Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen Make Rare Joint Appearance on the Red Carpet
As they’ve made the transition from child stars into fashion insiders, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen have all but retreated from the spotlight, choosing to turn the focus away from their lives and personalities and onto their award-winning design endeavors instead. On Wednesday night, however, the duo made one of their very rare public appearances while supporting their friend Jonah Hill at WSJ Magazine‘s Innovator Awards at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.
For the occasion, the sisters stuck to their trusty uniform of coordinating oversize black and white outfits. Ashley wore an ankle-length white skirt under a matching white long-sleeve tunic top, carried a slouchy black-leather purse, and sported a pair of black pointy-toe heels. Mary-Kate, meanwhile, opted for a pair of wide-leg black pants under a long black overcoat, carried her phone in her hand, and broke up the twins’ monochrome moment with bright-red snakeskin boots and eye-catching coral earrings. Both sisters wore their long blonde hair down, in their signature middle-parted messy waves, and both stuck to minimal, glowy makeup looks.
At the event, according to People, the Olsen twins were seated at Hill’s table. While theirs may seem like an unlikely friendship, the trio have actually been close for years. In the actor’s speech on Wednesday, as he accepted the night’s Film Award, he reportedly thanked the sisters for inspiring him as fellow innovators.
Wednesday night’s coordinating look was only the latest in the sisters’ long history of alternating between black and white outfits for their occasional red-carpet appearances. Though this week was, apparently, Ashley’s turn to wear white, she took on the role of the “dark twin” with aplomb at the 2017 CFDA Fashion Awards in New York City, when she wore a trailing black long-sleeve gown and Mary-Kate donned a crisp white button-down shirt over her own black skirt.
Earlier that year, they swapped roles yet again: While attending a gala at N.Y.C.’s Lincoln Center in April 2017, Ashley wore an angelic white gown with puffy sleeves and a ruffly, textured skirt. Mary-Kate, meanwhile, sported a black tweed coat, buttoned up to her neck, that flowed all the way to the tops of her platform sandals.
And only a few months before that, at the opening of their Elizabeth and James flagship store in Los Angeles in the summer of 2016, they returned yet again to their preferred color palette. For the rooftop party, Ashley wore a Mary-Kate–worthy coatdress, this time in a creamy ivory shade, and her twin wore a black slipdress under a silky black trenchcoat. Clearly, if it ain’t broke, the Olsen twins will not be fixing it.
Related: Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen’s Hair: Celebrating 31 Years of Highlights, Crimping, and Messy Waves
Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen’s Hair: Celebrating 31 Years of Highlights, Crimping, and Messy Waves
A young Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen attended the It Takes Two film premiere in 1995 hand in hand, both wearing their hair in half up dos with full bangs.
The Olsen twins wore their hair in coordinating up-dos, tied up with little black bows, at the Spice World Hollywood premiere in 1998.
Wearing their shoulder-length blonde locks middle-parted with glossy nude lips, the Olsen twins attended the Anna and the King Los Angeles premiere in 1999.
Arriving at the Rush Hour 2 film premiere in 2001, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen both wore their highlighted hair in sleek straight styles with a subtle smoky eye.
At the 29th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards in 2002, Ashley Olsen wore her tousled curls in a half up do, while Mary-Kate Olsen opted for a side part and a nude glossy lip.
Celebrating their stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Their Achievements in Television in 2004, Mary-Kate Olsen showed off her auburn red hair color, while Ashley Olsen wore her platinum blonde up do with tousled bangs.
Both stars opted for a similar look at the 9th Annual ACE Awards in 2005, wearing an up do with dramatic smoky eye and luminous skin.
At the New York premiere of NINE in 2009, the Olsen twins both wore their blonde locks middle-parted in natural waves with a smoky taupe eye.
At the JCPenney and People StyleWatch’s “Miss for a Must” event in 2011, Mary-Kate Olsen wore her hair in natural waves, while Ashley Olsen opted for a sleek low pony.
At the WSJ. Magazine’s “Innovator Of The Year” Awards in 2012, Mary-Kate Olsen returned to her auburn locks and Ashley Olsen wore her blonde hair in soft waves.
At the 2014 CFDA Fashion Awards, the Olsen twins both opted for a simple up do with with nude pink lips.
Attending the 2015 Costume Institute Gala, Ashley Olsen wore a tousled top knot, while Mary-Kate opted for a chic braids.
At the 2016 Costume Institute Gala, the fashion designers both wore their hair in coordinating messy styles, with minimalist makeup.
Arriving in a dramatic fashion to the 2017 Costume Institute Gala, Mary-Kate Olsen wore a copper dusted smoky eye while Ashley Olsen went for a dark taupe smoky eye.
At the 2017 CFDA Fashion Awards, the Olsen twins both wore their naturally tousled waves with a soft smoky eye and a nude lip.
