Gucci sent 68 pairs of identical twins down the runway. Where did they find them?

The fashion world had its eyes on Milan this week, as the biggest brands took to the runway for Fashion Week.

One of the more surprising shows was staged by Gucci - the label is no stranger to a bit of spectacle, and Creative Director Alessandro Michele loves to keep fans guessing from season to season. For this show, he sent 68 pairs of twins down the runway in a variety of eclectic matching looks.

The audience wasn’t even aware they were watching twins - the observers were seated between two different rooms with a screen dividing them. In the final moments of the show, the screen was lifted, and each model got to join hands with their sibling and finish up their time on the runway.

But where did Gucci even find 68 pairs of twins? Good question.

Twins take to the runway. Image: Getty 

Where did all the twins come from?

The Guardian reported that Gucci sent a secret scouting party to Twins Day, an annual twins convention that takes place in Twinsburg, Ohio. Although it sounds made up, it’s actually been taking place every summer since 1976. 

The weekend-long event involves a range of activities, including a ‘Double Take Parade’, a ‘Twins Talent Show’, and a ‘Twins Volleyball Tournament’.

Image: Getty.

Attendees were hand-picked by the scouting team for the Milan show, which we’ll guess was a shake-up to an already bizarre weekend.

Taking to the runway, the 136 models featured in the show got to wear an impressive range of outfits. We saw retro green coats styled over leopard-print leggings, glittery red suits, facial jewellery, a reference to cult movie Gremlins and of course, a lot of bold colour.

68 pairs were hand-picked for Michele's show. Image: Getty. 

Alessandro Michele’s ‘twin mums’.

Alessandro Michele has always had a fascination with twins, given his mother, Eralda, was a twin. He wrote about his inspiration in his show notes, citing his mother and aunt as the inspiration.

"They lived in the same body,” he said of Eralda and her sister, Guiliana.  

“They dressed and combed their hair in the same way. They were magically mirrored. One multiplied the other. That was my world, perfectly double and doubled."

Image: Getty.

He noted that he was obsessed with his mother’s twin status across his childhood, even telling his teachers he had two mothers.

“To my twin mums, that were able to comprehend life only through the presence of the other,” he wrote in his dedication.

Listen: Jessie Stephens cancels her twin, Clare Stephens, on Mamamia's podcast Cancelled. Story continues below.

What can twins teach us about fashion?

Gucci's twin stunt was intended to remind people that personal style isn't just about the clothes you wear, but the personality you bring to them.

Most twins are used to sharing essentially everything, so seeing them wear the same clothes on a famous runway told observers that fashion works best coming to life on different people.

“The same clothes emanate different qualities on seemingly identical bodies,” Michele said.

“The same clothes emanate different qualities on seemingly identical bodies." Image: Getty.

However, Michele is not a twin himself, so he also introduced the concept of ‘otherness’ in the show, saying there is another side to him.

“I know that I have another side of me - I meet him when I go to my therapist,” he said.

“We all have another side of us, and sometimes we meet that person, and hold hands.”

Feature image: Getty.