Meet Dior's 14-Year-Old Runway Model

When I was fourteen, I was just trying to maneuver the halls of high school. But for girls like 14-year-old Sofia Mechetner, Raf Simons' latest muse, Dior's runway is more her speed. That's right: this 14 year old is walking alongside models like a pro, while also performing in front of photographers that supply every fashion media outlet, and subsequently us. Impressive, right?

According to Styleite, Sofia Mechetner, the Israeli-native that snatched Dior Creative Director Raf Simons' attention, legitimately started from the bottom. And now she's walking at Paris Fashion Week, and landing contracts that are bound to change her life. Simons found the teen at a Dior Boutique, after she had been turned down because of her age. But he isn't the only designer to believe that age is just a number. Back in 2012, Marc Jacobs walked Ondria Hardin and Thairin Garcia, who were both 14 at the time.

Since we know runway model life can be pretty unhealthy, I worry that Mechetner might be more vulnerable to the industry's pressures because of her age. Ever since the state of New York classified models under 18 years old to be "child performers," it seemed like casting directors recognized the issues. The ruling requires that they get things like tutors, special "savings" bank accounts, and nights off on school days, all of which are considered violations, and all of which, I think, are good.

With such supportive mandates in place, I hope for the best when it comes to Mechetner's future. Although I worry about the potentially damaging ideals that might affect Mechetner and all the other underage models in the modeling industry, I hope that ultimately, these young women are seen as more of an inspiration to dream (and achieve) big for girls of all ages.