An image of Pearl Lowe’s daughter Betty shot for Marc Jacobs AW15 collection has caused a bit of a fuss — because Betty is only 9 years old.
In an interview with the Sunday Times Stylemagazine, Pearl Lowe revealed that she and her husband Danny Goffey “agonised” over the decision to let Betty star in the high-end fashion campaign before finally agreeing to the two-day, all-expenses paid trip to New York because they didn’t want to “sap her dreams.”
Pearl defended their decision telling Style, “The campaign featured an eclectic group of characters rather than professional models — Danny and I would never allow her to take part in a campaign that was in any way provocative. The clothes, despite being from the adult collection, were far from being age-inappropriate or sexualising — in [one] photograph, she is pictured wearing a polo neck and a long skirt that fell far over her little legs; in another she is wearing a pair of large geeky glasses.”
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https://instagram.com/p/4aHJH1v5Mn/
Courtesy: Marc Jacobs/Instagram
The majority of the Instagram comments are positive but a few expressed concern that a child was used as a model in an adult clothing campaign.
“Poor child is gonna be tormented for the rest of her life,” posted one user, while another commented, “Not feeling it. Looks like something is wrong with her.”
“I hope this is for a line of children’s clothing as she looks about 8,” was another comment followed by a thumbs down emoticon.
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Apparently Betty is already keen to pursue a career in show business despite her young age. She’s a regular with her mum at fashion shows and has also appeared in an advert for children’s clothing website Alex and Alexa.
However Pearl said she won’t be encouraging Betty to follow herself and big sister Daisy into the fashion industry and hopes she won’t end up in show business: “I’m secretly hoping that Betty might pursue another career path [to acting], but in the meantime, she has made a little money, which Danny and I have squirrelled away for the day she does announce she wants to go to medical school.”
“The odd dress-up day is fine with me, so long as she tidies her room, does her homework, doesn’t miss school and it doesn’t let her little head get big,” she added.
Clearly a “dress-up day” in the Lowe/Goffey household is a little more exciting than going to the supermarket in a princess dress or trying on Mum’s high heels. But I’m sure Betty had an awesome time in New York and — let’s face it — how many of us would turn down an offer on behalf of our kids to model for Marc Jacobs? (“Sorry, Marc, we have a swimming lesson that day…”) And whether she ends up a model, an actress or a brain surgeon it’s a pretty cool keepsake to have.
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