Hailee Steinfeld, the 14 year-old Oscar nominee and True Grit star, has been named the new face of Miu Miu. She’ll probably do some print ads and be done with this, but this story bothers me. She’s so young and it just seems wrong to pluck a girl barely out of puberty and have her model. It happens all the time, I know, but we’ve gotten to know Hailee on her press tour and she’s so smart yet innocent somehow. I just want her to act and focus on school and not get involved in all this modeling and brand representation business.
Hailee Steinfeld is quickly becoming one of the most sought-after girls in Hollywood. The 14-year-old Oscar nominee has been named the new face of Miu Miu, Prada’s younger line, the fashion house announced Monday.
The True Grit star has stepped out in the brand on a number of occasions, including the BAFTA Awards in February, the SAG Awards in January and a Miss Golden Globe event in December.
Steinfeld even joined fellow Oscar nominee Jennifer Lawrence, 20, at the luxe line’s runway show during Paris Fashion Week in March.
[From US Weekly]
Kaiser reminded me that Hailee went to fashion week to the Miu Miu show and as this article mentions she’s worn the brand to The BAFTAs, The SAG Awards and another event. Hailee has a quirky sense of style, and Miu Miu caters to that. I’d rather see her do an ad for neutrogena or something, but she’s better than that and she’s earned a big high fashion modeling contract. I wish I could be happy for her, but I’m just kind of wary. It’s the mom in me.
Hailee in Miu Miu at the SAGs in January:
In Miu Miu at the BAFTA Awards in February:
At the Miu Miu show in February:
In Stella McCartney (bleh!) at the Met Gala earlier this month:
photo credit: WENN.com
I’m pretty sure that SAG dress is Prada, although I could be wrong.
Stella McCartney’s mullet dress doesn’t look good and i agree she’s too young to be the face of fashion design(remember Lohan)
the orange and pink dress is Prada
14 being too young is debatable. Many top models started very young. Milla Jovovich was doing cover work at age 12. Gemma Ward was doing runway at 14. Daria Werbowy at 15. The fashion industry likes their models you, tall and impossibly thin. Lanky pre-teen girls are perfect.
@ Stella you have a point, still it bothers me so much. Girls shouldn’t be exposed like that from an early age for number of reasons I’m sure we are all aware of. Fashion world is so messed up.
from a fashion perspective, no. from a parent’s perspective, yes, too much for a little girl.
In this case specifically, I’d say no. Mostly because the Miu Miu demographic is quite young (comparatively speaking to other brands), and also given her status and acting credibility, I’d say she’s actually quite a good pick (a good role model/appropriate figurehead, if you like). She’s pretty without being inappropriately or overtly sexualised, she’s smart without being snobby, and she’s innocent without being ignorant or self-entitled. Plus she has decent and age-appropriate taste, when compared to many other celebs around her age.
Of course, the question of 14 being too young to model PROFESSIONALLY (such as Gemma, Daria, etc), is a much different, and vastly more problematic, one entirely…
I don’t really see the difference between acting and modeling, as long as they aren’t sexualising her or making her appear much older. I think she’s a great role model for young girls.
She should have been Katniss!
Miu Miu ‘is’ a young brand and she is at the perfect age. all models start out at that age b4 they grow and get their ‘grown-woman’ physiques, and thighs and junk.
i say get that money. it’s not like she’s doing some sluterific brand.
p.s.- in the 3rd pic she reminds me of a young Bjork!
😉
tell that mom in you that none of the hollywood kids turn out alright. none. it’s just some are better at keeping their ish very private
Why does the fashion industry keep using young girls to represent clothes that are bought by grown women? Fashion is supposed to be aspirational. I don’t aspire to look like an 8th grader. It reminds me of when French Vogue did that creepy shoot with little girls dressed up in couture, their faces plastered with makeup and wearing high heels. And no, it wasn’t supposed to be a satire. Those little girls had dead serious looks on their faces. That s*it was for real. They looked like Brooke Shields in “Pretty Baby.”It was gross, exploitative, and stupid. The fashion industry needs to remember who it’s customer is.
@ MJ comment # 8:
I completely agree with you. As long is she is portrayed as a teenager and not some sex pot, then there is no difference between acting in a movie or modeling.
I absolutely adore her. She is so smart and together, I hope she will be working for a long time.
Bee 12# I and many others fully agree with you. That’s why so many look back on the 80s/early mid 90s as much better for fashion; real women not children with personality and attitude and beauty – for the past ten years or so the fashion industry has screwed itself for many reasons, one being the overuse of young girls but apparently no one in the industry will listen and all except diehard fashionistas pay attention to it.
@jover, ITA! This is an industry which insists on dressing girls who’ve barely gone through puberty in clothes meant for women. I watched a documentary about a 13 year old girl who was the toast of the fashion industry. Walking the cat walk etc. because she could walk and looked great in the clothes. Of course she looked great in the clothes, she was 13 years old!!! It was ridiculous. How is a woman supposed to imagine herself wearing a designer’s clothes when the designer would rather see the woman’s daughter in the clothes than her?
I don’t think Hailee is too young. Claire Danes was 15 when she was a brand ambassador for the line. One less year isn’t that big a deal. Miu miu is meant to be fun and young and hip. Hailee will bring that in spades.
@Bubbling – “Girls shouldn’t be exposed like that from an early age for number of reasons I’m sure we are all aware of. Fashion world is so messed up.”
Agreed. She’s still so young… She’s really beautiful, but the modelling world does *awful* things to women’s self esteem, let alone young teens who’s bodies are in a constant state of change (which designers don’t handle well, & end up pressuring to *make* their bodies go back to ‘lanky’ by whatever means necessary.
Yes, she does have the advantage of being an actress acting as the face of the brand (as opposed to a regular model), but the acting world is harsh enough, she doesn’t need to be getting it from both sides. They could’ve waited until she was at least 16.
I am glad this point was made– that fashion designs are made for the body of pre-pubescent girls, and not for women— its like the ugliness of a full grown woman must be blotted out or run away from. Hips, a travesty! Thighs, a nightmare! I mean its bad enough with all this photoshop going on but now THIS!? Yeah, its good to be aware of this nonsense so youre not fooled into feeling bad about yourself for simply being an adult woman.
Miu Miu is from the house of Prada… that’s probably why she included that picture of the pink and orange Prada dress with this article.
Out of ALL these outfits, the only one I found age appropriate was the orange/pink dress, and maybe the black coat. Shes 14 people! FOURTEEN!!! Not even 16 yet! Shes still in the same age group as Lourdes! (Madonna’s daughter)
Yes, none of these outfits are slutty/sexual, but they are too mature/lady-like for a 14 year old. Her face is still so pure & innocent in comparison.
I hope to God Hollywood doesnt end up corrupting her. (If it already hasnt)
It’s unusual, but I won’t call it inappropriate unless/until the way Miu Miu presents her looks that way. Even though it does seem likely they will oversexualize her, it doesn’t make sense to me that we should get all up in arms about a talented interesting person landing a quality job. Miu Miu is innocent until proven skanky.