Piper Palin has been lying low since her mother, Sarah, admitted defeat in the 2008 presidential campaign. But the 9-year-old Alaska native emerged this week for a seat on Dancing With the Stars to see her "teen activist" sister Bristol tackle the quick step live. When host Tom Bergeron sat beside Piper and her mother on Monday, the 9-year-old fidgeted with her bright pink and black-and-white zabra print dress, seemingly uncomfortable in the bold look. But across the pond at Milan Fashion Week, 9-year-old Willow Smith—daughter of actors Will and Jada— showed no such discomfort in leopard print. She sat in the front row and posed for the cameras with her mom at some of the most anticipated runway shows. The young Smith's structured shoulder leopard print jacket and matching top—which she paired with some tie-dye denim—helped her make a statement at the Salvatore Ferragamo show on Sunday, as well as Naomi Campbell's celebration with Dolce & Gabbana.
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What 9-year-old doesn't love Barbie's favorite color? Piper Palin and Willow Smith both donned the girly shade this spring, but opted for opposite approaches with their hot pink looks. While Piper went for a sweet a-line dress at the Time 100 Gala in May, Willow stepped into a pair of tight bright pants, which laced all the way from the toe of her sneakers to the top of her thigh at the Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards in March. Forgetting her mother's honor, Piper had one goal in mind—her father, Todd, told New York Magazine the young girl wanted to " meet Taylor Swift; that's the No. 1 priority, to make Piper happy." Don't let that adorable rosette on her outfit fool you— just because she's not rocking a cutting-edge shoe/pant combo piece doesn't mean there isn't a little diva in this 9-year-old, too.
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Two years ago, menswear dominated the fall fashion scene, a trend that was not lost on then 7-year-old Piper Palin. She pulled on a chocolate sweater vest and collared shirt at a Delaware rally in September 2008, a perfectly appropriate ensemble for the back-to-school season. Not exactly one for argyle, 9-year-old Willow Smith added some edginess to the vest with this denim cut-off version, complete with rips, tears, and plenty of skulls at The Karate Kid premiere (starring her brother) in Tokyo in August.
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It was not Piper Palin's cap sleeve dress at the Republican National Convention in September 2008 that caused a commotion. Rather, it was this clip of the then-7-year-old spit shining her then 4-month-old brother's hair. Though some were disturbed by the grooming incident with little Trig, the precious ruffles on the sleeves of Piper's age-appropriate dress had nothing on the layers of fabric draped on Willow at the Spanish premiere of The Karate Kid this past July.
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Gun-toting former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin was not exactly a favorite amongst animal rights activists, and if Piper Palin's 2008 Halloween costume is real, she's not likely to win an award from PETA anytime soon either. While her baby brother Trig celebrated the holiday as an elephant, then 7-year-old Piper looked cozy in this off-white fur coat and muff to keep more and create her "snow princess" look. Just a few months later, at the December 2008 premiere of her brother's movie The Day the Earth Stood Still in New York, young Willow battled the frosty weather in a brown and white shorter fur coat, which is surprisingly far more tame than her more recent looks.
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These two elementary-aged girls clearly wanted attention when they topped their outfits off with red. Piper looked ready for the White House in her cable-knit crimson Ralph Lauren cardigan at the vice presidential debate in October 2008. And amongst Italy's most stylish population, L.A. import Willow went for a tougher approach in this cherry leather jacket motorcycle at the Dolce & Gabbana fashion show in Milan on Sunday.
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The 80s have certainly reared their ugly heads on runways as of late and young Piper and Willow, who were not even alive for the era, were not spared. Piper channeled Debbie Harry with blue and pink streaks in her hair at the Alaska governor's annual picnic in July 2007, providing an interesting contrast to her collared t-shirt. And Willow has been sporting this Rihanna-meets-Flock of Seagulls style since December 2009. The shocking look (shown here at the Emporio Armani show in Milan on Saturday) has even inspired the 9-year-old's music career: her debut single "Whip My Hair" has been a viral sensation since it premiered earlier this month. "It means just be an individual," Smith told Ryan Seacrest of the song. "You can't be afraid to be yourself. You can't let anybody tell you that that's wrong."
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Jessica Simpson caused chaos with her "Real Girls Eat Meat" tee and Diddy encouraged political awareness with his "Vote or Die" shirts, but Piper and Willow have also made statements with their attire. At the young age of three, Little Palin held up this "Proud to be Valley Trash" t-shirt with her family after one state senator said that people living in their Alaskan borough are "just Valley trash." Willow, meanwhile, sported a white shirt with the letters "H-O-T" emblazoned in red to the Parisian premiere of The Karate Kid in July. No matter the meaning, both young women seem to be beaming with pride.
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