WHEN Sarah Lewitinn threw a party recently for a few dozen blogger friends, it was a typical Lower East Side soiree – with band du jour Franz Ferdinand on the CD player and Sierra Nevada on tap.
And when things began to wind down a bit around 2 a.m., Lewitinn stuck in a DVD of … Ashley and Mary-Kate Olsen?
Suddenly the Olsen twins – who were once the butt of jokes for all those straight-to-video movies – have become a fixation for groovy young New Yorkers.
“I’m bizarrely obsessed with them,” admits Lewitinn, a 24-year-old Spin magazine writer who proudly owns the Olsen’s 2002 “When in Rome” video, a greatest hits album and an autographed picture – and has plans with a friend to dress up as Mary-Kate and Ashley for Halloween.
“I didn’t like them in their ‘tween years,” says Lewitinn’s pal Laura Young, a 23-year-old Web producer.
“Now they’re – I don’t know if you’d use the word edgy – but they’re visible to an audience that’s not hanging out at the mall.”
Once the painfully precocious kindergarteners who shared the role of little Michelle Tanner on ABC’s “Full House,” the toothsome twins have emerged into adulthood as not only multimillionaires, but also sex symbols and fashion icons, appealing to men and women alike.
“They actually have really great style,” says Lewitinn, who owns a T-shirt with Ashley on it that matches a Mary-Kate one belonging to her friend.
“They’re always doing something new,” agrees Young. “One day they’re launching a new makeup line, the next, they’re designing clothes for Wal-Mart.
“They’re mini-moguls – like what Oprah would be if she were two little white girls.”
“It’s a girl-power thing,” says 29-year-old handbag designer Xanthe Alban-Davies. “Most teen idols turn all trashy, so it’s nice to see these girls who are on the road to success.”
When Alban-Davies bought one of her guy friends an Olsen twins calendar for his 31st birthday earlier this year, the party turned into chaos as everybody grabbed for it.
“The guys were like, ‘They’re so hot,'” Alban-Davies says, “and the women were just as obsessed.”
Type “Olsen twins countdown” into Google and you’ll find 3,600 separate pages that count the days, hours, minutes and seconds until June 13, when the Olsens turn 18 and will be legal to vote – not to mention have sex or pose nude for Playboy.
“The buzz on this has been building for five years,” says Bill Doty, who runs an “Olsen Twins Legal-Age Countdown Clock” on his satirical Web site, http://www.brokennewz.com. “It’s going to be a big day for a lot of guys.”
The obsession is only going to continue to grow: The twins’ new movie, “New York Minute,” opens May 7, and the Olsens are starting classes at New York University in the fall.
Last September, Ashley and Mary-Kate dropped $3.5 million on adjoining apartments in the West Village’s Morton Square development – and Olsen-spotting has already become a hot downtown sport.
Just last Monday, one downtowner saw Ashley and Mary-Kate shopping for vintage clothes in the East Village boutique Edith and Daha.
And in February, they were spotted racing around the halls of NYU’s Hayden dorm, “screaming and raising all kinds of hell” when visiting one of their friends.
Of course, there’s plenty of Gen-Y irony in all this Olsens love.
“They’re great kitsch,” says Mark Graham, 30, who edits the blog whatevs.org.
Watching an Olsens’ video like 2001’s “Holiday in the Sun,” Graham says, “is definitely choice – kind of like watching a John Waters movie.”
When the MTV show “Cribs” visited Jamie Kennedy’s house last year, the politically incorrect comedian proudly showed off a home office that was bare except for a tiny Ashley and Mary-Kate picture posted next to his desk.
“I don’t know why I have that up here,” Kennedy said. “I just thought they were really hot – like, mini Cameron Diaz one, mini Cameron Diaz two.”
But just how wholesome are they? Ashley’s now dating Columbia University quarterback Matt Kaplan, and Mary-Kate’s new beau is David Katzenberg, the son of Hollywood producer Jeffrey Katzenberg.
“We all wonder if they’re saving themselves or not,” Laura Young says.
“I think a lot of people would like to see the Olsens fall and maybe get a little bit ruined. I doubt they’re going to be the next Paris and Nicky Hilton – but we can always dream.”
HOW TO TELL THEM APART
STYLE:
They’re just as likely to dress in matching outfits as they are to choose to go their separate ways – but they’re both usually in slouchy cropped pants and slinky tops to add curves to their slim figures.
COLORS:
To bring out the turquoise in her eyes, Mary-Kate loves to wear greens and blues; natural chick Ashley prefers earth tones.
SHOES:
They’re both Christian Louboutin addicts, but Mary-Kate will often wear flats while Ashley, who’s an inch taller than her sister, steps up in stilettos. When both opt for high heels, they’ll hold hands on the red carpet to keep their balance.
MAKEUP:
To complement her dyed darker locks, Mary Kate chooses more dramatic colors, like brown lipsticks. Blond bombshell Ashley opts for a softer, more natural palette, with sheer lip gloss, rosy cheeks and muted eyes.
HAIR:
Once flat-iron addicts, Mary-Kate and Ashley now let their waves flow naturally, though bolder Mary-Kate is more experimental with color, going from strawberry blond to dark brown, and with styles, playing with upswept looks that flatter her neckline. Demure Ashley prefers swooping bangs that shadow one eye.
JEWELRY:
The twins prefer chunky jewelry that adds spice to their sweet-girl looks, and pile on bracelets and dramatic necklaces.
ACCESSORIES:
Both girls favor small, brightly colored bags or jewel-encrusted clutches for the red carpet.
WELCOME TO NEW YORK
We asked five society watchers how the Olsens will fare in the big city:
Amy Sacco, owner, Bungalow 8: “It’s like when the Bush girls came to town. Who wouldn’t want these pretty young kids at their party?”
Patrick McMullen, photographer: “New York has always embraced people who make their own success, and the Olsens have style and a good sense of humor. They’ll do great.”
Choire Sicha, editor, Gawker.com: “Personally, I worry about them. Everybody’s going to be watching them, so when will they get to try drugs and lose their virginity?
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Lara Shriftman, publicist: “I hope they don’t go out too much. They have to stay in school and study at least a little bit.”
Keith Blanchard, editor, Maxim: “It will be easy for them to slip into the New York social scene. I think they’d better watch out for Woody Allen, but other than that, they shouldn’t have any problems.”