want to let people know it was us, in a way. I mean, it was one of those things where it was really about the product, to the point where we’re like, ‘Who could we get to kind of front this so we don’t have to?’ I think, to this day, you’ll see we really put the product first.”

“We had just moved to New York. We were 18 years old and I think what we did know was that we wanted to take that time to take a break from what we were previously doing and to explore things that interested us, and explore what life has to offer [creatively]. We wanted to explore making something of ourselves,” Ashley added.

The famous twins shared their passion for designing clothes for The Row, and referred to themselves as “perfectionists” when it comes to their brand. 

“We’re hard workers and we’ve always been hard workers,” Mary-Kate said.

“I think the reason we do fashion is to constantly try to fix our imperfections,” she continued. “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.”

Mary-Kate said that they work to make sure their clothing is “luxurious,” but she said luxury is “something that makes your life easier.” 

“The idea that you could buy something off the rack, put it on your body and it already feels like a part of your wardrobe, that’s luxury,” she explained. “You don’t even have to think about it.”

The Row has some loyal celebrity clientele, including Gigi Hadid, who said she appreciates the Olsen twins putting the product first.

““I guess they’re aware of it, but whether or not they are, it seems like that’s what they’ve designed for,” the model told the outlet. “It’s very liberating when you are one of the most photographed people, including them, to be like, ‘This can make me look chic and feel protected.’ It makes me not have to deal with questioning. They’ve really been inspirational for me in terms of not going with what’s expected, with the quick dollar or something that’s easy.”

Hadid added that she loves that if you walk into the store “you wouldn’t necessarily know that Mary-Kate and Ashley were involved, but you’d know that [the clothes are] of the highest of quality and designed beautifully.”

Jonah Hill is also a fan of the Olsen twins and their fashion brand. He said that he thinks because they came from being “kid stars,” their “incredible taste” was a “bigger mind-blow for people because it shattered the image that people had of them in their minds.”

“I think both women move with extreme taste without ever being gaudy. I like that they don’t chase trends. They essentially do what they do and do it better than anyone else without chasing a fad. I think you will be safe in 20 years in any photograph where you’re wearing The Row. There won’t be a, ‘What the hell was I thinking?’ moment,” he said.

Zoë Kravitz said she was “hooked” on The Row after her friend was wearing one of their bags. 

“The cutest little velvet pouch bag I had ever seen. I immediately bought one and then I was hooked,” she added.

The twins have talked about their decision to quit acting in the past. Mary-Kate told Allure magazine in 2013 that she is "not great at not being able to control the end product."

"I was reading scripts, and ultimately I just said to the people who were representing me, 'I need to do things 100 per cent. I don't feel like I can give you 100 per cent of my time,'" Ashley added. "There's a lot of compromise in the entertainment industry. I can't sit in this room and audition for this part." 

For now, the twins plan to "stay in control and do things at a time that feels right," according to Ashley.

BEFORE YOU GO: Elizabeth Olsen almost dropped her famous last name