Why shouldn’t my girl be a fashion model aged 8, asks Abbey Clancy
HER daughter has just made her modelling debut at the age of eight.
But Abbey Clancy yesterday defended allowing Sophia to take part in a fashion shoot, insisting that she ‘never pushed her into it’.
The model, 33, who has four children with footballer husband Peter Crouch, 38, said her daughter has ‘always wanted’ a career in modelling and she doesn’t worry about her age.
Appearing on ITV’s Lorraine show with Sophia, she said doing a mother and daughter shoot for Next’s fashion brand Lipsy was ‘an excuse’ to spend time with her.
This week Abbey and her daughter launched the new Lipsy line, Sophia modelling the new kids clothes range. Asked by Lorraine Kelly whether Sophia was too young for the shoot, Miss Clancy said: ‘I just think there’s so much bad stuff in the world, any excuse to have fun with my daughter. ‘I’ve never pushed her into it, she wanted to do it. Having four kids, spreading my time is hard, so I appreciate spending time with my daughter.’ The model and her husband had their fourth child, Jack, four months ago. They have another daughter, Liberty, four, and son Johnny, 20 months. When Sophia was asked what she wanted to be when she is older, the schoolgirl answered: ‘I want to be a model.’ Miss Clancy added: ‘I’ve had a great career, I have never come across a problem or been in uncomfortable situations. Life’s too short, you’ve got to do what you love. If she wants to be a vet, pop star, doctor, footballer... I just want her to be happy.’
In a statement released to coincide with the collection launch, Miss Clancy said that she wanted her daughter’s clothing line to feel ‘appropriate, fun and girly’.
‘Sophia’s styles are not replicas of my own; I just don’t feel this would have worked’, she said. ‘As a mum I wouldn’t feel comfortable with my daughters wearing exactly what I do, just mini versions.’
They are not the first mother and daughter pairing to enter the world of modelling.
Supermodel Cindy Crawford’s teenage daughter Kaia Gerber, now 18, landed her first Vogue cover shoot at just 15 years old alongside her mother. She is now one of the world’s most indemand runway models.
Speaking about her youngest child, baby Jack, Miss Clancy said: ‘It was a bit of a surprise when we found out but I feel so lucky to have them and the age gap is actually great because the two little boys are going to grow up like twins...’
‘I’ve never pushed her into it’