Toddlers & Tiaras star aged SIX gyrates on runway at New York Fashion Week

By Tamara Abraham


Inappropriate: Former child beauty queen Eden Wood, six, gyrates as she performs on the catwalk at children's footwear brand Cicciabella's New York Fashion Week show


New York Fashion Week was plunged into controversy today after a six-year-old was allowed to gyrate in skimpy clothing on the catwalk.

Shocking pictures emerged today of Eden Wood, who shot to fame after appearing on TLC reality show Toddlers & Tiaras, dancing provocatively in hotpants and a crop top.

The images will trigger outrage from parents across America, and lead to questions about why Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week is allowing such a show to take place.

Controversial: The images of Eden's catwalk debut will trigger outrage from parents across America, and leads to questions about why Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week is allowing such a show to take place


The youngster, from Taylor, Arkansas, was modelling for children's footwear brand Cicciabella.

Her appearance in the show flouts guidelines set by fashion industry body CFDA (Council of Fashion Designers of America) which demands that designers do not use models under the age of 16.

But the event's host, Real Housewives star Kelly Bensimon, defended Eden's on-stage performance as just a 'fun, girly moment.'

She told the Daily Beast: 'That wasn’t stripping. That was just her having a little fun, girly moment.

'If she was really doing something, I would have literally moved her into doing something else. I have rules.'

Bending the rules: Children's footwear brand Cicciabella appears to have little regard for CFDA guidelines on models under 16 after it allowed child beauty queen Eden Wood to gyrate in skimpy clothing on the catwalk

Celebrity endorsement: Eden's catwalk debut was at a show hosted by Real Housewife Kelly Bensimon


Earlier this month, the Parents Television Council expressed its fury over a new episode of Toddlers and Tiaras that saw a three-year-old dressed as a prostitute.

The TLC programme shows the child's mother dressing young Paisley up in a costume to mimic Julia Roberts' character from the 1990 hit movie, Pretty Woman.

According to RadarOnline.com, the organisation said: 'We have a serious problem when a network formerly known as The Learning Channel features a toddler, who probably hasn't even learned to read, dressed as a prostitute showing off her sexy strut.'

Outrage: Earlier this month, the Parents Television Council expressed its fury over a new episode of Toddlers and Tiaras that saw a three-year-old dressed as a prostitute


The PTC went on: 'There's no question, TV executives are complicit in robbing these small kids of their childhood.

'For years we've seen adult sexuality being inappropriately and aggressively foisted on innocent young children, but children today are being sexualized at younger and younger ages. All available data suggests they will suffer for it later in life.'

Eden, who retired from the child pageant circuit earlier this year after winning over 300 trophies, is now a household name thanks to the success of the reality show.

She was in New York for the final day of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, for her first fashion endorsement, but given the ambitious plans of her mother, it promises to be the first of many.

In an interview with People today, Micki Wood, 46, said: 'We didn't look for these opportunities. They found us. We've been blessed and lucky.'

But according to reports, Eden has not always been displaying model behaviour. The child star attracted attention for all the wrong reasons on Wednesday when she threw a tantrum at the Allure Fashion Week Lounge.

The youngster, who was accompanied by her mother and agent, lost her temper when she was told she was too young to get her teeth whitened.

Representatives for GLO Brilliant has been offering visitors the chance to try a new home teeth-whitening device, but given that it is not recommended for those under 14, refused to let the kindergartener try it.


Tiny temper: Eden Wood, pictured on Toddlers & Tiaras, threw a tantrum at New York Fashion Week because she was too young to get her teeth whitened


According to the New York Post, the youngster's agent attempted to defuse the situation by telling her, 'You don't have big girl teeth'.

But it did little to soothe the furious child, who wanted desperately to sample the new gadget.

A spokesman for GLO Brilliant later told MailOnline that the firm stood by its decision.

They said: 'Bottom line - her adult teeth have not even come in yet. Whitening is not recommended for children younger than 14 years of age. But [Eden] would look fabulous GLOing - she's just got a few more years to wait!'




source:dailymail