Can YOU spot the way these desperate nepo babies are trying to stay relevant? It’s so subtle most won’t see it… but when you know their trick you’ll see it EVERYWHERE. Now Laura Craik tells why

by

At the New York premiere of Marty Supreme on Tuesday, 21-year-old Apple Martin turned heads in a classic black dress, looking both stylish and remarkably like her mother.

She did share a noticeable family resemblance to Gwyneth Paltrow, with both having blonde hair, blue eyes, and a similar delicate look. This was made even more apparent because they were often seen wearing the same clothes.

The Calvin Klein gown Apple wore – a long, flowing dress with a scoop neck and low back – was first seen on Gwyneth Paltrow at the 1996 New York premiere of her movie, Emma.

Apple carefully recreated her mother’s look from 29 years prior, even styling her hair in the same messy bun with loose strands framing her face. She also wore identical diamond stud earrings. The only difference was her makeup – instead of the bold red lipstick her mother favored in 1996, Apple opted for a more subtle, natural shade.

This minor detail didn’t change the main point: if you’re a celebrity in your forties or fifties with a beautiful young daughter, dressing alike is a success.

Instead of trying to fight aging with procedures like Botox, a better approach to feeling young and current is to have photos from your twenties that people compare to pictures of you today – especially if you and your daughter happen to wear the same outfit!

It’s interesting that the children of famous celebrities, even those who insist they haven’t benefited from their parents’ success, often seem happy to copy their parents’ style.

Apple Martin had endless choices for her outfit. She could have easily chosen a dress from Chanel – she even attended their recent Paris fashion show and had a great seat!

Designers will eagerly seek to style Apple Martin, just like they do with other celebrity children. Her famous parents – Gwyneth Paltrow and Coldplay’s Chris Martin – will ensure she receives far more attention than a typical newcomer hoping to break into the industry.

Nostalgia is a surprisingly effective way to market products. With so much competition for our attention these days, even famous celebrities need to use every possible strategy to stand out.

Their newest hit, the ‘nepo dress,’ is a guaranteed success. It’s a perfect combination of fashion and nostalgia, evoking fond memories for those who remember its original debut.

Which is exactly why it is being employed by so many mother-daughter duos.

Carys Zeta Douglas turned 21 in 2021 and celebrated by wearing a pink satin slip dress. Every picture from the party included a side-by-side comparison with a photo of her mother, Catherine Zeta Jones, wearing the same dress.

Catherine Zeta-Jones first wore the dress in 1999 at the MTV Awards when she was 29. It’s understandable why she – and most women – appreciate seeing a flattering old photo! This October, her daughter, Carys, followed suit, borrowing a black dress her mother originally wore in 2015.

Many famous actresses, like Angelina Jolie, Salma Hayek, Brooke Shields, Jessica Alba, Susan Sarandon, and Courteney Cox, have happily shared special dresses with their daughters for one-time events, creating a heartwarming and natural moment.

I’m always fascinated by fashion moments, and this one really stood out! At the 2024 Toronto Film Festival, Kaia Gerber looked incredible in a white Herve Leger dress. But then, almost instantly, everyone online started sharing photos of Cindy Crawford – Kaia’s mom! – wearing the exact same dress to the Oscars way back in 1993. It felt like a really intentional nod to a classic look, and I loved seeing that connection between mother and daughter.

Molly Dickinson, Cindy Crawford’s stylist, explained that Kaia had shared a reference image, and Dickinson felt recreating the look would be a wonderful homage to a classic moment.

It was a heartwarming moment, but it also conveniently boosted the profitable sponsorship agreement between the mother and daughter and Omega.

Cindy Crawford became the first celebrity to represent the Swiss watch company back in 1995, and she’s been their ambassador ever since. Her daughter, Kaia Gerber, started working with the brand in 2017 when she was just 16. So, it felt natural for Kaia to honor her mother by wearing a copy of Cindy’s famous white bandage dress and a classic Omega watch borrowed from her mother’s own collection.

Look, every parent wants to give their kid a leg up, right? It’s just… most parents are happy if their kid can get a job pulling pints at a local pub. Me? I managed to snag my child a multi-million pound sponsorship deal! It’s a totally different level of helping out, and honestly, I’m still buzzing about it. It’s what any devoted parent would do, if they had the opportunity, obviously.

As a long-time fan, I’ve always noticed how Cindy Crawford and Kaia Gerber really lean into their family connection, and it’s clear they have advantages others don’t. It’s not just on the red carpet, either! They frequently coordinate their outfits – I remember seeing photos of them in similar jeans, sneakers, and leather jackets in New York a few years ago, and more recently, they were spotted in Paris both wearing these gorgeous, matching camel coats. It feels like a deliberate way to highlight their bond, and honestly, it’s a cute look for them!

To make a statement, both women wore matching ‘Mom Genes’ T-shirts in 2017. This caught the attention of Zara, and in 2023, they signed a lucrative partnership with the fashion brand.

If you’re a mom to teenage girls, you’ve probably experienced the disappointment of saving clothes you loved, hoping they’d wear them someday, only to have those same clothes declared totally uncool. But things work differently in Hollywood.

Instead of wearing old or damaged clothes, the children of celebrities have access to their mothers’ perfectly maintained wardrobes, where clothes are carefully stored in protective bags and acid-free tissue paper.

It’s easy for someone with famous parents to wear the latest designer dress or a classic vintage piece. But a truly special dress – one with a unique past and a story all its own – that’s what we’re calling a ‘nepo dress’.

Okay, so like, my absolute idol? Her daughter is amazing. Apparently, she actually appreciates her mom’s old clothes – the ones from way back when! Can you believe it? My own daughter would totally cringe if I pulled out something I wore in my twenties, but this A-lister’s kid gets it. It’s just…perfect. It shows she has taste and understands true style, unlike some people I know! It makes me love her mom even MORE.

Gwyneth Paltrow shared a picture in 2023 of her daughter wearing a dress originally worn by Paltrow herself at the 2002 Oscars. The photo, taken in her mother’s closet, looked like a sweet moment of a daughter playing dress-up, but it also subtly hinted at something more.

Gwyneth Paltrow recently told Vogue that her daughter, Apple, often borrows—and sometimes wears without permission—her old red carpet dresses.

Honestly, everything they do is exactly what you’d expect from them, which is amazing in itself. But this? This is next level! I nearly lost it when I heard they landed a huge deal – we’re talking six or even seven figures – to be the faces of Gap’s fall/winter campaign! It’s incredible, and they deserve all the success!

The campaign, which began in September and showcased a video of mothers and daughters sharing clothes and styles, highlighted how fashion sense changes over time and playfully acknowledged the role of family connections in the fashion world.

Proof that, in today’s ruthlessly competitive world, it really does pay to keep it in the family.

Read More

2025-12-18 03:49