Fashion
Why we’re ‘living in the golden age of the doppelganger’
It’s been a year of lookalikes – but the lure of the “second self” goes way back to the folklore of the Irish “fetch” and the Nordic “fylgja”, and to the writings of Edgar Allen Poe and Sigmund Freud.
In March of this year, someone with the feline eyes, blonde hair and high cheekbones of Kate Moss walked the catwalk at Paris fashion week. But it wasn’t Kate Moss. Online there was confusion. “Isn’t that just Kate Moss?” ran a typical comment. A disbelieving, “that is Kate Moss,” was another common refrain. For a savvy few, the gait gave it away as someone other than the famous British supermodel – it was in fact Denise Ohnona, a Moss lookalike from Lancashire.
High fashion seems to have sparked a trend. Later in the year, the floodgates opened to a wave of lookalike competitions. First came the moment for those who fancied themselves the spit of Timothée Chalamet to gather in New York’s Washington Square Park. Then Dubliners flocked to make the case that they looked like Paul Mescal. Next came a competition for Harry Styles lookalikes, then Dev Patel, followed by The Bear star Jeremy Allen White, Zayn Malik, Zendaya, and so on, with others slated to take place throughout December.
While this recent spate has felt very of-the-era and has been global in reach – each one spreading with breakneck-virality – the lookalike competition is not a modern innovation. Charlie Chaplin once came third in a contest to find his own likeness in the 1920s, according to his son, Charlie Chaplin Jr, who wrote in his book My Father, Charlie Chaplin: “Dad always thought this one of the funniest jokes imaginable.” Chaplin himself reportedly denied the veracity of the story. What is more testifiable is that Dolly Parton entered one of hers, recalling in her memoir how she “got the least applause but I was just dying laughing inside”.
Every time a celebrity poses on a red carpet, countless cameras flash, forever immortalizing their outfit, preserving the hundreds or even thousands of hours it has taken to create.
Sunday night’s Golden Globes were no different, with Zendaya channeling old Hollywood glamor in a saffron Louis Vuitton gown, Angelina Jolie wearing a dazzling crystal chain McQueen dress and Tilda Swinton donning a custom embroidered Chanel jacket.
Online, such red carpet outfits have long afterlives as they are shared around social media, dissected by influencers and journalists alike. But the real-life fate of the garments themselves is less well-publicized. What happens to them after their moment of fame — where do they go and when are they seen again?
Outfitted with a large film camera and often dressed in athletic wear, Seoul-based photographer Kim Seunggu has spent almost 15 years capturing the essence of what he calls “leisure culture” — vacationing, poolside unwinding and communal gatherings — in contemporary South Korea.
The focus of his ongoing series, “Better Days,” is all the more striking in a country that ranks fourth globally for the longest working hours and where the phenomenon of “gwarosa” (death by overwork) is thought to claim numerous lives annually. In 2023, the South Korean government was forced to abandon plans to increase the maximum working week from 52 to 69 hours amid backlash from Millennial and Gen Z workers. The proposed move was intended to combat the nation’s labor shortage stemming from a declining birth rate and an aging population.
Have you been waiting for a chance to see Molly-Mae “as never before”?
If so, you’re in luck, as she’s starring in a new TV series which comes out on Friday.
But that’s not all this week has in store.
Some familiar singles will be aiming for a second shot at love in the Love Island villa, and One Direction’s film returns to cinemas in tribute to Liam Payne.
Elsewhere, Pope Francis will be taking on controversial topics in his new autobiography, and the late Mac Miller’s album Balloonerism will drop at last.
Read on for all of this week’s biggest releases…
UK bans cattle, pigs and sheep imports from Germany after foot-and-mouth case
Spain plans 100% tax for homes bought by non-EU residents
TikTok users flock to Chinese app RedNote as US ban looms
Earthquake scientists are learning warning signs of ‘The Big One.’ When should they tell the public?
Tarar accuses Imran Khan of conspiring with Faiz Hameed to destabilise Pakistan
PTI Announces Not to Boycott New Committees
-
Entertainment6 months agoEarthquake scientists are learning warning signs of ‘The Big One.’ When should they tell the public?
-
International6 months agoTarar accuses Imran Khan of conspiring with Faiz Hameed to destabilise Pakistan
-
International4 months agoPTI Announces Not to Boycott New Committees
-
Business4 months agoMajor Corruption Scandal Uncovered at WASA Multan: Rs1.5 Billion Embezzlement Exposed
-
Business5 months agoThe Impact of QR Codes on Traditional Advertising
-
Business3 months agoHigh Court Blocks MDCAT Merit List Amid Controversy Over Exam Error
-
Business6 months agoThe Benefits and Problems of International Trade in the Context of Global Crisis
-
Business5 months agoFraud by Pakistani Firm Sparks Outrage in Business Community; Concerns Rise Over International Investment