Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen launch Olsenboye

Just last week, the Olsen twins became members of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) for their luxury brand, The Row and their contemporary line, Elizabeth & James.

Now, According to Women’s Wear Daily, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen are launching Olsenboye, a junior brand concept that they presented to, and will be exclusive to J.C. Penney. Olsenboye, the Olsens’ ancestral name, will hit 600 Penney stores in February and the pieces retail between $20 and $50. The collection will include denim, pants, tops, dresses, skirts, shorts, jackets, handbags and shoes.

Promotion for the line begins today, with an Olsenboye truck going around New York selling merchandise and giving out cupcakes, balloons and pins, while 50 high-profile Penney stores will have empty racks covered in Olsenboye shrouds. And starting November 6, Olsenboye will be available for a limited time on jcp.com and in those same 50 stores, including the Manhattan flagship store.

Ashley Olsen said: “Mary-Kate and I watch current trends and see our partnership with J.C. Penney as an opportunity to add something unique to the marketplace, especially in the current retail climate,”. “Olsenboye is an extension of the Dualstar brand and we feel this collaboration complements and strengthens our business portfolio, delivering trend-based fashion at affordable prices.”

Recent contemporary designer launches and collaborations with J.C. Penney included Bisou Bisou by Michelle Bohbot, I [Heart] Ronson, Allen B., Oxford & Regent and Twelfth of Eleven.

Wanna Smell Like Halle Berry?

The 42-year-old Oscar-winner is the latest celebrity to launch some sort of licensed consumer product. Typically celebs push branded clothing or footwear lines, jewelry collaborations, handbags or perfumes. Halle’s pushing the latter.

Her self-titled perfume, Halle by Halle Berry, was designed to “reveal the woman within”. The fragrance was launched in collaboration with Coty and apparently was two years in the making. Promotional ads featuring Berry on the beach recently ran in Essence magazine and the scent itself will be available at Kohl’s, Sears and J.C. Penney stores later this month. It is a mix of woody and Oriental, “meant to evoke memories of the beach”, with notes of Sicilian bergamot, freesia, mimosa and sandalwood.

Says Halle on her fragrance:

“[Before my fragrance] I was mixing other brands that shall remain nameless to make my own scent with fig and mimosa. With Halle, I added olibanum, which is an African root, which brings spice to the fragrance, and sandalwood, which smooths everything out and makes it yummy. It’s very sensual, very natural, very much reflective of the outdoors.”

Will you be wearing Halle?