Elle Fanning for Rodarte. But She Is a Child.

After appearing in the Sofia Coppola-directed movie Somewhere, 12-year-old child-actress, Elle Fanning, stars in a short film called The Curve of Forgotten Things, created by Kate and Laura Mulleavy of Rodarte and director Todd Cole with music by Deerhunter. The movie premiered this week. Says Cole, "It's inspired by Northern California, and the Seventies. It's about this girl who exists in this strange place outside of time. She's digging up things from the land and the past, and she offers them to the sun."
Ok. So I gave this whole thing a free pass when Elle was promoting Somewhere. She and her family have agreed that she is an actress and she was doing what was a part of her job. But fronting a movie that is associated with a clothing label just starts to feel like exploitation to me. The Mulleavy sisters have worked with children before - they were associated with 13-year-old fashion blogger, Tavi, last year. And while these precocious young talents obviously have something to offer, I am rendered rather uncomfortable with this association with such extreme youth. 
As I have mentioned before, my 12-year-old niece is a child. I love that she hasn't entirely grown up yet and has so much ahead of her. I would hate to see her corrupted by business, responsibility, people who want something from her or branding. Let her be a child for as long as possible. And keep the women's fashion labels associated with women, who are old enough to make their own decisions. Just my POV.