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Lionel Richie's daughter Sofia is making a name for herself in fashion
Good looks certainly run in the family: Lionel Richie's 16-year-old daughter Sofia has snagged a modeling contract and is well on her way toward becoming a style icon like older sister Nicole.
The platinum blonde California girl signed a pact with the London-based agency Select Model Management, which reps A-list models like Agyness Deyn, Fei Fei Sun and Irina Shayk. While her famous last name certainly helped, @sofiarichie's Instagram presence perhaps cemented the deal: She's got 588,000 followers-and-counting. The stylish teenager gets thousands of likes for her posts praising "perfect" Nicole, flaunting her Flaunt magazine shoot and showing off her emerald green highwaist pants.
That's a built-in audience — catnip for agencies rushing to sign popular social media stars who've carved a niche on Instagram, the channel of choice for fashion fans.
Sofia poses with big sis Nicole, who is now known as a style icon
A week ago, Sofia, who's good friends with fellow models Kendall and Kylie Jenner, posted a glamorous headshot with the caption #Fingersxcrossed in an apparent reference to scoring her then-unannounced contract.
Not that this is her first time in front of a professional photographer. Sofia landed her first campaign last year posing in bikinis for Mary Grace Swim and this fall, Elle featured Sofia in its October issue sporting quirky-cool designer duds and a jaded expression.
She told the publication she wants to follow in her pop star father's footsteps, saying: "I want to do fashion, design and music. Singing has always been the biggest passion for me!" (Her mother is Lionel's ex-wife Diane Alexander.)
As for her relationship with Kendall, the latest face of Estee Lauder, Sofia confessed: "I don't think I could ever do runway [like her]. I definitely envy her. I think she's so dope for going that route."
Sofia is good friends with fellow models Kendall and Kylie Jenner