Identical twin fashion bloggers Bec and Marissa Karagiorgios are fast becoming one of the most talked about and followed set of twins on Instagram. With over 102,000 followers on their Instagram platform alone, these 24-year-old women have now turned a hobby into a full-time job. Third generation Greeks – their grandparents are from Karditsa, Karpenisi, and Tripoli – and with strong roots and ties to their grandparents, the girls grew up with Greek as their first language. I didn’t find that hard to believe either, as from the minute we greeted each other I struggled to keep my note-taking at the rate they were talking! Speedy speech is a classic Greek woman trait. With their father’s successful career as a finance broker and their mother in marketing and now counselling, one might say they followed the path of both working in marketing before beginning as fashion bloggers.

It didn’t take long for the conversation to turn to faith as I asked about their Instagram bio Ambassadors for Jesus Christ. The girls told me their mother became a born-again Christian in the Pentecostal church after being introduced to the faith by a friend. Although their parents were married in, and Bec and Marissa were christened in the Greek Orthodox Church, they were raised Pentecostal and it has always been a huge part of their lives. It isn’t just a title but a lifestyle for them. Both are very active and supportive of their church community, also making it very clear that it was never forced upon them by anyone. Marissa saying it is a huge part of their identities and that everything they say and do reflects their faith. They both volunteer at their church, with youth groups, and perform mission work in Thailand and even work in the church. With over 2000 young adults involved they describe their time in the church as “fun” and it is not often that they miss a week. They want to be positive role models and feel as though they are breaking down the stereotypes of how religious women are portrayed.

I asked the girls about “haters” and any negative comments made on their pictures when they post something fanatics consider “risqué” and they told me they’re simply not scared of “hate”. Bec describes them as being extremely lucky and blessed to not have any real “hate”, “… sure there will always be the occasional negative comment but nothing really bad.” The girls explained how they see it as an opportunity to demonstrate understanding and forgiveness and that they explain things with a voice of reason. Marissa describes herself as being the voice of reason at times that Bec lets things get to her. They say having their pastors following them on social media means that yes, they are 24-year-old women and have lots of fun, but everything in moderation, and they would never post anything they would be ashamed for their parents or pastors to see.

Here are some more things we chatted about as we sat in Oakleigh and they reminisced about their eight-week trip around Greece, London, and the US, including New York Fashion Week and a quick stop in Fiji before heading home. They told me stories of Gucci loafers and how they love fusing high end with high street fashion, jovially pointing out they were wearing €4 sunglasses and Balenciaga flats. They ordered an open souvlaki (with no onion and no garlic) and I made fun of them not really being Greek if they don’t eat those two things and they assured me they would love to but intolerance is no fun.

What is the biggest perk of having a twin?
Marissa (M): Sharing everything. We are the same size in all of our clothes so that means together we get twice as much. Also being able to have a constant support and encourager by your side. We’re very fortunate that in all situations (even when we fight) we’re not alone in our journey through work or life.

Do you fight?
Marisa and Bec: All the time! But what siblings don’t? I think we bicker more than ‘fight’ though, but it’s usually resolved pretty quickly.
Bec (B): Never for more than a day though, and only over things that we have no defined roles for with our work.

How do you describe yourselves?
M & B: We are definitely ambiverts. We get our energy from our alone time and enjoy spending quality time with ourselves. However, we absolutely love people and are very relational and outgoing.

Who inspires you in the fashion industry?
B: Christine Centenera. Not only is she a girl-boss (Fashion Director for Vogue Australia), but also has the best style (and wardrobe) going around!
M: Margaret Zhang. She is young, successful, and driven. What else could you want?

What makes your blog so successful?
M & B: Our blog isn’t just pretty photos, because we believe content is key. Having studied marketing, we strongly believe in applying our knowledge to our blog and brand is what has made us a strong competitor in the blogger sphere!

What has been the coolest ‘gift’ you have received from a company?
B: Generous gift vouchers from designer retail outlets/online stores.
M: We once got a Micky Mouse-shaped cake for Disney’s 100th birthday! Not only did it look amazing, it was also delicious! Haha.

Tell us about Twice Blessed Digital.
B: With a background in marketing, Twice Blessed Digital is a platform where we can assist brands in the fashion/lifestyle industry with their marketing, social media, and content creation. We understand that social media is often the last thing brands think about, or have time for, and offer our services to help them in that area of their business.

What’s next for Twice Blessed?
M: It would definitely be YouTube and a focus on video content. We love the fact that our Instagram page can be really curated and styled, but we can be more raw and ‘ourselves’ through videos. It adds a nice balance to our profile.

How will this continue/end when one of you wants to start a family?
B: Thankfully this industry is so flexible and nothing has to stop unless we want it to. Being our own bosses allows us to travel, have a family, and work for ourselves at the same time.
M: We want to be young mums so we have taken steps to ensure this is something we will be able to pursue working from home and raising a family.

You can find Bec and Marissa’s blog at www.twiceblessed.com.au or follow them on Instagram @twiceblessed_

* Zoe George is The Subtle Mummy www.thesubtlemummy.com