Maddie Ziegler Reacts To Sister Kenzie Saying She's Her Biggest Inspiration
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00:00 You guys are here at the American Eagle store.
00:02 You've started this partnership.
00:04 Why was this a natural fit for you?
00:06 - I think it's just such a nostalgic brand
00:09 and something you grow up going to and buying.
00:12 And I think for us, it was just such a full circle moment,
00:15 such stapled jeans, such stapled pieces
00:17 that we grew up with.
00:18 And now getting to bring our own kind of feel
00:21 to this like brand is so much fun.
00:23 - Totally, and American Eagle is so collaborative as well.
00:26 We got to pick everything down to the button.
00:28 So it was like a really fun process
00:30 and especially doing it with each other.
00:31 - That's so fun.
00:32 And this is all 90s inspired.
00:34 How did you guys come up with this
00:36 and what was it like working together?
00:38 - We actually took a lot of inspiration
00:40 from Drew Barrymore.
00:42 We took a lot of inspiration from like Cindy Crawford.
00:44 - Kate Moss.
00:45 - Yeah, just kind of model off duty in New York.
00:47 And we started with like a huge like board
00:51 of a bunch of things that we kind of wanted to reference
00:53 and we got this amazing collection.
00:56 - Yeah, it was so much fun.
00:57 We actually like almost started pulling references
01:00 from photo shoots rather than--
01:02 - Or like magazines or--
01:03 - Yes, like 90s catalogs and things
01:05 that were not even necessarily
01:07 like the exact pieces we wanted first.
01:09 We were kind of like,
01:09 this is the essence that we wanna bring.
01:11 And then all of the pieces kind of came from that.
01:14 - Cool, I love it.
01:15 And so working together as sisters,
01:16 I know you've worked together in the past, of course.
01:19 What was it like?
01:19 Were there any arguments
01:21 or were you just smooth sailing agreeing on everything?
01:23 - Literally not one.
01:24 - Not one.
01:24 I feel like a lot of people have been asking us
01:26 if we butt heads,
01:27 but we have very similar style
01:29 and we kind of like the same things.
01:31 So it was really easy for us.
01:32 And honestly, it was kind of nice
01:34 like having each other by our side
01:36 to kind of be like, this looks good, this doesn't.
01:38 It was kind of nice to have that vibe.
01:40 - Yeah, I feel like if one of us wasn't 100%,
01:42 the other could like really--
01:44 - Kind of help.
01:44 - Yeah, but we used to fight all the time
01:47 when we were younger,
01:47 but now it's just like, we just enjoy working together.
01:50 So it was just such a fun process.
01:51 Literally not one thing we butt heads on.
01:53 - I love to hear that.
01:54 - Yeah.
01:55 - Sisterly bond.
01:56 So break down the looks that you have on currently.
01:58 What's going on?
01:59 - This is like one of our favorite pieces
02:02 from the collection.
02:02 This is actually the first piece that we were--
02:04 You're jealous you're not wearing it?
02:05 You're hilarious.
02:07 This was like the first piece
02:09 that we were really wanting to bring to the collection.
02:11 So this vest,
02:12 and then I have our like kind of mid to low rise
02:15 baggier jeans and the denim, the dark wash.
02:19 - I love the, it's like very vintage-y looking wash.
02:22 - We wanted the wash to feel kind of like
02:23 not super jet black.
02:25 Like we wanted it to kind of feel like it was worn in.
02:27 So we did that and that's basically it.
02:29 I love it.
02:30 - It's so cute.
02:31 - Yeah.
02:32 - Mine, you can help me out a bit.
02:33 But this one is also one of my favorite pieces
02:36 from the collection, this oversized bomber.
02:38 We're very drawn to oversized bombers,
02:40 literally any time of the day.
02:42 And we have this ribbed top.
02:44 The sleeves are super cute.
02:46 They're more wide and--
02:47 - That fit was like very specific for us.
02:49 We wanted to make sure,
02:50 'cause it was like a scooped neck,
02:52 but we wanted it to like have a different feel,
02:53 not just like a typical like spaghetti strap.
02:55 - For sure.
02:56 And I think it's very flattering on everyone as well.
02:59 - I agree.
02:59 - And then I love these so much.
03:01 These are the cargo pants that we went with.
03:03 They have these stripes on the side
03:04 and the little pleats I love so much.
03:07 They're so comfortable.
03:08 - So comfortable.
03:09 - And also like our go-to is like either a jean or a cargo.
03:12 So this is like--
03:13 - This is like what we live in like every day.
03:15 - Yeah, I love it.
03:16 This is definitely like my style.
03:17 So I will be shopping for this.
03:18 - Oh, amazing.
03:19 (laughing)
03:20 - Okay, so you talked a little bit about people
03:23 that you were kind of channeling for the style,
03:25 the whole look of the collection.
03:27 Who would you say that your style icons are
03:29 just in you in general, not the collection, just you?
03:33 - I mean, we love Zendaya, I feel like.
03:35 - We both, yes.
03:36 - She's like a huge inspo.
03:37 I mean, definitely Kate Moss.
03:40 Young Kate Moss was such an inspo.
03:42 Like she still is now.
03:44 I think she was the best at wearing a classic outfit
03:49 and making it look so elevated.
03:50 Like it could just be jeans and a tank top,
03:52 but it was just--
03:53 - Very effortless.
03:54 - So effortless, but she just looked cool while doing it.
03:57 So I think that's always the reference for us.
03:58 - Totally, yeah, for sure.
04:00 - Cool, and then describe your personal style.
04:03 Like what do you try to channel?
04:04 - I feel like, I don't wanna speak for you,
04:07 but we both channel comfort.
04:09 - Yes, yes.
04:10 - I think we both like, if we can find pieces
04:11 that are cute and comfy, we will go for that.
04:14 - Absolutely, and I feel like we do have
04:16 such similar styles, but we do style it so differently.
04:19 So that's why it was so cool to do this collection
04:21 because as you can see in most of the photos
04:23 that we've taken, I'm wearing it sometimes more tomboy
04:27 or you're wearing it more girly or vice versa.
04:29 So it's kind of cool to play with that.
04:31 - Yeah, I agree.
04:32 And I think mixing new and old.
04:35 A lot of our references are vintage and,
04:37 well, '90s isn't that, but you know what I mean?
04:40 Pulling vintage pieces and pulling new current pieces
04:42 is fun to mix and match.
04:43 I think even the way we did the wash,
04:45 we wanted everything to feel kind of lived in
04:47 and not super brand new.
04:49 - Yeah. - Yeah.
04:50 - Totally.
04:51 - So you guys have similar style.
04:52 Are you rating each other's closets?
04:53 - All the time.
04:54 - Absolutely.
04:55 I constantly am going over to Maddie's house
04:58 and I'm like, "Hey, can I just borrow this for the night?"
05:01 - No, she'll be like, "I actually have a wedding tonight
05:03 "and I came over in sweatpants."
05:04 I'm like, "Mm-hmm, okay."
05:06 - On purpose.
05:06 No, but I feel like we have similar closets,
05:10 but rating your sister's closet is just,
05:13 it's better than your own.
05:14 - Yeah, we literally have so many of the same pieces,
05:16 but when you're so sick of your own closet,
05:18 when you see someone else's, it's so much more exciting.
05:20 But I feel like we used to fight about it a lot
05:22 when we were younger, but now we return it to each other.
05:24 - Yeah, she'll wash my clothes and bring it back.
05:26 - Yeah, I'm better at it.
05:28 - A mature borrowing mechanism.
05:29 - Absolutely.
05:30 - I like it.
05:30 And this is part of the back to school collection
05:33 at American Eagle.
05:34 What are your memories of going back to school?
05:36 Like what was the routine before going back?
05:38 - Wow, do you remember?
05:39 - I mean, we literally became homeschooled
05:42 in elementary school,
05:43 but for the four years that we did go in person,
05:47 it was definitely, at least for me,
05:50 I was like, wanted to dress up to the nines.
05:53 I loved getting ready in the morning.
05:54 I would pick out my outfit the night before.
05:57 I would put rollers in my hair in third grade.
06:00 Like that was me.
06:01 - She would, most of the time, dress me,
06:03 get me ready, all of that.
06:05 But I feel like I was super excited for school.
06:08 - Yeah, we loved school.
06:09 At that point, you're not pounded with homework.
06:13 It was easier.
06:14 - Right, and picking out your first day of school look
06:16 is literally the best feeling.
06:17 - The best feeling.
06:18 I wish if we went to school now,
06:19 I would probably wear this.
06:20 - Yeah, absolutely.
06:21 - Just had to show out for everyone.
06:23 And you're both creating such individual,
06:26 but great paths in this industry.
06:28 How would you say that you support each other?
06:31 - Wow, I mean, I feel like ever since we were little,
06:34 we've always supported each other.
06:36 And I feel like it's kind of nice
06:37 that we do different things,
06:39 but with this, we get to come together
06:40 and have so much fun doing it together.
06:42 But I don't know, I feel like-
06:44 - I feel like, I mean, she just did her music video
06:46 and I helped choreograph it.
06:48 So we're always doing things to boost each other.
06:51 - I mean, we're so close that it just is very easy
06:55 for us to just be excited for one another.
06:58 - Comes natural, yeah.
06:59 - Yes.
07:00 - That brings me to my next question.
07:01 Congratulations on your single.
07:03 - Thank you.
07:03 - It's really good.
07:04 I just watched the music video yesterday.
07:05 - Thank you so much. - I loved it.
07:07 Talk a little bit about the inspiration
07:09 and what's it been like to release a song?
07:11 - Yeah, so the inspiration behind it,
07:13 it's kind of about, it's about my childhood,
07:15 growing up without a father present in your life.
07:18 And I didn't initially want to release this song
07:22 because it is so personal,
07:23 but I feel like it could definitely help
07:25 a lot of people out there, so.
07:27 - Yeah, and how has it felt to have it out in the world
07:29 and receive all the love for it?
07:30 - Amazing, honestly.
07:31 I've been getting such amazing feedback.
07:33 And I mean, you said it's your favorite song that I've done,
07:36 which is really cool.
07:37 And also, I think it's also helped me feel
07:40 like I'm not alone because I've been seeing
07:42 so many people responding with their stories.
07:44 And it's honestly a really nice community
07:46 that I feel like I'm building right now with this song.
07:49 - It's beautiful.
07:50 And you choreographed for the music video.
07:52 How special was it that you got to dance together again
07:55 and do that with Kenzie?
07:56 - It was so fun.
07:57 It was so easy.
07:58 We did it in like an hour.
07:59 We like did the whole thing.
08:00 We didn't, I didn't prep anything
08:03 'cause I was like, I knew when we got there,
08:04 we would literally just figure it all out very fast.
08:07 But it was very special.
08:08 And I'm very lucky that I got to be there for you
08:11 during that day.
08:12 'Cause it was definitely like an emotional day.
08:13 So it was nice to be there together.
08:15 - Yeah.
08:15 What was it like dancing together?
08:16 Do you guys dance often together still?
08:18 - No, no, we don't.
08:20 It was nice.
08:20 I mean, it wasn't like, it was more movement.
08:22 Like we, 'cause it was because of the way
08:24 the video was edited,
08:25 it had to be like very specific in place.
08:28 So it was fun.
08:29 But she also very much, it's fun to collaborate
08:34 because there's certain moves that I would do.
08:35 And she's like, I don't wanna do that.
08:37 - Right.
08:38 - So it was fun.
08:38 - I also think it's so nice having her just around
08:42 when I'm doing my own thing
08:43 because she will come up to me and be so honest
08:45 and be like, "Kenzie, you won't like that."
08:46 Or you will or whatever.
08:48 Like, it's just nice to have that support system
08:50 because of course your sister's gonna be the most honest
08:52 with you no matter what.
08:53 - Definitely.
08:54 It's kind of like a sounding board.
08:55 - Yes. - Of course.
08:56 - And you recently posted for your birthday,
08:58 happy belated birthday,
08:59 that the day she was born was the best day of your life.
09:01 - Aw.
09:02 - Have you guys always been super close?
09:04 - That's a good question.
09:05 - It was.
09:06 I cried.
09:07 - Yeah, we, I mean, we've always been so,
09:10 we've always been close.
09:11 Doesn't mean we necessarily loved it.
09:13 (laughing)
09:14 We used to fight all the time,
09:16 but I think it was just,
09:17 we were working together for six years straight
09:20 and then competing together every day.
09:21 So like, we didn't have a break from each other.
09:24 And then once we, now we live in our own houses.
09:26 So it's like, we love to be together when we do.
09:28 And I'm making her sleep over tonight, if she will.
09:31 Hopefully it doesn't go to her boyfriend.
09:32 - And I will, okay.
09:33 (laughing)
09:35 - Sister sleep over.
09:36 - Yeah.
09:37 - Yeah.
09:38 - Okay, and what is like a common misconception about you
09:42 that you want to prove wrong?
09:43 Or what do you want people to know about you
09:45 that they may not know?
09:47 - Oh.
09:47 - Wow.
09:48 - I feel like, I mean, maybe people know.
09:52 I just feel like we,
09:54 maybe people think we're more serious than we are.
09:57 I don't know if that's--
09:58 - We are very weird and--
10:00 - Especially when we're together,
10:02 we bring up like the silliness in each other so much.
10:05 - Our humor is very specific.
10:07 - Yeah, we do have a very niche little pocket of humor.
10:10 But I think, yeah, I think sometimes people think,
10:13 especially for me, I do think people think I am very serious.
10:17 Which I am in a lot of ways,
10:19 'cause I'm very like perfectionist and--
10:21 - A Libra.
10:22 - Yeah, I'm a Libra.
10:23 But I am very like, I think we have a lot of fun.
10:25 - Yeah, we do.
10:26 - I love that, that's a good answer, humor.
10:28 I can see that, it's coming through in this area.
10:30 - Yeah, when we're together, we can't help.
10:32 - We're shying away though.
10:33 - We're being very calm right now,
10:35 but we actually have all, I shouldn't even say it.
10:37 - No, we shouldn't, we shouldn't even talk about it.
10:40 We shouldn't.
10:41 - Okay, okay.
10:42 - Can't give him a secret.
10:42 - Yeah, I was like, don't, we have this voice, we talk it.
10:46 - It's not good.
10:47 - Our voice is very good, it's just,
10:48 it's not meant for everyone, you know?
10:50 - No, no, no, it's okay.
10:51 - Like, it's our thing.
10:53 - And Maddie, your relationship with Sia throughout the years,
10:56 we love to see how you've grown
10:58 through doing the music video and everything.
10:59 You've said that she,
11:01 you've called her your guardian angel at a point.
11:03 What would you say she's meant to you throughout your career
11:06 and how has she been there for you?
11:07 - Yeah, I mean, she's amazing.
11:09 I'm so lucky for all that she's done for me
11:11 and we've done amazing music videos and performances
11:15 and it's been such a blast.
11:16 - Yeah, definitely.
11:17 And Kenzie, who would you say
11:18 is your biggest mentor and inspiration?
11:20 - I'm like, don't mean to be cheesy, you know.
11:23 I was gonna say you.
11:24 I was gonna say you.
11:26 - So cute.
11:27 - No, but genuinely, it's so nice having,
11:29 that was such an awkward hug.
11:30 - I know, it was.
11:31 - I was trying not to block the side.
11:33 (laughing)
11:36 Sorry.
11:37 It's so nice having a sister
11:39 that's kind of in the same realm as you
11:41 and even my mom as well.
11:44 Like, I feel like both of them,
11:45 I just look up to them so much
11:46 because you are so talented and humble
11:49 and just like overall an amazing person.
11:52 So thank you.
11:53 - I look up to you too.
11:54 Look up to you.
11:57 - And lastly, what do you hope people can take
11:59 from this collection and go into the new school year?
12:02 - Yeah, I hope this collection makes people feel confident.
12:05 It definitely makes us feel confident
12:06 'cause we're comfortable, we can move around and have fun,
12:08 but we also look cute while doing it.
12:10 So I think, I hope that's what people take away
12:13 and they feel their best selves when they wear it.
12:14 - Totally, and don't be afraid
12:15 to mix and match different pieces.
12:17 I feel like that's what we tried to do with this collection
12:19 with feminine and kind of more tomboy.
12:22 So yeah, just don't be afraid.
12:23 Just try new things.
12:24 - Yeah.
12:25 (upbeat music)
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