A 13-year-old girl has caused a media frenzy* after she was chosen to be face of one of the world’s largest fashion shows.

Blonde-haired, blue-eyed Maddison Gabriel was picked as the official ambassador* of 2008 Gold Coast Fashion Week in Australia.

In an industry already criticized for using unrealistic images of women, this issue has fired up debate around the sexualization of children.

The country’s Prime Minister John Howard strongly criticized the decision, saying it was unacceptable.

He said: “Pushing young girls into something like that is outrageous*.”

Howard wants Australia to follow the example of Europe and ban models younger than 16 appearing on catwalks*.

“There should be age limits. I mean there has to be. We do have to preserve* some notion* of innocence* in our society,” he said.

And opposition Labor leader Kevin Rudd was concerned Gabriel would miss out* on her childhood.

Australian fashion designer Alex Perry and many others think she’s too young.

“A 12-year-old girl is a girl. She’s not a woman yet,” said Perry.

“We’re not that short on beautiful girls in this country (Australia). There are plenty of them. I certainly don’t think we need to resort to* 12-year-olds to enter into an industry,” he said.

But the youngster, who turned 13 last week, believed she deserved* to win the modeling competition to become the “face” of the show.

“I believe that I can fit into women’s clothes. I can model women’s clothes, so I should be able to do it,” she said.

“It doesn’t matter about age. It matters that you can do the job. Modeling is all I’ve wanted to do since I was 6 — I don’t think I’m too young.”

Her mother Michelle Gabriel has defended her child’s right to model and demanded an apology from the prime minister.

“I believe the prime minister is getting very doddery*,” she said.

“He does not know exactly what 13 and 14-year-old girls are like. I used to vote for him. We’re trying to get our teenage daughters to act older. I am so happy that I’ve got a daughter who has got a good head on her shoulders.”

Fashion week organizers have defended the selection, saying she will be “almost 14” when 2008 Gold Coast Fashion Week begins.

And fashion week spokesman Kelly Wieler said Gabriel was not too young. “She got in because she was the best contestant — the judges saw that she was fit to do the job.” (SD-Agencies)