Meet Raf Simons’ New Dior Muse

r most people, a trip to the Dior store provides some luxurious retail therapy, but for model Sofia Mechetner, a fateful day at the label’s Avenue Montaigne boutique led to her careerbreakthrough. While shopping with her agent after a canceled photo shoot, Mechetner caught the eye of Raf Simons, who happened to be in the store on a whim. Captivated by the teenager’s serene beauty, Simons approached her to introduce himself and find out who represented her. Mechetner left enough of an impression on the designer that weeks later he enlisted Dior’s in-house casting team to track her down for the house’s couture presentation. Mechetner, who was born and raised in the Tel Aviv suburb of Holon, then flew to Paris to hit the runway for her very first show. “I was in shock,” she told Style.com. “I was shaking out of 

excitement.”

At just 14 years old, Mechetner’s priority is school rather than fashion, but the opportunity to walk Dior proved irresistible. Describing herself as a jeans-and-T-shirt kind of girl, the model admittedly needed a moment to adjust to the grandeur of couture. “I usually don’t wear dresses, and I never wore such an expensive dress,” she said. “I was afraid I’d ruin it!” During rehearsals, Simons and the Dior team provided reassurance and the thrilling news that she would be opening the show. “I found out that I was opening the show only two hours before—it’s a big honor, and I was just so happy and grateful,” Mechetner exclaimed.

Though she still plans on finishing her education, Mechetner has found herself enjoying the thrills of her new job: “I’ve fallen in love with modeling, so I want to keep doing it and develop a big career.” With Simons—a designer who is known for his loyalty to his muses—in her corner, Mechetner is well on her way toward success. Best of all, her modeling work has given her the opportunity to provide for those closest to her. Raised by a single mother who worked multiple jobs to support her family, the teen plans on using her earnings from her exclusive contract to help the woman she considers her personal hero. “She works so hard for the family,” Mechetner said in a video interview earlier this week. “She always supports and takes care of me, my little sister, and my little brother. Toagether we all try to help so that it will be easier for our mom.”