If
it takes two to tango then sisters Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen have their
sartorial dance down pat. The twin designers behind beloved luxury brand The
Row, which interestingly just has two IRL stores in New York and L.A., have
officially extended their style reach with a new retail location for their
second fashion and lifestyle brand Elizabeth and James.
On
Friday, the Olsen duo cut the ribbon to the youthful brand’s first-ever
brick-and-mortar shop, now open inside of L.A.’s popular shopping destination,
The Grove. The Olsens brought their highly discerning eyes to the store and
tapped Montalba Architects’s David Montalba to see their vision come together.
Inside of the 1,200-square-foot shopping stop, the team carefully displayed an
arrangement of vintage-inspired furniture with wool, felt-lined shelves, wooden
floors, white brick walls, leather-wrapped fixtures and marble adornments that
are meant to look like your chic friend’s showroom.
“Knowing
that the selections come from Mary-Kate and me helps round out our state of
mind for the customer,” Ashley tells InStyle’s Eric Wilson. For Mary-Kate,
there was no better time than now for the opening. “You’re finding that right
now in luxury, but we want to bring this concept to the contemporary market as
well.”
The
new store houses exclusive items you won’t find elsewhere, like embossed croc
handbags, Americana-fueled totes, sleek keychains, and Olsen-approved wallets
(all below). To boot, you’ll find their fresh fragrances (Nirvana Rose and
Nirvana Bourbon) along with special, season- and location-specific
packaging—expect blue bags and boxes first.
“When
I think of Los Angeles, I think of the water and painters like Edward Ruscha.
It’s not so black and white,” Mary-Kate adds. Ashley couldn’t agree more: “For
us, everything is about story telling, whether we’re shooting a look book or
decorating a store, it’s about everything that is surrounding this collection.”
Mission
accomplished.