20th April is National Look-Alike Day – this was created in the 1980s. It’s a day for finding your celebrity doppelganger or celebrating your twin.
I’ve used an image from Gucci’s SS2023 show, which was themed “Welcome to Twinsburg” by Alessandro Michele, Gucci’s creative director at the time. His mother was an identical twin, and Alessandro Michele grew up believing he had two mothers rather than one mother and an aunt.
For the show, sets of models walked the runway in sets of identical outfits, with a dividing wall in the middle covered in portraits of twins and look-alikes by Toronto-born photographer Mark Peckmezian. At the end of the show, the wall came up and the audience on either side became aware of each other.
Earth Day, also called International Mother Day, is observed on 22nd April, and began in 2010. It was started by the General Assembly of the United Nations (UNGA) to raise awareness about urgent issues related to Earth, biodiversity and ecosystems. The United Nations Conference on the Human Environment, held in Stockholm in 1972, was the start of this recognition of interdepence between humans and other species on the planet.
Fashion has a big impact on the environment, especially fast fashion, with plastic fibres polluting oceans, toxic dyes being used, and workers being exploited and underpaid. Production of fashion items makes up 10% of carbon emissions.
I know we can’t stop buying clothes and accessories – I sure can’t. I just try to buy less, choose carefully and only get rid of something if it is absolutely unwearable because it’s torn or broken. I’m still wearing clothes and shoes from over 20 years ago, and I dug out quite a few things I hadn’t worn in a while now that Y2K is back in.
When I’m shopping I think about how long something will last, in terms of trend (is it a fad that I’ll only wear for the next couple of months?), composition (how well is it made, will it fall apart after a few washes?), and consideration (do I like it enough to keep wearing it for years or am I buying it on a whim?) Of course I’m not perfect and there’s a few regrettable things in my wardrobe!
Bellerby & Co
23rd April is National Lovers’ Day – a day to let your partner/s know how much you love them. Of course if you’re single like me, you could skip all that and show love to yourself instead, although you should be doing that anyway, single or not.
I’ve linked two on-theme perfumes below – I haven’t actually smelled these myself, but they sound really good. The Lover’s Tale by Francesca Bianchi is a unisex perfume released in 2018 mainly based on leather and Egyptian jasmine. Top notes are bergamot, honey, mimosa and aldehyde, heart notes are jasmine, heliotrope, orris, peach and rose, the base note is leather. If you like Precious Leather by Roberto Cavalli or Leather Copper from Lalique, you will probably like this one too.
I’ve also featured Loverdose by Diesel, a perfume for women claimed to contain chemicals that stimulate the hypothalamus – the part of the brain responsible for attraction. The bottle is shaped like a heart pierced by cupid’s arrow, while the composition is floral and spicy. Top notes are anise and orange, heart notes are gardenia, jasmine and licorice, base notes are amber, vanilla and wood. It smells similar to L’Elixir Hypnotic Poison from Dior and Black Opium Intense from Yves Saint Laurent.
April 23rd is also World Book Day and I’ve used an image from the Pre-Fall 2023 show by Sacai where Chitose Abe took inspiration from the film Interstellar – this look features a print of Murph’s bookcase.
Many fashion brands have released books filled with beautiful photography from their collections and runway shows – I’m sure you can find plenty about your favourite designers.
Fashion books can also be a great source of inspiration for your own looks – St. Moritz Chic by Dora Lardelli gathers photos from this Swiss ski resort loved by Audrey Hepburn, Claudia Schiffer and Elizabeth Taylor.
Ibiza Bohemia by Renu Kashyap and Maya Boyd is a similar book, showing style ranging from nightlife to yoga retreat outfits.
I’ve never really enjoyed going out to get my hair done, but I do love a drastic change to my hair, so I’m all for Hair Stylist Appreciation Day on 25th April. You could celebrate the day by trying out a new hair style yourself, giving an extra special tip to your own hair stylist, or trying out some hair mist instead of perfume, or complement it.
Hair mists are different from perfume in a number of ways – they often contain ingredients that moisturise your hair, add shine and tame frizz. They tend to be water-based so they’re not heavy or sticky, and also have a lighter scent – you can use them if you’re sensitive to strong perfumes or don’t want something overpowering.
They can also be used to freshen up your hair if you don’t have time to wash it and would rather not use dry shampoo. Hair mist is also great for after a workout or swim in a pool if you’re unable to wash your hair straight away.
FlowerBomb Hair Mist by Viktor & Rolf is floral with a base of patchouli – top notes are rose, jasmine and freesia, the heart note is praline and the base note is patchouli.
Good Girl Hair Mist by Carolina Herrera is a mix of sweet jasmine with cocoa, almond and coffee. Top notes are almond, bergamot, coffee and lemon, heart notes are jasmine, orange blossom, rose, and tuberose, base notes are cacao, sandalwood, tonka bean, vanilla, wood, and praline.
National Telephone Day is celebrated on 25th April.
Although Alexander Graham Bell is known as the inventor of the telephone, there’s a bit of a debate about who actually created the phone. Bell patented his device in 1875, but both Antonio Meucci and Philipp Reis had independently invented telephone-like devices over a decade before then.
Whoever it was that actually created the first phone, there are now about 6.84 billion smartphones in the world today – that accounts for 85% of the population.
Eric Tigerstedt filed a patent for a mobile phone-like device back in 1917, with the first handset shown in 1973 by Motorola – it weighed almost 4.5lbs. The first cellular network in the world was launched in Japan in 1979 by Nippon Telegraph and Telephone, with the first commercially available mobile phone being the DyanTAC 8000x in 1983.
It’s pictured here on this long-sleeve top from the AW2018 collection by M1992, along with the text “For The Desperates” – the collection was a commentary on the Italian Paninari, a sort of Milanese yuppie who dressed in big brands and with money to spend (albeit their parents’). Dorian Stefano Tarantini parodied the typical Paninaro look by taking power shoulders and denim to the extreme, and printing t-shirts with items that only rich kids of the 80s could afford.
