Mary-Kate Olsen

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen stepped out in NYC this morning for an exclusive JCPenney event held at Pier 57. The designers dressed in shades of black and gray, with each sister carrying one of their own luxury handbags from The Row. They were on hand to support their lower-priced brand, Olsenboye, which is sold exclusively at JCPenney.




Today's event brought out a fashionable crowd, with Charlotte Ronson. Diane von Furstenburg, and Nicole Miller also on hand. JCPenney CEO Ron Johnson was the star of the gathering, though, taking the stage to share JCP's new pricing strategy. It seems fans of Mary-Kate and Ashley's Olsenboye can look forward to picking up items at lower prices in future seasons, but they're taking the opposite approach when it comes to The Row considering the astronomical cost of their $39,000 alligator backpack.

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen ducked out of a Manhattan appointment yesterday dressed in their warmest Winter coats. The pair did their best to stay warm, while across the country their little sister, Elizabeth, showed off her figure at the Critics' Choice Awards. Elizabeth Olsen wore a yellow Pucci dress last night and told us she'll occasionally solicit fashion advice from her famous siblings.

Mary-Kate and Ashley are prepping for another fashion week! 2012 Fall Fashion Week is just around the corner, and the fun kicks off on Feb. 9 in the Big Apple. The designing duo gave a sneak peek of their pre-Fall 2012 The Row collection recently and described the assortment to WWD as "aristocrat meets equestrian."

>> As 2011 draws to a close, here's a look back at some of the most memorable ensembles of the year. Among the hits? Giovanna Battaglia in vintage Versace, Amanda Brookes in sparkling Derek Lam, Karlie Kloss in super-sexy Anthony Vaccarello — and so many more. From supermodels to street style stars, from Proenza to Pucci — see who made the cut and who wore what, here in our 2011 roundup.

>> Last night, Christian Louboutin joined up with Barneys to fete the launch of his eponymous book — as well as the 20th anniversary of his brand — in New York.

The designer's longtime friends (Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen), collaborators (Marchesa's Keren Craig), and design peers (Calvin Klein, who left with an autographed copy of the tome) showed up in support. As did more than a few fans — sporting their Louboutin heels, of course. "I'm wearing my very first pair from 1997," Amanda Brooks told Style.com of her strappy red sandals. "He gave them to me as a thank you because I used to work at the Gagosian Gallery, across from the Carlyle, and he would call me on my lunch break to come over and model the shoes for him."

Blake Lively, who made headlines a year ago for carting 40 pairs of Louboutins away from the designer's sample sale, also stopped by: "My first pair was basic black, and after that, it was love — now I have hundreds." Clearly the feeling is mutual — Louboutin whisked her off her feet and carried her away after the event.

Blake Lively wore Dolce & Gabbana last night for a bash in honor of her good friend Christian Louboutin at Barneys in NYC. Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, along with Blake, models Elettra Wiedemann, Iman, and more hosted the event for the legendary shoe designer in honor of the launch of his book Christian Louboutin and the 20th anniversary of his brand.

Blake, who's well known for once buying 40 pairs of Christian shoes during a sample sale, clearly is on great terms with the man, since he literally whisked her off her feet after the event. Christian was happy to gush about Blake when we caught up with him at the party. Christian said of Blake, "Not only is she beautiful, she is very talented and she's very smart. One of the things that is most important for women and men, at least for me, is intelligence. Through a lot of things, she has proved that she is really intelligent. and she also has this natural beauty and this natural way of moving, which makes her absolutely a great image."

The main guy in Blake's personal life these days is really Ryan Reynolds, who's been in Boston shooting R.I.P.D. with Jeff Bridges. Between his big screen filming schedule and her work in the Big Apple on Gossip Girl, they've been making it work with plenty of Amtrak rides between the two northeast cities.

Mary-Kate Olsen had night out yesterday at the New York Academy of Art's 20th annual Take Home a Nude benefit, which was held at the Big Apple branch of the auction house Sotheby's. She attended without her twin and constant companion Ashley Olsen, though Mary-Kate did pose for photos with the academy's president, David Kratz. Mary-Kate and Ashley were together last week for the NYC premiere of Martha Marcy May Marlene, which stars their sister Elizabeth. Across the country in LA, Elizabeth attended Elle Women in Hollywood bash last night. We caught up with Lizzy on the red carpet, and she revealed that Mary-Kate and Ashley don't help her get dressed for the red carpet. Rather, Lizzy asks afterward what they thought, often saying, "Did ya like it?"

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen hit the Empire Hotel rooftop last night to toast their younger sibling Elizabeth Olsen's Martha Marcy May Marlene premiere. Mary-Kate and Ashley were in their signature fur for the evening out. The sisters declined to pose for pictures on the red carpet at the film's debut, but they did stop for a few snaps at the afterparty. Elizabeth Olsen has been getting wide acclaim for her first major film role, which is already garnering award-season buzz, and her older sisters have been two of her biggest supporters. Ashley and Mary-Kate attended Elizabeth's Nylon party, to celebrate her cover story in the latest issue, just last week. They also dress Elizabeth in their designs for many of her appearances — their line Elizabeth & James is named for Elizabeth and their little brother — although the actress opted for Alexander McQueen last night.