WATCHING MARY-KATE AND ASHLEY OLSEN pose for a photo shoot is like watching a hypnotic piece of performance art. Former child stars, extraordinarily savvy brand nurturers, founders and owners of an estimated $1.5 billion business empire and, now, designers of the critically acclaimed high-end fashion line The Row, the Olsens have spent the great majority of their 26 years either in front of a camera or otherwise hard at work. Veterans of fields in which 'consummate professional' is a vastly overused term, these two women know exactly what they are supposed to do. And they do it perfectly.

In this case, it's changing into pieces from The Row's resort collection, taking seats behind a simple table and creating an instant tableau. As the camera clicks away, it's as though they're responding to a photographer's usual commands: 'Turn this way, now a little more to the left... Mary-Kate, can we do a couple with your hair up? Okay, Ashley, you look up while Mary-Kate looks down... That's it, tilt your head back