Olsenboye by Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen for J.C. Penney

[lucy92]

if this line is so bad,then maybe they arent the ones truly designing the row.

 

[allthatglitters]

Ok I don't mind the line. It's not supposed to appeal to us - it's for young teens, kids. At that age group you want to wear colours and patterns its 'trendy', simple black grey clothes like their other lines would be simply seen as 'boring' and probably 'goth'.. they are in the prime ages of growing so I dont think they care for quality of fabrics - considering it may not fit them in a year, and they don't have an income so the prices are cheap... you can't exactly expect amazing products at that price range! So yeah.. don't see why everyone thinks its SO bad... What did you expect?

 

[JunyaSchick]

^^well, the concept behind both brands is very very different...the row is an inhouse produced brand whereas Olsenboye and e&j are just licensed concessions.

They are the heads of the Row (Ashley in particular) but there are other designers working for/with them... because they have as much business experience and vision on the fashion industry as you would like but they have no real studies on Design. Right now there are 9-10 people doing the line, including designer Danielle Sherman (who has appeared in a special issue of V as the faces behind NYC fashion... or sth similar).

 

[AlmostFamous]

A little OT but I did the lookbook for E&J and MKA were very involved with the casting and were on set for a while. They had a very clear idea of what they wanted.

My girlfriend shot the Olsenboye lookbook and she said that the boots are really cute and the clothes are meant for younger girls. She also said the clothing wouldn't be so youthful if they didn't put peace signs all over everything. But its JC Penny and MKA said "tween" about a million times in that morning show. I also don't really think its so "AWFUL"!

 

[loladonna]

I'm just surprised that they would put out clothes just for the money.I always thought their forays into fashion were artistic endeavors.

I think people underestimate tween clothing tastes. Tweens are looking at people like Selena Gomez and Taylor Swift for fashion ideas. Those girls wear sophisticated, polished looks. The internet has made people much more fashion savvy at a younger age. This idea that tweens just want a bunch of colorful stuff with stripes and logos seems outdated.

 

[couturecouture]

I'm just surprised that they would put out clothes just for the money.I always thought their forays into fashion were artistic endeavors.

I think people underestimate tween clothing tastes. Tweens are looking at people like Selena Gomez and Taylor Swift for fashion ideas. Those girls wear sophisticated, polished looks. The internet has made people much more fashion savvy at a younger age. This idea that tweens just want a bunch of colorful stuff with stripes and logos seems outdated.

I agree about this stuff being outdated... girls are becoming fashion savvy at a much younger age than any other generation IMO. I also remember Ashley saying that a lot of this line could be worn at any age... which I find laughable. This line could ruin their credibility and potentially cheapen their name. I have always admired them with their business decisions and thought of them as being very business savvy but this JC penny line seems like quite a mess, though I'm sure someone will still buy it. I really find it hard to believe they are targeting a tween group... in the promotional video, the girls look almost college aged.

Though I hate walmart and hated the fact that they did tween and childrens lines there, I have to admit, those lines seemed much trendier (but tacky as well) than these. I think they would have been much better off collaborating with Topshop, H&M, or doing a line for Target geared towards young women without logos all over everything.

 

[rlynne]

That may be the case considering how busy they would be with The Row and Elizabeth & James but let's face it, they don't need any money so i reckon this is just them trying to regain the tween market that they lost.

Hopefully for them it works and it will be Olsen mania all over again like back in the day

good point they dont need the money, but im really confused because ashley continually says how she's not a celebrity and doesn't want to be consider one, and then she goes and puts her name on a teen/tween line...

 

[rlynne]

good point they dont need the money, but im really confused because ashley continually says how she's not a celebrity and doesn't want to be consider one, and then she goes and puts her name on a teen/tween line...

and i agree with couturecouture above, it cheapens the image they have been creating, especially since they want to charge soo much for the row

 

[Thefrenchy]

I personally don't think it cheapens their image. You just have to separate one thing from the others. There are The Row and E&J on one side, and this ephemeral collaboration with JCP, targeted to a younger market. With MK starring in Beastly (a sort of teen-ish movie) I find it interesting that they try to reach that particular audience who's probably the same who will go watch the movie.

Also, knowing how much they tried to distance themselves from that young audience until today, there must be a really good reason explaining why they agreed to collaborate with JCP.

 

[VersaceLuva586]

Remember people, this is only the 1st collection..........i'm sure that the collections (if successful) will develop and become better over time.

I have faith in MK & Ash, they aren't stupid and they wouldn't have got this far in their career if they were!

 

[indepwe]

Not to my taste :/ I thought the line would reflect their style for teenagers, what a disappointment!

 

[Thefrenchy]

Steve Madden Signs on to do Shoes for Olsenboye

Steve Madden sure is busy these days. The sometimes embattled shoemaker recently announced plans for apparel and now, we've learned the company has just been licensed to design shoes for the new J.C. Penney exclusive line by the Olsen twins, Olsenboye.
From the party surrounding the Olsenboye treat truck in Union Square last week, the shoes looked to already be one of the highlights of the lower priced juniors line. Now, with Steve Madden at the footwear helm, things should continue to look rosy. We're hoping for typically on-trend styles at an even better price than the shoes already go for - that can't be too hard, now, can it?

- NBCNEWYORK.COM

 

[La bordélique]

The blue shoes in the promotional video are very cute.

 

[cambry]

yeah, so far the shoes are the only thing going for it. I hear and understand everyone's arguments that this is supposed to be a tween line, but, frankly, lolladonna was right. this crap (excuse the harsh language) is awful and outdated as far as trying to reach this age set. come on, guys, this is the age of the O.C. and Gossip Girl and even the young kids have been exposed to and want something more sophisticated and quality than kitschy peace signs and neon colors.

I also agree that it does cheapen their image. yes, it's being marketed for kids, but that doesn't take away from the fact that the images we've seen are ugly at worst and typical wet seal/vs pink knockoffs at best. it doesn't even look up to date, this looks like stuff being marketed to kids when I was in fifth and sixth grade and I'm a junior in college now, so. quite awhile ago. after all that hoo-hah about how serious about design and fashion they are, how it's a passion for craftmanship and quality that drives their lines, and how over mass-production they are... what in the world is the point of this? Not only does the unoriginality and low quality of this detract from the very good reputation they've thus far built as being truly dedicated to fashion as artistry, but it just seems like a sell-out move to me. if they are trying to regain this particular age group's interest, this is going about it the very wrong way. anyone that would be fan enough to buy this because it is an Olsen brand knows that this isn't their style, it doesn't reflect anything about them at all except they're merchandising geniuses who know how to make money.

 

[VersaceLuva586]

^ You make a good point!

I think we should all see how the line develops if it's successful.

As i said before, MK & Ash know what they are doing, they know this market so well!

 

[cambry]

I have no doubt it'll improve with time, I agree! but it's them knowing this market that I disagree with, that's the point I was making when I said it seems like things I could find when I was heading into junior high in '99/00. they knew this market then, before Project Runway and Blair Waldorf and the target designer collaborations. looking at the pictures, I can see a potential. the shirts fit well, there are definitely some cute shapes and cuts, but it was all the striping and branding and those godawful peace signs thrown over everything that ruined it, and I'm guessing that's what they THOUGHT would appeal.

and to add to it, we keep saying it's for tweens, but the girls they're using in the adverts are very clearly much older than that. this would definitely not appeal to any modern and fashion-savvy girl of any age, which, to me, means either that they are out of touch with the age group they're trying to reach (fixable) or they don't care and are just trying to hook the kids that don't know any better to get the cash. sounds rough, but that's business.

 

[BerlinRocks]

with such a name 'olsenboye' ...
i thought it was for boys & men ...

but i guess the 'e' stands for ??????????????????????????
you guys in anglosaxon language don't have masculin/féminin, right ?

i don't get the name and it sounds weird in my mouth ...
olsenboy-e ...

the line is ...
well ...
no more acting, and even more fash-cash

i feel they should have sticked to their 2 already exisiting lines .... or focus on a MEN line

 

[Thefrenchy]

Guillaume, I think it has something to do with their ancestral's name or something. I thought too that "boye" at the end, kinda implies it's menswear. They should have chosen another name for this collaboration if you ask me

Btw, I don't know if you already know about it or not, but they just launched The Row's menswear

 

[JunyaSchick]

^and Elisabeth&James menswear

 

[ponytrot]

As i said before, MK & Ash know what they are doing, they know this market so well!

idk...do they really?

when they had their Walmart line they were both young children to teenagers - hardly at a time to make business decisions and such. I ge the feeling the hands on, real expertise with business, branding and marketing really developed in recent years (obviously due to age, and a growing maturity and move for Ashley into the fashion industry).

this line shows to me perhaps an underestimation of the tween/teen market tbh.