Leave it to Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen to constantly provide a red carpet appearance with a twist. The former child stars turned fashion icons and designers have always pursued their own take on a theme or an event, never letting trends or dress codes get in the way of their aesthetic choices. This year’s camp-themed 2019 Metropolitan Museum of Art’s annual Costume Institute Benefit was no exception, with the pair showing up in full-length black leather looks that mark one of their most matchy-matchy red carpet choices to date. (In contrast, many other celebrities interpreted the theme with bright colors and bold sparkles, like the standout hot pink gown of Lady Gaga or the Egyptian goddess style of a golden-winged Billy Porter.)
Over the years, the Olsen twins have been Met Gala red carpet mainstays whether or not they dress to theme. They tend to prefer dramatic silhouettes: almost always, they’ll go with long, romantic gowns with Gothic details, rendered often in black or neutral tones. At 2018’s “Heavenly Bodies” themed Met Gala, their looks were unusually apt, echoing the evening’s focus on robe-adjacent fashion in the Catholic universe. Mostly, fans are always just excited to see the Olsens out and about; they tend to shy away from the spotlight and other big celebrity events besides this night, casually considered “fashion’s Oscars.” Despite their seeming rejection of Hollywood, however, the pair are going strong as designers behind their labels The Row and Elizabeth and James.
And here’s what the Olsen twins wore the to the 2018 Met Gala.
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Write to Raisa Bruner at raisa.bruner@time.com