Fragrance house

Elizabeth and James

Founded in New York in 2007 by former actresses Ashley and Mary-Kate Olsen, Elizabeth and James developed as a contemporary lifestyle label shaped by the twins’ design sensibility. Its identity pairs uptown, sophisticated femininity with downtown, casual masculinity, a contrast reflected in the brand’s name. After Jaya Apparel Group held the apparel license through 2015, the Olsens brought the contemporary line in-house in August that year; in 2016, Tom Kartsotis became a minority investor while the business remained under Dualstar Entertainment Group. The Olsens received the CFDA Womenswear Designer of the Year award in 2012. In April 2019, Elizabeth and James entered an exclusive retail partnership with Kohl’s while continuing as an independent business led by the sisters as co-creative directors. The brand’s signature fragrance collection is Nirvana, which began with the contrasting Nirvana Black and Nirvana White in December 2013—woody and floral musk compositions conceived to be worn separately or together—and was followed by additional paired releases.