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Influence

Mary-Kate Olsen,

Ashley Olsen

3.94 · Rating details · 1,247 ratings · 85 reviews

Mary-Kate Olsen and Ashley Olsen, known around the world for their individual, unique style have emerged as two of our shared culture's most influential women. In the pages of Influence, Ashley and Mary-Kate take readers on a journey through their celebrated young lives, pausing to reflect on what has helped shape them into who they are today. Influence will be filled with ...more

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Hardcover, 272 pages

Published October 20th 2008 by Razorbill (first published January 1st 2008)

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Average rating 3.94 ·

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· 1,247 ratings · 85 reviews

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Apr 16, 2009 Juliette rated it did not like it

I saw this at the library and was curious, so I checked it out. This book should be called "Privilege". The Olsen twins are billionaires, thanks to their sweatshop manufactured goods for Wal-Mart and their direct to DVD films.... They decided to interview rich and famous people for this book, which looks like a cross between a hard cover coffee table book and Interview magazine. They fly to Coco Chanel's old apartment in Paris to interview Karl Lagerfeld, various hotels and restaurants in Paris ...more

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Dec 04, 2008 Anina rated it it was ok

Shelves: teen

Did you know that Ashley Olsen's favorite author is Plato? Who decided that sounded believable?

The pictures that don't have any Olsen twins in them are interesting. The interviews are totally awkward but have some comedic value. ...more

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Aug 04, 2009 Evan rated it liked it

Shelves: in-my-collection-formerly-and-sold, 2009-reads

My pal Melanie here got me onto this book, and I have to admit, the Olsen's oddly twisted cherubic visages kind of intrigue me, so I thought I'd go to the library and check the thing out. When I learned not one library in the city of Louisville had it, I got obsessed by the idea that I couldn't get it, and, of course, at that point had to have it, come hell or high water. It was no longer an issue of the book being something I wanted to read all that much, but the idea that it was being denied m ...more

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Dec 16, 2010 WORN Fashion Journal added it

When I heard last year that the Olsen twins would be releasing a book chronicling their fashion influences, my mind immediately flashed towards the Paris Hilton-penned Confessions of an Heiress - after all, it seemed like another set of tabloid darlings were trying to add “author” to their resumés. But, to their credit, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen’s coffee table book, Influence, is not another collection of gaudy images depicting Chihuahuas in pink tutus. True, neither one of the Olsen twins When I heard last year that the Olsen twins would be releasing a book chronicling their fashion influences, my mind immediately flashed towards the Paris Hilton-penned Confessions of an Heiress - after all, it seemed like another set of tabloid darlings were trying to add “author” to their resumés. But, to their credit, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen’s coffee table book, Influence, is not another collection of gaudy images depicting Chihuahuas in pink tutus. True, neither one of the Olsen twins is a particularly innovative writer, but the content of the book is mostly made up with of the words of others, composed largely of in-depth interviews with a total of twenty fashion designers, models, photographers, artists and editors.

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What Mary-Kate and Ashley lack in writing skill, they more than make up for with their eye for talent and knack for asking intelligent interview questions that other publications seem to gloss over. Granted, the artists they talk to are interesting enough on their own, including the likes of Karl Lagerfeld, Terry Richardson and Peter Beard, but the interviews cut to the core of their work, focusing on the entire span of each career from their origins to the struggles faced along the way. They are accompanied by richly detailed visuals, including a 1976 Newsweek cover featuring Diane Von Furstenburg and a letter Diana Vreeland wrote to journalist Bob Colacello concerning a magazine article about Josephine Baker.

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Considering that the Olsen twins are probably more used to giving interviews than conducting them, they manage to keep the focus on the subjects at hand. Oftentimes, their own gushing admiration shines through, but the effect is more endearing than anything else. The twins’ enthusiasm for and knowledge about those that they interview create a casual tone, making each interview seem like a conversation between good friends. Model Lauren Hutton shares advice about relationships and men, and Proenza Schouler recounts jokes about Jack McCollough’s hippie phase, in which he had “dreadlocks down to [his] nipples.”

Of course, Mary-Kate and Ashley haven’t totally omitted themselves from the text. There is a solid 36 page chunk in the middle of the book that serving serves as a scrapbook for of the twins’ more material influences -childhood images, vintage book covers, LPs, mementos from famous friends. While the accompanying text can get a little self-indulgent, especially when each girl takes a turn answering the Proust questionnaire (really, Mary-Kate? Your favourite heroine of fiction is Cleopatra?), there is no denying that the Olsen twins have access to some beautiful, one-of-a-kind stuff; you aren’t very likely to find an signed Ghesquière sketch in just any scrapbook.

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Unlike other starlets who try to convince the public that they’re “normal, typical girls,” Mary-Kate and Ashley make no such attempt to relate to their audience, for better or for worse. While it might be hard to identify with a couple of twenty-somethings who can easily spend a grand on a Balenciaga frock, it’s easy enough to get caught up in the Olsen twins' blatant passion for art and fashion. Ultimately, they reached the goal they set out for - in allowing yourself to get sucked into the detailed images and insightful interviews in this book, you can’t help but feel a little bit inspired. (reviewed by Anna Fitzpatrick)

...more

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Oct 31, 2008 Dana rated it liked it

Shelves: couldn-t-finish-reading

I anxiously awaited for this book to become available with my library request. FINALLY when it did I couldn't stop flipping through pages. The photography and editing of this book is nothing short of phenominal. I felt inspiration in my fngertips just glancing through.

.... Then I started to read. HOLY CRAP. Mary Kate and Ashley got together a bunch of people (some household names and some hugely infulential behind the scenes) and interviewed them. Well... by interview I mean conversed about them ...more

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Nov 12, 2008 Madison rated it it was amazing

Shelves: own, art-design, on-hold-to-read-later, signed, coffee-table-esque

I actually just got this at a book signing in LA, so meeting them was quite a treat! They're so adorable in real life!

That said, this book is very eccentric, odd, eclectic, and bizarre just as I'm sure the girl's lives are. It really gives the rest of us a glimpse into what couture exclusivity these girls have access to! ...more

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Feb 13, 2009 Jamila rated it liked it

Shelves: art-design-crafts, biography-memoir

I was inspired by their conversations with Lauren Hutton and Diane von Furtenburg. However, I would have appreciated more interviews with women artists-designers.

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Jul 26, 2010 Audrey rated it did not like it

Shelves: read-in-2010, meh, non-fiction

Boring. This book is just interviews and pictures of various celebrities and fashion designers they like. It's a shame because it would have been much more interesting if Mary-Kate and Ashley would have written a book about their own lives. The few pages dedicated to themselves left me unsatisfied. The rest is fluffy photography. Nice pictures... but it is disappointing being that most people get this book to read about and look at the twins themselves, not their high society friends. ...more

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Nov 12, 2008 Megan rated it it was ok

Shelves: skimmed, nonficadu, finished-2008, artsy

This book gives me the creeps.

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Mar 13, 2012 Merary rated it really liked it

Recommends it for: Olsen twins fans, fashion fanatics

Shelves: non-fiction, celebrity-writing, makeup-and-or-fashion-books, memoirs, photography, adult, art, coffee-table-book

Everyone is familiar with the Olsen twins. You either remember them because of Full House or because of their celebrity status.
Either way, they are not only actresses or businesswomen, they had written some little books of "twin adventures" that I'm not familiar with at all.

Influence is about Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen interviewing some of the most influential people in art and fashion. Some are famous, others are more independent. The interviews aren't what I expected, but it was good enough.
T ...more

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Sep 05, 2011 Emily Benoit rated it did not like it

Shelves: 2011

Boring, and had really nothing whatsoever to do with them other than these designers and stuff. Just an oversized book filled with their influences(none of whom I even know)and nothing interesting in my opinion. Pretty cover though. Got to give them that. Totally just flipped through it, and ended up just looking at the pictures. Bleh. Good thing I didn't buy this. ...more

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Jan 29, 2009 Shanaz rated it it was amazing

me love mary kate and ashley. tee hee.
Mary-Kate Olsen and Ashley Olsen, known around the world for their individual, unique style have emerged as two of our shared culture’s most influential women. In the pages of Influence, Ashley and Mary-Kate take readers on a journey through their celebrated young lives, pausing to reflect on what has helped shape them into who they are today.

Influence will be filled with never-before-seen photographs from Ashley and Mary-Kate’s private collections, pages o ...more

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Sep 10, 2009 Nickolette rated it liked it

Shelves: non-fiction, fashion

..a fashion book for fashion people..

I like lookin' at candids of the Olsen twins probably as much as they hate being shot. They are pretty much the only celebrities I follow captivated by their artfull boho style. So romantic and decadent it makes you dream of the parallel reality those two live in. Although fully satisfying my visual greediness they leave me intellectually starving. Their interviews are boring and lack the eccentricity one would expect judging by their appearance. For the most ...more

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Feb 07, 2012 Ria [The Beaucoup Review] rated it it was amazing

I found it to be a brilliant insight into the lives of whose interviewed. While it was an interview, the chatty feel to it made it much easier and more enjoyable to read. It made you feel as though you were there, as the scene would be set and photos are included.

You see designs of theirs [the designers in the book] everywhere- shop windows, catwalks, red carpet events, in magazines, so reading an interview which gives you so much insight into their lives is quite fascinating. The photos are als ...more

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Jan 05, 2013 Dana Al-Basha دانة الباشا rated it really liked it

Shelves: own, lifestyle-fashion-travel-decor

These two sisters have changed a lot over the years and their style have developed into something almost magical and out of this world. I love how they see fashion, and how they express their individuality.

[‎Sunday, ‎October ‎28, ‎2012] Two days ago I got the book and flipped through it and read about the influential people in the Olsen twins life. But the book wasn't what I expected, it was very nice, I LOVE fashion but I wish there was more photos for the Olsen twins, more fashion photos from ...more

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May 12, 2011 Lindsay rated it it was amazing

This is one of my all-time favorite coffee-table books. It is incredibly inspiring and definitely a worthwhile read, particularly for someone who is interested in pursuing a creative career. Mary-Kate and Ashley have given us access to people we would otherwise never have access to and asked all the relevant questions! It is the kind of book you can read again and again and it contains lots of pretty pictures and insights... I definitely cherish this book.

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Feb 23, 2017 Doina Condrea rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: People with a passion for creativity

Shelves: 2016

I don't know why I forgot to mark this book as read. I read it in 2016 and honestly sometimes I still think about it. I really really loved it. I, of course, like many, am a fan of the Olsen twins (when they were young and cute HA...apologies but you know what I mean).

This book was out of the ordinary for me. For one, it's non-fiction. For two, there are a lot of photos and three, it was about photography and style and artsy. It is a collection of interviews with people that Mary Kate and Ashle I don't know why I forgot to mark this book as read. I read it in 2016 and honestly sometimes I still think about it. I really really loved it. I, of course, like many, am a fan of the Olsen twins (when they were young and cute HA...apologies but you know what I mean).

This book was out of the ordinary for me. For one, it's non-fiction. For two, there are a lot of photos and three, it was about photography and style and artsy. It is a collection of interviews with people that Mary Kate and Ashley have come across in their lifetime and admired. I thought the format and writing were brilliant.

I may have picked it up because of who the authors are but I kept reading it because it was amazing. I was introduced to a world I know nothing about but that has always captivated me. I might be creative but only in my spare time. People here don't know this but I've always read and written and sometimes I draw. For a career, I chose a stable 9 to 5 profession (although I currently work 8 to 4), therefore I am always curious about those who have chosen creative career paths. This book was very fascinating and enlightening in that regard.

Some might say "Pfft pictures, that's for children's books."...NOPE. For this book, the photos really aided with enhancing the experience. If we were to talk about a photographer's or artist's work, we might as well see it on the page while we're reading. It helps to engage you, as a reader, in the artist's life and story. It was also interesting to understand how these people and their accomplishments inspired Mary-Kate and Ashley. I think reading about Diane Von Furstenberg was my favourite. Reading about a couple photographers was something I also enjoyed since I have no personal knowledge of photography but their motivations and inspirations are captivating.

I may pick up this book from the library again and re-read it in the near future. It honestly gave me such a calm, relaxed feeling. And, as a bonus, it inspired me to create more, to surround myself with beauty, to feed my soul. ...more

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Dec 19, 2014 Veronika rated it really liked it

Shelves: non-fiction, 2014, memoirs

As far as the format of this book goes - it's much better than what I've expected it to be.
What I've thought would just be a narrative about the lives, led on by their portraits embellishing the cover, turned out to be something completely different. A gorgeous book full of inspiring interviews with influential people working in the art, fashion and design industry. Diane von Furstenberg, John Galliano, Lauren Hutton, Karl Lagerfeld, Christian Loboutin or Terry Richardson... Each of them had a ...more

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May 21, 2017 Emmy rated it it was amazing

I have been a fan of Mary-Kate and Ashley since I can remember. I basically grew up with their movies, felt inspired by their sense of style, fashion and pretty faces. Having my hands on this book was absolutely a must.
It's fantastic for someone who loves the history of fashion. For those who have watched their style evolve over the years. You will get an idea of how the twins developed their sense of style and fashion based on people who have influenced them. Influenced. Get it?
You don't have t ...more

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Jul 04, 2010 Courtney Bowman rated it liked it

I have been wanting to buy this book, but I could not find it anywhere. Then one day I was looking for another book in the non-fiction section of the library when I found a copy. I grabbed it off the shelf like I was the five year old girl I used to be when I saw the Barbie I was dying for. I started instantly flipping through the pages, the pictures where beautiful and the people they interviewed where great people. Some I have never heard of and some I have been adoring for some time now.

I ke ...more

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Mar 25, 2013 Christina rated it really liked it

Shelves: physical-books-i-own, books-read-in-2013

Influence is a collection of fashion, beauty and life inspiration put together by Mary-Kate & Ashley Olsen in the form of interviews. Being massive fashion icons to almost anybody who sets eyes on them, the Olsen twins are the ideal authors of this book. Although this book is listed as a 'biography' on Amazon, I wouldn't necessarily agree with this as it's more of a collection of interviews collated by two young style icons.

The book takes us through interviews with Designers such as Christian L ...more

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Feb 24, 2009 Jamie rated it it was ok

It's fun to peruse...but not a cover to cover, to be sure. A little self-indulgent, but it's the Olsen twins. Given their life story, I'd say they've turned out surprisingly well. Fashion is clearly their thing, and a form of art, expression and their "serious" factor. While it's easy to brush aside as another substance-lacking component, it suffices. Jackie Kennedy apparently spent 121,000 in 1961 on a wardrobe. To put that in perspective, JFK's salary as President was 100,000. If Jackie's "sty ...more

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Jun 07, 2013 Samantha rated it liked it

Shelves: art-and-artists, fashion, interviews

Twin sisters Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen (of Full House fame) interviewed people in the art and fashion world who have influenced and inspired them in their own artistic and fashion endeavors. The interviews, though focused on their subjects, do reveal thoughts, motivations, tastes etc of the interviewers (the Olsen sisters) through points of connections with the interview subjects.

This is great book for diving into something completely different. It has a great energy as it features people and i ...more

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Aug 01, 2008 Jen rated it it was ok

Shelves: non-fiction, memoirs-biographies

My biggest problem with this book was that it was not the book I picked up expecting to read. Somehow I really thought this would be more of a memoir, but it's something else entirely - a collection of interviews with 20 people that have inspired the Olsen twins - and not mainstream, during their career kind of inspire, but more like fashion designers and artists that they admire. Which is cool, but it wasn't what I'd wanted to read about. The book is much more of a coffee table book, it doesn't ...more

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Jan 03, 2009 Mathieu added it

I love this book. I found it at Urban Outfitters in the "cool books" section with Nylon guides and such and bought it at the airport as a present to my girlfriend. At UO, it was by the reissues of vintage Holga cameras. The book consists of interviews with fashion people and artists they like. The one with Karl Lagerfeld is great, among others, and there's one with Diane von Furstenberg. What's also cool is that they interview each other towards the end and it's accompanied by a show-and-tell fa ...more

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May 21, 2009 Meghan Ellzey rated it it was amazing

I really loved reading this. I'm a big Olsen twin fan, so I didn't think twice about buying it. The pictures are awesome, and the interviews are pretty intriguing. The Lauren Hutton one is one of my favorites. I felt pretty inspired after reading this. I think the girls did a good job with the interviews, and it was interesting to see the celebrities from a different perspective.
I think this book is a great example of why Mary Kate and Ashley should be taken seriously. They're creative, talente ...more

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Oct 10, 2010 Dasily rated it liked it

This book is definitely more of a coffee table book, or something to browse through different sections that interest you. The book is a culmination of interviews of individuals that have influenced Mary-Kate and Ashley in their short lives--mainly celebrities of fashion. The book is part interviews part scrapbooks of images. I find Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen interesting people, and enjoyed reading interviews with famous people in fashion, but I wouldn't recommend this as a book to read cover-to- ...more

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Jan 07, 2013 Elizabeth rated it liked it

Shelves: celebrities, photography

I didn't finish this one. it's got some beautiful photos in it, and it's interesting to learn about some of the people, but mostly, I just didn't care about any of the interview subjects, so it didn't hold my interest. I think it'll be a nice book for people who like reading about photographers & designers and whatnot though. the interviewing was well done. my biggest gripe was how tiny the font was... even my good eyes had a hard time reading it. ...more

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Jan 16, 2009 Emily rated it really liked it

There are some highlights (like the Lagerfeld interview: "How tall are you? My people told me you were four-foot-eight."), and Mary-Kate and Ashley as interviewers kind of works because people are a lot more honest with them than with actual journalists. But unless you're really into all the "inspiring" people in the book, the interviews go on a bit too long, and tend to sound much the same. ...more

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Jan 29, 2011 Laila rated it it was amazing

I have an 'obsession' with Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. I think they have impeccable style and constantly look chic but so effortlessly. The book is a set of interview between M-K and A and various designers and other influential people in the fashion industry. The book is inspirational and has great pictures in. I would definitely recommend it to anyone interested in the Olsen sisters or Style. ...more

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About Mary-Kate Olsen

Mary-Kate Olsen

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Mary-Kate Olsen is an Daytime Emmy Award-nominated American actress. She has had a successful acting career beginning at a very young age, in roles with her twin sister Ashley Olsen. She and her sister are co-CEOs of Dualstar Entertainment Group, LLC.

Beginning in 2006, she has appeared in movie roles independent of her sister.