hailee vs elle.

imgs from Tom&Lorenzo & fashionista

That is, Hailee Steinfeld (for Miu Miu) and Elle Fanning (for Marc by Marc Jacobs), both shot by big name photogs (Bruce Weber and Juergen Teller respectively)
These have been around for a while, and I've seen a lot of opinions on the subject. Since it kind of ties into my dissertation subject*, I like to think I have something to add.

Both labels are aimed 'at the younger customer', so from that point of view it makes sense to feature teen actresses, but the main negative point I've noticed around (in comments, if not in blog posts etc) is that 'they look like little girls playing dress up' or 'do the designers think these girls can sell clothes to adult women?', which is never something I hear about 15-year-old professional models...

Anyway, I think Elle Fanning has rather an Olsen vibe, if anything. Yes the clothes are too big, but it's all down to the styling, non? That is the look? I'm sure they could've found sizes (or made them up for the campaign) which would've fit Elle better, but the look in the ads reflects the feel of the collection, and it works for this season.

Hailee, on the other hand, veers from looking far too smartly dressed, to looking younger than her age, to looking much older. That second shot, for example, makes me stop and double take. Whether the styling or her pose, it suggests a much more mature model than Hailee's years. And the third shot's pose suggests a little girl lost and crying... I wouldn't be surprised if the aim of either campaign, after having secured such stars, would want to embrace the 'little girl playing dress up' theme - if everyone knows who these girls are, then we're going to comment on their age in relation to the target market anyway...

Alright, so, I have chosen the best shots, and in some of the others both girls does look a lot younger (or, yknow, their age), but if they were models, rather than actresses, and we didn't know their ages, would we question it?

*what, I wrote about celebs and fashion and ads were part of that. Perfectly qualified; shutup.