Meet the eight year old Russian supermodel

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With her beautiful blue eyes, honey-coloured tresses and luminous skin, it's no wonder that Kristina Pimenova is the world's newest supermodel.

She's also the youngest. At just eight years old, Pimenova boasts over 2 million Facebook fans and 300,000 followers on Instagram.

While Pimenova's mother runs the pre-teen's social media accounts, her youth has raised concerns among observers who question the wisdom of promoting a child as a style icon.

PHOTOS: How young is too young to model?

Others argue that pushing a child into a modelling career at such a young age constitutes exploitation. While Pimenova has many fans, some of her social media followers have expressed anger at posted photos that they believe objectify the young model.

Pimenova's mother reportedly deletes inappropriate user comments, and asks that her daughter's Facebook fans make sure any content they share on the page is 'kid-friendly'.

The role of underage models in the fashion industry has long been a source of controversy. In 2012 Vogue declared that none of its magazines would use models under the age of 16, and the following year legislation was passed in New York which outlawed the use of underage models in Fashion Week catwalk shows.

In Australia, the controversy that surrounded Miranda Kerr's Dolly Model Search win in 1997 when she was just 13 years old was revisited when 14-year-old Mary Stickley won the competition in 2014.

"I love fashion and beauty but mostly I want to promote a healthy lifestyle, not just be a skinny model," said Stickley when she won.

What do you think? Should children be allowed to model? Let us know at the Y7 Lifestyle Facebook page.

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