Exclusive Daily Mail: Supermodels Irina Shayk and Anne V look identical as they pay tribute to Kessler Twins' legendary Sixties act in new shoot for Vs. magazine

EXCLUSIVE: Supermodels Irina Shayk and Anne V look identical as they pay tribute to Kessler Twins' legendary Sixties act in new shoot for Vs. magazine

By TAMARA ABRAHAM

PUBLISHED: 13:27, 30 January 2013 | UPDATED: 18:16, 30 January 2013

In their Sixties heyday the Kessler Twins were Europe's biggest stars - so perhaps it is fitting that a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue cover girl and a Victoria's Secret Angel have been cast in a modern-day tribute to their iconic act.

Unlike German-born Alice and Ellen Kessler, Irina Shayk and Anne V are related only by profession, but they could not look more identical to one another in the stunning new shoot for Vs. Magazine.

Shot by legendary photographer Ellen von Unwerth, the pair look every inch the showgirls in their glittering costumes from the shop of Sex And The City stylist Patricia Field.

Showgirls: Irina Shayk and Anne V channel the Sixties act of the legendary Kessler Twins in Vs. Magazine

Dazzling performance: The girls wear costumes from the boutique of Sex And The City stylist Patricia Field

One pair of image! s shows t! he girls play-fighting on stage, throwing vintage ostrich feather capelets, and kicking at each other with very dangerous-looking Christian Louboutin heels.

Another sees them apparently preparing for a performance in a dressing room, though in this case, Sixties underpinnings are replaced by Agent Provocateur lingerie.

The originals: Alice (left) and Ellen Kessler parody Marilyn Monroe at a show in Munich, Germany in the Fifties

Fashion feud: The shoot! sees for! mer Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue cover girl Irina (left) and Victoria's Secret Angel Anne (right) play-fighting with vintage ostrich capelets and Christian Louboutin heels

Evidence of those sensational swimwear model bodies is evident throughout - indeed, even the Kessler Twins themselves are unlikely to have looked quite so flawless when applying lipstick in the tiny sequin hotpants.

The original double-act certainly didn't wear Moschino Couture overalls or Burberry Prorsum trench coats  - though the high-end garments certainly look the part with Vs. Magazine's styling.

But the designer must-haves are only half the story.

Supermodel bodies: Even the Kessler Twins themselves are unlikely to have looked quite so flawless when applying lipstick in the tiny sequin hotpants

In character: One photo sees the girls apparently preparing for a performance in a dressing room, though in this case, Sixties underpinnings are replaced by Agent Provocateur lingerie

Twins themselves are in fact a trend, it seems. Marc Jacobs sent his models down the catwalk in pairs at his most recent show, setting the ball rolling for the rest of the industry.

Indeed, styled with towering beehives and strong flicks of black eyeliner, it is quite astonishing how similar the two supermodels have been made to look.

In several images, even Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine might struggle to identify which of the two is his ex-girlfriend.

The twin thing: Double-acts are in Vogue, it seems, a trend sparked by Marc Jacobs, who sent his models down the catwalk in pairs at his most recent show, setting the ball rolling for the rest of the industry

Glamorous new image: The original double-act certainly didn't wear Moschino Couture overalls

But as the magazine explains: 'With Russian supermodel duo Anne V and Irina Shayk dressed as swinging 60s showgirls, Ellen von Unwerth here gives an object lesson in the power of doubles inspired by the iconic Kessler twins.'

And iconic they were: now in their mid-seventies, the Kessler Twins were a stage sensation in the Fifties and Sixties, and performed their showgirl act around the world.

They appeared on the cover of Life in 1963, and at the age of 40, in 1976, posed for the cover of Italian Playboy, making it the edition's fastest-selling issue at the time.

Partying hard: Lingerie and Burberry Prorsum trench coats are the order of the day for one scene

Traveling in style: Modern-day finds from Miu Miu, Brian Atwood and Louis Vuitton make for a very vintage look

Sartorial education: Ellen von Unwerth's shoot is 'an object lesson in the power of doubles', the magazine reads

The new issue of Vs. Magazine also features Kate Bosworth and Mads Mikkelsen, as well as a secretly-pregnant Eva Herzigova in one shoot and a brunette January Jones in another.

The full Sister Act feature appears in the spring/summer issue of Vs. Magazine. A video from the shoot will appear soon on FashionTube.