The Cinderella model who is the new face of Dior: Extraordinary rags-to-riches story of the 14-year-old girl plucked from poverty in Tel Aviv to star on the catwalks of Paris
- Luxury fashion brand Dior offered Sofia Mechetner £170,000 two-year deal
- Sparked fiery global debate over 'child exploitation' in the fashion industry
- Israeli-born model grew up in run-down suburban neighbourhood in Holon
- Slept on a mattress on the floor and her family could not afford Cornflakes
- 'A girl her age should be playing, going out,' the 14-year-old's mother said
The 14-year-old girl who is the new face of luxury fashion house Dior grew up on a run-down council estate with her single mother who juggled part-time jobs to make ends meet.
Sofia Mechetner - who sparked outrage when she shimmied down the Paris catwalk in a floating white gown, see-through enough to show her slight body and breasts beneath - shared a cramped room with her brother and sister, and slept on a mattress on the floor when her bed broke.
The family were so poor, sometimes they couldn't even afford cornflakes for breakfast.
The teenager's incredible journey from a down at heel housing project in Tel Aviv, Israel, to the catwalks of Paris, is a rags riches story that all the makings of a modern-day Cinderella fairytale.
Sofia's controversial modelling career began when she bumped into a top-class fashion designer in a Paris shop, who signed her up on a two-year deal worth £170,000.
But her new life of glitzy, high-end fashion parties and modelling shoots could not be more different from the one she has left behind.
Born as the oldest child to immigrant parents from Russia, Sofia grew up with her mother, thought to be called Ksenia Mechenter-Sinenko who was a carer for old people, in a run-down neighbourhood of Holon, a suburb of Tel-Aviv.
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Cinderella tale: 14-year-old Sofia Mechetner signed a lucrative £170,000, two-year-deal with Dior - sparking a furious global debate over 'child exploitation' in the fashion industry
Rags to riches: 14-year-old Sofia (pictured) grew up in the run-down Holon neighbourhood in Israel where her family 'could not afford Cornflakes'
Her father, believed to be Fedor Sotnikov, is a construction worker, but her parents separated and divorced in 2011 when Sofia was 10.
Although her upbringing was tough, in a recent interview, Sofia told Israel's Channel 2: 'It's good enough for me. I'm not spoiled,' she went on and admitted that there were times when she was embarrassed to bring friends back to her house.
Their home is so small her mother had to sleep on the sofa. In the bedroom Sofia shared with her siblings are still Twilight posters on the wall and a pink heart-shaped mirror.
Their mother held down numerous jobs as a carer for old people as a seamstress and a masseuse - but she barely made enough to keep the family going.
'Each week, I earn no more than 1000 Israeli New Sheqel [£170],' the mother explained, 'I have to raise the children on my own... It's very difficult.'
In order to provide for her children, she relied on Sofia for help with her siblings, bringing them home after school, cooking them dinner and doing the laundry. Sofia also helped her mother clean apartments after school.
'A girl her age should be playing, going out. She lives a really hard life,' her mother said.
Long-limbed, measuring 5ft 8in with high cheekbones, long blonde hair and striking blue eyes, Sofia did not have any modelling experience.
Run-down: Sofia (pictured) would sleep on a mattress on the floor in the family home in Holon because her bed was broken
Humiliating: Sofia said the modest home was 'good enough' for her but admitted that she would sometimes be too embarrassed to invite friends over
Helping hand: Sofia, now a world-famous model, would help her mother clean apartments in Israel after school
She was still signed up on the spot by a local Israeli modelling agency who then introduced her to an exclusive boutique French modelling agency in Paris.
'When I first saw her, I knew that she was one of a kind,' Roberto Ben Shoshan, founder of the Roberto modelling agency, told Israel's I-24 News.
Accompanied by a chaperone - Roberto's CEO Rotem Gur - Sofia took a plane for the first time in her life.
She was heading to Paris for an audition and a fashion photoshoot but her hopes were dashed as soon as she set foot in the door.
She was very striking, she was told, but at 14, she was deemed simply too young.
Dejected, Sofia and Rotem decided to make the most of the trip by strolling along Paris's iconic Avenue de Montaigne, renowned for its high fashion boutiques and celebrities.
Upon entering a Christian Dior store, Ms Gur glimpsed a familiar face standing by the till.
'I took Sophie's hand and said: "Sophie, you know who that is?",' Ms Gur breathlessly told Israel's Channel 2. It was none other than Dior's chief designer, Raf Simons.
'The top,' said Ms Gur, who then strode towards the Belgian fashion expert and introduced him to Sofia, 'Hello Mr Simons, can we have a picture with you?'
What followed was a whirlwind of activity. Mr Simons called the Parisian fashion agency who had initially rejected Sofia and then contacted Dior's casting director to tell him about Sofia.
Talent spotter: Sofia's (left) rise to fame began when she ran into Dior's chief designer Raf Simons (right) in Paris
X-factor: Sofia (pictured) had no modelling experience when she was signed up on the spot by an Israeli modelling agency
Elated: When she signed the lucrative deal with Dior, Sofia (pictured) called her mother said: 'You can quit your job!'
A few weeks later, Sofia received a phone call from her Israeli agent. Dior, one of the most prominent luxury fashion houses in the world was offering the girl from Holon the opportunity to model on the catwalk of the Paris Fashion Week - and to sign a £170,000, two-year modelling contract.
Upon hearing the news, Sofia immediately called her mother. 'You can quit your job, mum!' she said, as broadcast in a report by the Israeli Channel 2. Weeks later, she made her debut on the runway at the Paris Fashion Week, wearing a long, sheer gown.
Some have criticised Sofia's young age, dubbing the girl's employment in fashion as exploitation.
But her agent, Roberto Ben Shoshan, defended the decision to sign her up, emphasising that Sofia is always supervised by her chaperone.
'She's 24-hours with her, she's sleeping in the same room as her, she's going with her to the auditions, to the catwalk, so I think it's okay.', he told I-24 news.
Sofia said she intends to continue with her school work, despite the minimum four trips a year to Paris mandated by her contract with Dior.
'It is very important for me to continue to go to school. I'm still very young and I know that wherever I go, I can expect to be accompanied up until the age of 18,' she said.
As for her earning, Sofia said she gave the money to her mother. 'We will move into a bigger flat, and at last I'll have a room of my own, a big living room, and a nice kitchen and a clean bath', she added.
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