When it comes to “high fashion” (which is what the Olsens’ brand, The Row, is seen as), there is always a seedy underbelly to the work that goes on behind the scenes to produce the final product. And, with this in mind, it’s no wonder the formerly unsmeared business reputation of Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen’s empire has taken a hard fall.
A former intern, Shahista Lalani, who worked for Dualstar Entertainment, the imprint that controls the Olsens’ many pop culture endeavors, is pulling together a class action suit against the duo, known for turning shit into gold, for requiring Lalani to work fifty-hour weeks without pay.
Although Lalani has stated, “They’re really nice people. “They were never mean to anyone. They’re business people,” it’s kind of like saying Satan is just the overseer of hell, but is actually super nice himself. While, of course, the Olsens’ underlings and handlers were probably far more aware of the conditions going on in the atelier than they were, it’s not really an excuse to exempt the Olsens from culpability.
Incidentally, the lawsuit will prove vital to Lalani’s own career as a designer, as most news reports have name checked her professional website. So you see, the devil doesn’t always win. Just like when Lena Dunham had to relent and pay people to work for her, too.
