Sue and Imani aren't just any mother and daughter, they are 'MADD' - Mother and Daughter Duo! They look the same, dress the same and do everything together!
Tell and Sell Stories got them FOUR deals. They appeared in The Sun first, followed by Bella magazine, Chat magazine and finally on MailOnline.
Everywhere MADD go, strangers do a double-take at the dynamic duo. Although Sue, 46, is twice Imani’s age it doesn’t stop her copying her daughter’s style. They work together, drink together — and even plan to walk down the aisle together.
The only thing they don’t share is men. Imani, 23, from Luton, Beds, says: “We are the ultimate mother and daughter duo — MADD for short, which is quite apt. We’ve been mistaken for sisters so many times that I have lost count. I definitely take it as a compliment.”
After watching her mum go through two divorces — the first with her dad 18 years ago and another nine years ago — Imani came up with a cunning plan to reinvent Sue.
Imani, who runs an online fashion store with Sue, says: “I was at an age where I was choosing my own clothes but it wasn’t enough for me. I wanted to choose what Mum wore, too.
“She’d recently got divorced and had lost her confidence. It broke my heart to see her like that.
“Mum used to be so glam, wearing amazing clothes covered in sequins or tassels, so I wanted to help her get back to that.
“I helped her turn things around by picking out trendy and sexy clothes for her and doing her hair and make-up differently.”
Sue agrees that at the time, she needed a pick-me-up.
She says: “I was going through a rough patch, but then Imani stepped in and I’m so glad she did. She helped me get back on track.
“Suddenly I was a stylish woman who felt half her age and happier than ever.”
Every morning, Imani raids her mum’s wardrobe and chooses an outfit for her.
Imani says: “In the mornings, I will go into Mum’s room and tell her what she’ll be wearing for the day. Then, when I’ve got her ready, I’ll go and get dressed to look the same as her. Our outfits have to either match or complement one another. So long as we look like our own little girlband, I’m happy.”
Sue admits their roles often reverse and Imani takes on the role of mum.
She says: “Imani and I are very similar but she is definitely more like the mum in our relationship.
“There are times when I don’t like the clothes she’s chosen but assoonasItrythemon,Ifallin love with them.
“She’s like my very own personal stylist — she knows me better than I know myself.”
While most teenage girls try desperately to dress the opposite of their mum, Imani says she can’t think of anything better. And because they’re best friends, she sees nothing wrong with dressing the same as a woman twice her age.
Imani says: “Mum is amazing, so why wouldn’t I want to look like her?
“We’re more like friends than mum and daughter.
“We have such a close bond and love spending time together. We do our hair the same, our nails and make-up the same, and we have the same personalities too. We’re not just family, we’re friends.'
Sue adds: “We have the same sense of humour and laugh at all the same things.
“When we’re not working together, we’re shopping, working out side-by-side in the gym, getting a 2-4-1 massage in the spa or sitting next to each other on the sofa watching our favourite TV shows — we like all the same ones, of course.”
Several years ago, Sue and Imani branded themselves MADD and, when meeting new people, they introduce themselves as the ultimate mother and daughter duo.
Sue says: “Imani and I often stay up until the early hours chatting, and it was during one of those nights when we got the idea.
“We were lying in bed gossiping when Imani said, ‘You know, everyone says we’re mad and what we do is crazy, and mad stands for mother and daughter so why don’t we call ourselves the Mother And Daughter Duo?’
“And that was that. It stuck. Now, when people ask us why we are so alike, we simply tell them we’re MADD.”
Unsurprisingly, the pair turn heads in the street and claim the constant attention makes
them late for everything.
Sue says: “We are always getting stopped by people. I can’t remember the last time we didn’t — and it’s why we’re always late.
“People always ask us if we’re sisters and most people think it’s hilarious and good fun, though others think we’re weird.”
But having such a close bond with her mum has proved difficult for Imani when trying to bag a boyfriend.
She says: “When I was 19, I brought a boy home to meet Mum.
“We were all going out for a meal, so Mum and I went upstairs to get ready. When we came down in matching outfits, my boyfriend stared goggle-eyed between the two of us. I think he was shocked to say the least.”
But while Imani is still on the hunt for a man, Sue has had more success recently.
Imani says: “Mum has dated more blokes than me — but they’re vetted by me first. I have to make sure they’re good enough.
“I always quiz them on what they do for a living, what they like about Mum, how they met, if they see a future with her.
“Sometimes, I even take down their licence plate details, just in case...”
Sue has since bagged a bloke who passed Imani’s quizzing with flying colours — Carlton, 45, a security officer. But, not surprisingly, he has to fight for his lover’s attention.
Imani says: “He’s like the third member of our gang and often asks what we’re going to wear each day. “But he does struggle to get a look-in when I’m around, I don’t like to share Mum.”
And when Imani meets The One, she already has plans for their big day.
She adds: “I’m going to have a double wedding with Mum.
“A while ago, we went through a phase of watching wedding programmes like Don’t Tell the Bride and Four Weddings.
“It was then that I got the idea — I knew I definitely wanted Mum to be an integral part of my wedding day, so I suggested we get married together.”
But Sue admits she had her doubts: “At first, I had no idea how it would work. “But Imani has it all sorted. She’s explained that we’ll walk down the aisle, one after the other, before exchanging vows next to each other. It would be so special to share our big day.”
Imani adds: “Mum is older and wiser than me and her life experiences have stopped me making the same mistakes others my age have.
“I have avoided teenage pregnancy, heartache and failure and it is all thanks to her.
“Everyone has a best friend — mine just so happens to be my mum. I wouldn’t change it for the world.”