âÄúInfluenceâÄù AUTHORS: Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen PUBLISHER: Razorbill PAGES: 272 pages PRICE: $35 Since Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen became household names before they could spell, the media has nurtured an obsession with their tiny frames, their ridiculous Balenciaga platform boots, their huge coffees and their various projects, like their fashion lines The Row and Elizabeth & James. It doesnâÄôt seem to matter that when the sisters open their mouths, nothing of relevant importance seems to come out. We love the OlsensâÄô world and, as a service to their fascinated fans, the sisters are letting us peek into that fabulous sphere they inhabit with their latest undertaking, a coffee table book titled âÄúInfluenceâÄù that contains all those bite-sized Olsen-y quirks and more. The OlsensâÄô world is an exceptionally pretty one, the kind of world only those with a multi-million dollar bank account can afford. Their tiny feet slip into Louboutin and Giambattista Valli shoes with the highest of heels; they purchase Picassos and give each other diamonds for birthdays. âÄúInfluenceâÄù doesnâÄôt hide all of these things, but Mary Kate and Ashley manage, somehow, to avoid coming off as pretentious and privileged. They appreciate beauty, and they present it in a variety of ways. Jeweler Evan Yurman (son of the illustrious David), Dior designer John Galliano, and photographer Terry Richardson all make appearances in âÄúInfluence,âÄù shilling their views on the beautiful life. Mary Kate and AshleyâÄôs admiration for their heroes is genuine. âÄúInfluenceâÄù is a book dedicated to those people, like artist Richard Prince and writer Bob Colacello (who worked with Warhol on âÄúInterviewâÄù magazine), and though the sisters might scatter photos of themselves throughout the pages, they created the book to share the stories of these creative powerhouses with the masses. Mary Kate and Ashley have devoted âÄúInfluenceâÄù to the figures they feel have made some significant impact on their lives, and more so on their closets. They speak to designers Diane von Furstenberg and Karl Lagerfeld, legendary model Lauren Hutton and shoe designer to the stars Christian Louboutin, for starters. Of course, those of us whoâÄôve had our names on the waiting list for âÄúInfluenceâÄù since its announcement are constantly clamoring for more Olsen. Possibly sensing this, the sisters have devoted a few pages to themselves. Ever wondered how Mary Kate would answer a Proust questionnaire? What kind of perfume does Ashley favor? ItâÄôs all here, scrapbook style, along with personal Polaroids of the girls at all sorts of fabulous parties wearing all sorts of fabulous frocks. Though the interviews with the influential are captivating (particularly the one with Karl Lagerfeld, who might be the funniest person alive with his skewed views on pretty much everything) itâÄôs the sections devoted to Mary Kate and Ashley that are the real crowd-pleasers. TheyâÄôve got the kind of chameleon faces that make them prime real estate for photo sessions, and âÄúInfluenceâÄù has more than a few shots of Mary Kate wearing a magenta Dior ball gown, or Ashley posing semi-nude. Those of us with Olsen fascinations of the first degree want to plunge ourselves into their pretty sphere, and while âÄúInfluenceâÄù might not be as fabulous as taking a trip to Starbucks alongside MK & A, itâÄôs a well-dressed step in the right direction.
