The tables were turned Wednesday night as fashion's pint-sized barons Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen courted the very bloggers who meticulously idolize and document the twins' iconic street style. In a true grass roots move, the sartorial pair shunned traditional press appointments for a laid-back fete to celebrate their TEXTILE Elizabeth and James denim collection where guests were greeted with a makeshift photo booth and tequila shots at the door.
In place of the ubiquitous party-mongering celebs? The blogosphere's elite (including Man Repeller's Leandra Medine, 21, Something Navy's Arielle Nachmani, 23, and , and The Glamourai's Kelly Framel, 26) congregated around tacos and tamales, and sampled various styles at the custom "denim bar" and posed for pics.
Vaguely nodding their heads to the Strokes blaring on the speakers, the hosts both clad in colored TEXTILE trousers from the line's Fall collection mingled with a bevy of Manhattan it-girls including DJ Cassie Coane, Gossip Girl stylist Lisa Tobias and Harper Bazaar's Joanna Hillman who sipped Hibiscus tea and tequila cocktails provided by the hotspot du jour Tacombi at Fonda NoLita on Elizabeth Street. The vibe? The Sartorialist meets Valley of the Dolls. With no boys allowed, one guest quipped, "It's ladies night with the Olsens!"
Also braving the wintry mix was this year's Sundance Film Festival darling and breakout star Elizabeth Olsen, 21, of the upcoming indie drama Martha Marcy May Marlene, in which she plays a troubled young woman who leaves a cult to return home. (The Hollywood newcomer also happens to be the namesake of the contemporary apparel brand Elizabeth and James.) Ever the loyal sibling, Olsen rocked her own pair of flared TEXTILE "Jimi" jeans paired with beaten-up button down pajama shirt, perhaps a nod to college culture (she currently attends NYU.)
As for being invited by two of her own style icons? "It's crazy," says blogger Nachmani, whose daily ensemble site emulates the Olsens' urban bohemian chic. "Bloggers are taking over." She pauses and smiles below her wide-brimmed fedora. "It feels like what we do matters."