What life is like when you share a face with a celebrity

“Is that… Kate Moss?” fashion lips flapped in near perfect unison as Vetements sent a bunch of celebrity lookalikes storming round its Paris runway last week. On the headline-hitting line-up were Naomi, Mike Tyson, Angelina Jolie, and Snoop Dogg… sort of.  

Following the show, which marked the anonymous-once-more collective’s first sans Demna, the cast of doppelgängers were the toast of Paris Fashion Week, where the rumour that the real Angelina had actually walked was surprisingly persistent. While some thought it was a (successful) distraction technique to take away attention from the actual collection, provocation was clearly another goal: Vetements undercut celebrities by hiring famous faces without paying the famous person fee, asking us to question the hype that surrounds such celebs in the first place. Is there really only one Kate Moss? 

According to her Moss-alike, the answer to that question is yes. But for a brief moment, as she sashayed past the watching crowd in her little gold dress, people in the audience could be seen doing a deep zoom on their iPhones, honing in on her face and whispering to each other imploringly ‘...is it… her?!’ 

What you won’t be surprised to know, is that being a lookalike isn’t all runways, champagne, and adoration. “Looking a bit like someone so famous was actually not the greatest help,” says the Angelina-alike from the show. She was trying to be an actor when she first realised she looked like the Girl, Interrupted star, and, in the world of acting, looking like someone famous might not be the best way to carve a name out for yourself. “We all strive for individuality,” she adds.

Here, we get the lowdown from (faux) Kate, Naomi, and Angelina – all whom have a totally different perspective on sharing a face with a famous person – about what it was like to dip their toes into high fashion, what it’s like to be the doppelgängers of some of the most famous people in the world, and what’s next. From shutting down shops to paps at duty free: it’s a strange world out there for a lookalike.

KATE MOSS – DENISE OHNOA (@KATEMOSSALIKE)

“Although I didn't know who Kate Moss was when I was younger, I was about 16 when people started saying ‘You look like Kate Moss’ everywhere I went. The first person to ever tell me was my best friend at school when I was 14. I would get so shy about it and put my head down, I wasn’t a very confident person.

Although I was always told I looked like her, I never became a lookalike until about a year ago when I finally got the confidence to stop worrying what people would think and just go for it. My first major turning point was with famous photographer Alison Jackson, and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle lookalikes. We were flash-mobbed, which was so much fun, and the feedback was great so at that point I just thought ‘Why not give it a go?’ Never did I think a year later I would be walking for Vetements in Paris! 

Originally I thought I was booked to mix and mingle after the show. It was only nearer the time I realised I was actually walking in the show and I thought, ‘Oh my days! I better learn how to walk fast in high heels!’. When I walked out in the dark I was like ‘OK I can do this… Let’s just get it over with…’ All I could hear walking up and down was “Kate Moss Kate Moss” over and over again.

Of course, the number one question I get is ‘Have you ever met Kate?’ The answer is no, but so many people would love to see a photo of us together… Maybe one day. I hear she is fun and down to earth so I hope she doesn't mind the whole lookalike thing. I might be her lookalike, but there is only one Kate!”

NAOMI CAMPBELL – LYSTRA ADAMS (@LYSTRAADAMS5015)

“I’m originally from Guyana and moved to Halifax back in 1997 where I caught a lot of attention in the streets. About a year after I’d arrived, a lady came up to me and told me I looked like Naomi Campbell, but at this time I did not know who the iconic supermodel was. After searching for her I became aware of who the fabulous Naomi Campbell is, and then I started doing lookalike work. I’ve not yet had the pleasure of meeting her, but it would be a dream come true.

I do a lot of lookalike work in the UK and more recently abroad too, however I’m an entrepreneur. I’m into property investment and I’ve been involved in horse-racing for several years where I have a big following as myself, Lystra Adams. 

The lookalike jobs are mainly for meet and greets at events, however sometimes – like at the most recent event with Vetements – I was required to walk as part of their runway, and this has opened many new doors to me already. Doing this show was a big experience for me. There were rehearsals, hair and make-up trials and lots of fun involved. I really enjoyed the buzz of the backstage for a show this size. It’s something I would look forward to doing again soon.

The worst thing about being a lookalike is probably walking through the airport and being stopped when people think I’m actually Naomi, and really it’s just me trying to get to duty-free before boarding.”

ANGELINA JOLIE – LINA SANDS (@LINA_SANDS)

“I first realised I looked like Angelina when I was in my early 20s. I was an independent person working in a casino – doing acting classes in the evening, following my dream.

As she became more and more famous, I encountered situations in which shop owners (thinking I was Angelina) would want to close a store and ask their customers to leave so that I could quietly shop alone. In addition, I was followed and photographed while I was in public; I was asked to sign guest-books in restaurants, and my autograph was occasionally requested. 

The most touching part of some of these encounters occurred when Angelina’s admirers would approach me in a very emotional manner. These fans would thank ‘me’ for the work ‘I’ had done to help their country. I always told these fans immediately that I was not Angelina Jolie, and oftentimes they would find it hard to believe. 

I did the Vetements show through a German agency. The casting process was very long. I knew the Sharon Stone lookalike from a fashion show we did in Verona, and from a TV show we did together in Milan. The show was one of the best experiences I’ve had as a model and lookalike. I loved being part of such a professional show, and I am still deeply grateful for having been a part of it. It is a pity that it only lasted two days.

Otherwise, I’m involved with charities and causes I fundamentally care about. They were deep within me way before this work became an option: I occasionally work for a foundation in London that focuses on helping people displaced by war, and I volunteer for an animal rescue shelter.

Occasionally there are perks to looking a bit like her. I see her as a role model. I have come to learn much about her that it’s impossible not to be inspired, learn, and make changes where I can. But it’s what we think about that makes us ‘us’. Not our makeup, our fame, or our looks.”