Is Sasha Pivovarova the New Gemma Ward?

Ever since Gemma Ward took her leave of absence from the modeling world to pursue acting, it seems as if a very similar face has taken her place as model most wanted. Sasha Pivovarova, the 23 year-old Russian, Gemma Ward look-alike, signed with IMG in 2005 and snagged a Prada fragrance campaign in 2007, ironically when Ward began to disappear from runways, ads and editorials. The two models look frighteningly similar with their long blonde hair, pale skin, deer-like grey eyes, tall slender bodies, dainty lips and overall doll-ish appearance. Their careers are strangely similar as well, both working intensely with Prada and being deemed, at one point or another, top of the top by Models.com. Now, I have great respect for Pivovarova, Ward and IMG, but is it just me, or was Pivovarova the replacement for Ward? Not to say that Pivovarova wouldn’t have been an incredibly successful model if she were with a different agency (any way you look at it, she is unique and beautiful), but it seems to me that IMG didn’t want to let the doll-face model slip from their hands after Ward temporarily packed up her bags. Maybe I am completely wrong and IMG has plans to use both models in tandem, to launch the two in “twin” campaigns and editorials. Either way, I am very curious to see what is going to happen when Ward makes her grand re-appearance. Will she give Pivovarova a catwalk run for her money? Will the fashion industry be over her, sending her back to the acting world? Will bookers devour the dolls, making the both of them more successful than ever? Stay tuned for the next episode of “Whose Face Is It Anyway?”

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