Pretty young things

Just two short weeks after I received my July issue of Vogue (Canada Post strike/lockout sucks), the August issue showed up in my mailbox.  It’s become a bigger deal lately, since my mailbox doesn’t lock on account of the company that owns my building is extremely incompetent, so I get to have extra celebrations when I discover it waiting for me and not stolen.

Anyway, this particular issue of Vogue carries the theme of Age. This means that we’re discussing what style is to women of all generations. I think this is a great theme, because I’ve seen women (and men) anywhere from 15 to 85 reading Vogue. However, a lot of bloggers, Facebookers, and the New York Times have been criticizing the piece about the Fanning sisters. It revolves around their impressive resumes, with over 25 years of experience between the two, and how they have managed to develop wisdom beyond their years when it comes to fashion.

Youth is coveted. No shit, right? But when we start discussing the style genius of young actresses, mostly those between the ages of 11 and 16, I think a few things are forgotten. For one, these children (they are children, remember) are extraordinary and lead extraordinary lives. And with this extraordinary existence comes a team of people to take care of them. And not the typical “eat your broccoli, do your homework” type care; this is about getting them to shoots on time, scoping out suitable scripts, and finding the right outfit for red carpet appearances.

Don’t get me wrong. I know stylists aren’t everything, and in the end, the person being styled does have the final say. I also know that there are some pretty damn smart and sartorially-aware tweens out there (Tavi Gevinson never ceases to amaze). But I do feel that when you’re 13, there probably is a whole lot more handholding going on than, say, over at Helen Mirren’s house.

However, one young woman who has been in the spotlight for just under a year appears to be taking care of herself. I haven’t seen True Grit, but I have seen Hailee Steinfeld walk down the red carpet in a striped Prada fishtail gown and because of this, I know that acting isn’t her only talent. Now, she is a beautiful, charismatic 14-year-old, and it can’t be very hard to make her look good. But choosing Miuccia Prada’s designs, as she often does, demonstrates a level of maturity that we rarely see from those twice her age.

Steinfeld has worn Prada and Miu Miu countless times over the course of her new and blossoming career. Clearly, she has had a love thing going on with Ms. Prada for a while now, and what better way to cement actress-designer love than to make the actress the face of the designer’s campaign?

Especially when this is the result:

Steinfeld joins the likes of Selma Blair, Evan Rachel Wood and Katie Holmes, among others, as she steps in front of the camera for Miu Miu’s newest campaign. When I saw the ad for the first time, I was a bit surprised, but after thinking about it for all of two seconds, I realized that this was an obvious move and a very smart decision. Steinfeld has been extremely loyal to Prada, which is always a nice thing to know when an actress is endorsing a product. And, as they say, great things lie ahead. There is no doubt in my mind that she will not only grow in to an incredible and adequately decorated actress, but a style icon, and a muse for many more designers.

In this issue of Vogue, Anna Wintour’s editorial makes it clear that she is pretty stoked about the theme. I would be too, especially after the amount of discussion it has sparked. A brand new generation is taking its place at the front of the fashion pack, and in my opinion, Steinfeld is leading the way.

This was the perfect place to debut Miu Miu’s new campaign, featuring Haliee Steinfeld, and I can’t wait to see more.