REAL LIFE
TWINNING AND WINNING!
Catherine Vigorito is used to being told how great she looks for her age – and when people ask her daughter Gabriella if she’s her sister, they actually mean it!
With their identical brown locks and similar build, it’s not unusual for Gabriella Vigorito and her mum, Catherine, to be stopped in the street by strangers, commenting on their striking similarities.
Gabriella, 23, says, “I love being mistaken for my mum’s twin or sister – she’s gorgeous, so it’s a compliment! At 56, it gives my mum a boost too! Even a then-boyfriend of mine once got confused by who was who. That was a bit weird, but we’re so used to it now!”
MATCHING
When Gabriella, a model and content creator who lives in the USA, was younger, Catherine loved dressing her and her sisters in the same clothes and hairstyles – and Catherine would join them. Strangers often thought Catherine was the eldest sister.
Gabriella says, “As I got older, the more people thought we were twins! One day, Mum picked me up from secondary school and my substitute teacher asked if she was my older sister. Mum was thrilled and the teacher was stunned when I said there were 33 years between us!”
She adds, “We shared similar tastes in fashion too which was probably another reason why people didn’t realise we were mother and daughter. Luckily for me, we were the same size, so we often dipped into each other’s wardrobes. If we were out shopping, we often lusted over the same things and it wasn’t uncommon for us to end up buying the same outfits.”
Whenever Gabriella was with Catherine, an author and product designer, their twinning ways attracted attention. Gabriella says, “Mum allowed me to invite friends over for parties and they would usually point out how alike we were. Then one day, my boyfriend popped over to see me and he had to do a double-take when Mum walked in wearing the same outfit as me. He almost got us confused which could have been awkward!”
THRILLED
Then in 2019, Gabriella followed in her mum’s footsteps and entered for the first time the same beauty pageant that her Mum had won back in 1988.
Gabriella says, “Mum was a great coach as she had so much experience. She was such a great support and gave me lots of tips, like prepping me on how to walk and stage presence. In beauty pageants it’s all about the wardrobe, and of course I opted for a glitzy custom-made gown when I competed. I loved the glamourous side of beauty-queen life, but Mum taught me it was important to give The pair on sMothered back too, and we voluntee
