Christian Dior may make beautiful clothes, but that doesn’t excuse the utter tone deafness of their most recent model hire. The fashion house recently signed 14-year-old Israeli model Sofia Mechetner as the face of their adult brand for a whopping $265,000. She also walked Dior’s fall/winter show this spring in a very sheer, almost transparent gown. Apparently, designer Raf Simons discovered her at a Dior shop in Paris.
The teen model doesn’t meet the age standards set by The Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA). Passed in 2007, the guidelines say models should not be under the age of 16. However, many brands ignore these guidelines– especially those outside of America.
Model Molly Fletcher, who began working in the industry at 18, told FOX News that she disagrees with teens entering the modeling world so young. “I don’t think it’s good to use underage models, they haven’t fully developed physically or mentally,” Fletcher says. “So, how could they represent a woman at a young age, let alone deal with the pressures of the industry?”
Supermodel Carol Alt added: “It’s not a safe business. Even at 18 my mother was worried about me. At 20, I was worried about me.”
Canadian supermodel Coco Rocha has also been a vocal supporter of underage model laws. In a 2013 press conference, she said, “For children and young teens who just want to please, the pressure to succumb to demands from adults is often damaging and life altering — dropping out of school foregoing education and their health allowing predators, sexual and otherwise, to harass and victimize – it has to stop.”
