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Spot the difference: is it Gabriette and Amelia Gray or Amelia Gray and Gabriette? There are little to no physical differences between these two internet personalities. After a Marc Jacobs campaign poked fun at their imitation of each other, it raises the question: when does copycat culture go too far?

 

Oscar Wilde once said imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but it seems that celebrities may have taken this quote a little too far. Style inspiration is more than welcome—in fact, it’s only natural because in this day and age, are we really creating new things? However, the line gets a tad murky when there are duplicates of a person’s entire look and even their personality.

 

Gabriette Bechtel, who goes by Gabriette, is an IMG Model who has worked with brands such as Diesel, Skims, Bottega, and most recently, Marc Jacobs. A promotion she did for the Mini Dual Bags recently hit the internet, but she wasn't the only one gracing the campaign cover. Present right beside her was her look-alike: Amelia Gray. This isn't the first of their duo shoots together: the two also did a campaign for Sonora boots in 2022. However, the issue isn't who did it first, but whether or not a culture of imitation without creativity is something that should be promoted.

 

This issue goes deeper than just campaigns. Amelia Gray is a model and TV personality but most of her press comes from the comparison she gets to Gabriette, the original muse. Gabriette is the face of what people are dubbing the “Succubus-Chic” aesthetic, a vampiric look with thin eyebrows and gray eyeshadow. Maybe it has to do with being signed to the same agency, but Amelia Gray was not sporting Gabriette’s signature thin brows, pout, and eye makeup a few years ago, and people have definitely noticed.  

 

Celebrity copycat culture isn't anything new, and an example is the many impersonators Ariana Grande has had since the 2010s. Grande is no stranger to these impersonators, and with her signature ponytail and style, she has been the face of inspiration for people such as Gabi DeMartino, a famous Youtuber known for her lifestyle channel with her twin. Famous for using Ariana Grande as her muse, Gabi DeMartino was even flown out by the singer to be a part of her “thank u next” music video. To clear up the rumors of drama, Grande reacted lightheartedly in this case, but lines can be crossed in other ones. One of the more serious copycat situations that stirred controversy is the impersonator Paige Niemann.

 

Niemann went viral in 2019 for resembling Grande, but things took a turn when she started an OnlyFans account, a platform where users can purchase mature content. Niemann based her content on looking exactly like Grande and having her mannerisms down—behavior that is odd and disrespectful. Lines were crossed and this OnlyFans account is more than enough proof, especially since Niemann is still showing up to events copying Grande’s new look.

 

Copycat culture has been prominent since the early Hollywood days, and Marilyn Monroe herself was a victim of this. Many celebrities have taken inspiration from the starlet, most recently Sabrina Carpenter with her blonde bombshell hair and Hollywood style. Even reality TV star Kim Kardashian wore Monroe’s famous “birthday dress” to the 2022 Met Gala, emulating not only her style but her influence. This incident was deemed as out of touch considering Monroe wanted the dress to be one “only Marylin Monroe could wear.”

 

Many internet personalities base their entire platform on celebrity impersonation. Ashley Leechin is a Tiktoker who went viral for walking around New York looking eerily similar to Taylor Swift and fooling fans. Although she claims stepping outside in similar glam was a social experiment, it still rubbed viewers the wrong way, with Swifties calling her out and saying that Swift should get a restraining order against Leechin for her behavior.

 

A further step in celebrity impersonation is when people get facial procedures in order to look like someone else. Again, this phenomenon is nothing new. In 2016, Cindy Kimberly was a face all over girls’ feeds and acted as inspo for the effortlessly cool aesthetic. Her image blowing up led to an epidemic of celebrities copying other celebrities’ features. Her lips became the inspo for the “natural duck lips” trend perpetuated by celebrities like Kylie Jenner.

 

These examples of celebrity impersonation don’t mean that one singular person owns a look or particular style. However, it hurts individuality in the industry. Copycat culture has become entirely too normalized just for popularity's sake and is not a practice that should be followed.