beckks's review
4.0
4/5
It was cool to see how they get their inspiration. Very cool coffee table book.
It was cool to see how they get their inspiration. Very cool coffee table book.
oafro's review
5.0
I enjoyed this for visual inspiration in relation to art , drawing , moodboards etc.
nickolette's review
3.0
..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 part their movies are dumb with a few exceptions I could name - Mary-Kate in Weeds, in Factory Girl, and in The Wackness. All of them I’d recommend as extremely pleasurable.
The same applies to the book. It’s wonderful to look at – artistic, a bit nostalgic to different eras, beautiful. But not a good read. It’s a fashion book for fashion people and in the offensive sense. The little talks with those big people are anything but influential and if it gets interesting at some point the credit entirely goes to the artist being interviewed, not to the Olsens’ skills.
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 part their movies are dumb with a few exceptions I could name - Mary-Kate in Weeds, in Factory Girl, and in The Wackness. All of them I’d recommend as extremely pleasurable.
The same applies to the book. It’s wonderful to look at – artistic, a bit nostalgic to different eras, beautiful. But not a good read. It’s a fashion book for fashion people and in the offensive sense. The little talks with those big people are anything but influential and if it gets interesting at some point the credit entirely goes to the artist being interviewed, not to the Olsens’ skills.
doinacondrea's review
5.0
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.
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.
captivatedbywords's review
3.0
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 keep reading that people thought this book made them conceited flying to all these different places and talking to the big names of the fashion and art world. Sure they are privileged, but that is beyond the point. The book is suppose to be about their influences and help inspire the people who read the book. To me it felt like it was a backstage look on their lives.
My favorite interview was with Lauren Hutton, I believe she was the most inspiring of all the people who were interviewed. Following shortly was Diane Von Furstenberg.
Anyways Influence really did influence me. After I closed the book for the last time I glanced at my own life and I am like a robot and I could work way harder for things I want. I don't live in the moment and I don't take chances. I think it is time to do these things.
I keep reading that people thought this book made them conceited flying to all these different places and talking to the big names of the fashion and art world. Sure they are privileged, but that is beyond the point. The book is suppose to be about their influences and help inspire the people who read the book. To me it felt like it was a backstage look on their lives.
My favorite interview was with Lauren Hutton, I believe she was the most inspiring of all the people who were interviewed. Following shortly was Diane Von Furstenberg.
Anyways Influence really did influence me. After I closed the book for the last time I glanced at my own life and I am like a robot and I could work way harder for things I want. I don't live in the moment and I don't take chances. I think it is time to do these things.
teamstarburger's review
5.0
Incredible book - been reading a few interviews at a time, over the last year or two. Very glad I own it because I imagine I will be referring back to it often.
khveronika's review
4.0
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 story to tell (some more compelling than others) and each of them at least had a little detail after which you could, "Ok, well at least reading this wasn't a complete waste of time.."
The thing I enjoyed the most during the reading & browsing experience was the layout. It was simply beyond incredible! I've been taking snapshots of countless pages as inspiration, this is pretty much what I want a book to look like, if there's ever one released under my name :D Take a mix of polaroid snapshots, gorgeous high quality photographs, stunningly arranged collages, with some surprisingly added in scans of letters or other memorabilia. And there you go, perfection at your fingertips. Oh and the typography. That was just love at first sight.
The only thing which was a bit of disappointment are the interview skills and techniques of the Olsens'. They were the ones leading the talks with all the participants of this collection of "influence" stories. I believe that if they would've been thought through and prepared with a bit more details, the full potential of storytelling would have been taken advantage of, rather than just barely touched on the surface.
All in all, it's just been a huge pleasure every time I held in my hands, so a well deserved 4 out of 5 stars. For the twins age of 22 back when the book has been put together, it definitely turned out well. Though my biggest shoutout goes to people like Rodrgio Corral & Ben Wiseman (the art director & designer of the book)!
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 story to tell (some more compelling than others) and each of them at least had a little detail after which you could, "Ok, well at least reading this wasn't a complete waste of time.."
The thing I enjoyed the most during the reading & browsing experience was the layout. It was simply beyond incredible! I've been taking snapshots of countless pages as inspiration, this is pretty much what I want a book to look like, if there's ever one released under my name :D Take a mix of polaroid snapshots, gorgeous high quality photographs, stunningly arranged collages, with some surprisingly added in scans of letters or other memorabilia. And there you go, perfection at your fingertips. Oh and the typography. That was just love at first sight.
The only thing which was a bit of disappointment are the interview skills and techniques of the Olsens'. They were the ones leading the talks with all the participants of this collection of "influence" stories. I believe that if they would've been thought through and prepared with a bit more details, the full potential of storytelling would have been taken advantage of, rather than just barely touched on the surface.
All in all, it's just been a huge pleasure every time I held in my hands, so a well deserved 4 out of 5 stars. For the twins age of 22 back when the book has been put together, it definitely turned out well. Though my biggest shoutout goes to people like Rodrgio Corral & Ben Wiseman (the art director & designer of the book)!
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