Fashion has a thing for twins: Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, Simi Haze, Reese and Molly Blutstein. And now, Shannon and Shannade Clermont. More commonly known as the Clermont Twins, the 24-year-old social media stars are primed and ready to reawaken the market of two-for-the-price-of-one.
The pair, who first shot to notoriety after appearing on Oxygen’s Bad Girls Club in 2014, rose to online fame with their streetwear-meets-couture looks on Instagram, serving their fans fashion fantasy without giving away too much. The mystique had legs: The Clermonts were cast earlier this year in Kanye West’s internet-breaking Yeezy Season 6 “Kim Clone” campaign, sporting their signature KKW-esque long blonde hair and curve-hugging looks. The pair recently launched their own Western-meets-lingerie-inspired label Mont Boudoir. Now, they’re breaking into leather goods with a collaboration with buzzy Brooklyn-based handbag designer Brandon Blackwood.
AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT
“We’ve loved his pieces and quality of work, so when he reached out to us [to collaborate] we were super excited,” Shannade tells Refinery29. Blackwood’s minimal but luxurious designs, priced from $30-485, have become celebrity style bait — you’ve likely seen his iconic Portmore backpack on Issa Rae and Kerry Washington. Naturally, Brandon was introduced to the Clermonts on Instagram.
“A friend told me about these gorgeous twins — I looked them up and immediately reached out,” says Blackwood. Their relationship is one for the Insta-ages: Brandon would send the twins pieces from his collections and they would post them. Over time, it developed first into a friendship and later, a business and creative partnership.
The five-piece capsule includes Clermont-stamped iterations of Blackwood’s signature Portmore and Kendrick mini trunk bag, along with a brand-new card holder and luggage tag made from neutral-toned python, croc, and metallic-printed leathers. “We wanted them to make a statement but stay classic at the same time,” says Shannon. Shannade adds: “We wanted something a young hip woman can wear but also an older woman can love."
Breaking down the elements of how their individual styles influenced the collection: “Shannade is a lot more timeless and classic in her style,” explains Shannon, describing her own style as “risk-taking” and “a bit edgier.” If your only knowledge of the sisters is through quick glances of their often-risqué #twinning looks on Instagram, the fact that each respectively lay claim to owning unique style characteristics may come as a surprise.
“Our whole brand is about us as twins, but we each bring our individual looks and styles to the table,” Shannon says. The two are true identical twins and don’t have their own respective accounts outside their shared one. But even speaking to the sisters on the phone, you notice that each has their own vibe, likely harmonising to create the visual allure that is the Clermont Twins. “We’ve always had our own style, but we never took photos. Instagram and creating content to show our style changed everything.”
As for their inspiration, Kim Kardashian is a given (again, they played her clones!) as well as one of the reality star’s own muses: Cher. “The hair is everything,” Shannon notes. As the twins continue to rack up social clout — Kim is listed among their nearly 800,000 followers — they have their sights set on continuing to collaborate and expand their fashion influence (their dream? Tom Ford), as well as break into acting. But let’s be real: Any character they’ll portray will likely pale in comparison to their own. If anyone turns #KimClone into a movie, though, we’re definitely pre-ordering tickets.