Sofia Mechetner, 14, gets readu at her first Christian Dior show, Autumn/Winter 2015 Haute Couture during Paris Fashion Week, July 6, 2015.
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15 year-old Sailor Brinkley, the daughter of supermodel Christie Brinkley and new face of accessories chain Claire's, isnât the first underage model to raise eyebrows by scoring a major campaign. From P. Diddy's daughters on the catwalk to Miley Cyrusâs famous topless shoot, see more scandals involving young models.
Guess? Inc./AP; Guess? Inc./AP; Johns PKI/Splash News
The three daughters of music mogul Sean Combs (aka P. Diddy) made their modeling debut at just seven-years-old during Kids Fashion Week in New York City. All three walked in the Swarovski Showcase, wearing Ooh! La La! Couture. Twins D'Lila and Jessie sported matching ballerina-style dresses in blue and pink with hightop sneakers, while half-sibling Chance (who also happens to be seven) wore a white dress with a black tulle skirt, black bows, abd Swarovski crystal sparklers in the middle. Father P. Diddy had nothing to say about his young daughters sashaying down the runway, just tweets and pictures of praise for his "3 princesses." D'Lila and Jessie's mom, Kim Porter, and their brother Quincy also sat front row to show their support, along with Chance's mom Sarah Chapman and Grandma Janice.
At only 15 years old, Sailor Brinkley is aready following in mom Christie Brinkley's famous modeling footsteps. Mini-Brinkley was announced as the new face of Claire's, the playful accessories store both frequented and adored by teens; the announcement comes only a few weeks after the mother-daughter duo graced the cover of Bella NYC magazine. While Sailor may be young, her supermodel mom is trying to maintain her teenager's priorities. "It feels exciting," Christie told WWD. "But until Sailor is out of high school we are keeping it in perspective. Sailor is first and foremost a student. Getting a good education will remain her primary focus. But I do think modeling is a great learning experience."
The fashion industry has been ablaze with warnings and new regulations concerning underage models. However, this didnât stop Karl Lagerfeld from casting Ondria Hardin, 15, as the new face of his campaign, despite these rules put in place to protect young models. But this teen model isnât a stranger to controversy â she first turned heads last year when the 5â 10â runway model was featured in Marc Jacobs fall show â at just a tender 14 years old.
Since before she was born, Dannielynn Birkhead made headlines as the daughter of model Anna Nicole Smith and one of many possible fathers. After a paternity test in 2007, Larry Birkhead was deemed the dad and has cared for Dannielynn since Smithâs death five months after their daughterâs birth. The 6-year-old, who is the spitting image of her late mother, turned heads when snapshots from her Guess campaign were released this week. Guess, the brand Dannieylnnâs mother so famously posed for, featured the youngster in its Guess Kids line, making her the first second-generation Guess girl. But of course the advertisements didnât land without controversy. Daddy Birkhead supports of the campaign, however, telling Good Morning America, âDannielynn has always looked up to her momâs image. I think this is kind of Dannielynnâs way of paying tribute to her mom in her own special way.â
Cindy Crawfordâs 10-year-old daughter made waves when her ad campaign for Young Versace was released on Tuesday. âLike her mother, Kaia has a very special gift,â creative director Donatella Versace said in a statement. âHaving Cindy on-set for the shoot took me back to all the amazing Avedon shoots we worked on together. It was such a special treat watching Kaia walk in her motherâs footsteps!â
Courtesy of Versace
Child actress Dakota Fanningâs provocative turn has finally arrived, and the U.K. isnât happy. The British government banned an ad for Marc Jacobs new fragrance that depicted the 17-year-old Fanning with a flower between her legs and the headline âOh, Lolaââthe name of the perfume and perhaps an implicit reference to Lolita. The U.K.âs ad regulatory body said that because Fanning looks younger than her actual age, âWe considered the ad could be seen to sexualize a child. We therefore concluded that the ad was irresponsible and was likely to cause serious offense.â
Blondeau entered the modeling world at age 4, working Jean Paul Gaultierâs spring runway. Now, at 10, the young Frenchwoman is causing a stir with questionably sexy photos. She did a grown-up high-fashion editorial spread in French Vogue earlier this year and has been featured in print sans top.
In 1980, Brooke Shieldsâ body helped transform Calvin Klein designer jeans into a must-have item for teenage girls. The problem? Shields was only 15 years old at the time, thus making her provocative poses and controversial commercials a national outrage.
Until the June 2008 issue of Vanity Fair, Miley Cyrus had a squeaky-clean, family-friendly Disney image. But the notorious Annie Leibovitz spread featured a nearly topless shot of then 15-year-old Cyrus. The media had a field day with the photo, and it marked the beginning of Mileyâs more grown-up image.
Pop star Britney Spears was already 18 when her racy Rolling Stone cover hit stands in 1999, but that did little to curb the backlash created by the risquĂ© shot. Parents of Spearsâ young fans accused the bra-clad, Teletubby-clinging star of abusing her influence and oversexing herself for magazine sales.
No stranger to advertising controversy, designer Calvin Klein caused another stir in 1995 when he featured scantily clad young models on billboards and in TV spots. The provocative poses of the print modelsâsome rumored to be only 15âwere nothing compared with the commercials. Those ads featured a young girl being told to forget her nerves because sheâs pretty; then she slowly undresses. The campaign led to a child-pornography investigation led by the U.S. Justice Department.
Now considered one of the sexiest humanitarians in the world, Angelina Jolie was once an unknown aspiring model with a unique face. Early modeling shots discovered in 2008 reveal a 16-year-old Jolie, still a student at Beverly Hills High School, striking provocative poses and flaunting her famous pout at the camera.
Splash News / Newscom
Clothing brand American Apparel and CEO Dov Charney are no strangers to controversy, but they got major heat in 2009 for an overseas press campaign. The United Kingdom Advertising Standards Authority banned photos featuring a 23-year-old model in states of undress simply because she looked younger than 16. The agency claimed she looked âyoung and vulnerable,â and said the ad was an attempt to âsexualize a model who appeared to be a child.â
Nate Scott
The next generation of Kardashian women is wasting no time getting racy in the spotlight. Then-14-year-old half-sister Kendall shocked the media by posing for a bikini photo shoot in 2010. Older sister Kim was the first to post the images of the young model, with a message about how proud she was of her little sister. The Kardashian clan was criticized for encouraging the young girl, shown in full makeup and a fishnet top, to model such a sexy look.
The brandâs âChristmas Field Guideâ Quarterly catalog stirred up trouble in 2003 with 45 images of teens engaging in sexual behavior. The clothing wasnât advertised until page 120, and the space until then was filled with young-adult nudity and portrayals of group sex. Concerned parents and citizens spoke out, and the brand discontinued the quarterly.
