Photo: Jason Mcdonald for WWD

With one week left to go until the CFDAs, designers are in campaign mode. There are four stories about Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen in today’s WWD. One takes a look at the sisters over the years, another eyes their online strategy, yet another their business acumen and in the most personal, Bridget Foley walks the sisters through turning their love of fashion into a second career. The most telling quote in all of the stories comes from Dualstar’s president, Jill Collage. She says, “Ashley and Mary-Kate want to evolve every brand into a lifestyle brand.”

Until then, the coverage offers a few bits of new information:

1. Elizabeth & James wasn’t named for their siblings, but for the masculine feminine contrast they wanted their contemporary line to offer. They actually call their brother Trent (instead of James).

2. They’re done wholesaling The Row in the States. So the only logical way to expand sales of the brand within the US would be opening standalone stores.

3. Elizabeth & James handbags will launch for fall 2012.

4. With five collections—The Row, Elizabeth & James, Textile, Olsenboye and now StyleMint—the twins work 50 to 60 hours each week so acting will have to wait. “Right now we don’t have the time. I was thinking about this recently. We don’t use that form of expression anymore. But it’s still ingrained in us,” said Mary-Kate.