Influence by Mary Kate Olsen, Ashley Olsen

• Interviews & Essays

Interviews & Essays

An Interview with Ashley and Mary-Kate Olsen

Q: What inspired you to write Influence?

Ashley Olsen: Mary-Kate and I were approached to write a book and thought the idea was interesting however we did not want the book to be solely about ourselves. We knew we wanted to create a book different from anything available in the marketplace. Mary-Kate and I thought this concept is a great way to share the voices of the people who have helped shape our creative interests. Influence is not a book about us, it's about what influences us.

Q: What was the hardest part of writing the book?

Mary-Kate Olsen: It was challenging to write introductions to each other's sections. We are really close to each other and I found it difficult to write about my sister objectively.

AO: Most interviews took place during or around fashion weeks, and it was almost impossible to coordinate time to actually get in a room with these amazingly busy people.

Q: Who do you think your audience is?

AO: Mary-Kate and I reach girls and women of all ages worldwide and believe there is something for everyone in this book. Girls have grown up with us from our Full House days are now young professionals and moms. Our television series from when we were younger still air, which allows us to continue growing our fan base with younger generations.

Q: Will you write another book?

MKO: Never say never, but for now, I'm focused on this project and hope people enjoy it.

Q: What did you learn from this experience?

MKO: I talk a bit about this in my conclusion. I learned how much more I have to learn as well as how much how much I value the journey.

AO: From talking to these amazing people, I learned it's important to stay true to yourself in order to be a successful leader in anything. Each person I had the opportunity to sit down with talks about not conforming to what others were doing in their industries whether it be fashion, photography or art. As John Galliano said, "You have to believe in what you do as much as you love it. You only get a short life, so take chances."

Q: Who was the person you most enjoyed interviewing?

MKO: We enjoyed each interview for different reasons. Some people we've known for a long time, like Christian Louboutin, Robert Lee Morris, and Lauren Hutton. Others we've admired for years, and this gave us an opportunity to get to know them and find out what drives them. When you dive into the book, you will see similar themes emerge from the interviews, which is cool.

Q: Can you tell us about your love for polaroids?

MKO: Ashley and I have always loved Polaroids. We can remember being on the set of Full House, and the script supervisor would use Polaroids to document wardrobes for each scene. We have boxes of Polaroids from our teenage years and used the Polaroid theme for our first Elizabeth and James look book. It's too bad they aren't available anymore.

Q: Any parting thoughts?

AO: This book would not have been possible without the participation of the amazing people we interviewed. We thank all the people who helped us get these interviews and amazing imagery. Without them, Influence would not be what it is.