Sofia Richie Is the New Face of Material Girl: ‘I Used to Steal Clothes From Nicole After She Fell Asleep’

As the 16-year-old sister of the perennially fashionable Nicole Richie, Sofia Richie has gotten a few pointers about personal style and looking fab in front of the camera. But she’s now officially come into her own right as a style star, landing her first ad campaign for Material Girl (a title previously held by Zendaya, Kelly Osbourne, Rita Ora and more).

Sofia Richie for Material Girl Courtesy Material Girl

“I was shocked that I got it actually because I know Rita Ora has done this before and just knowing that I came in her line of work was super exciting and adrenaline pumping and I’m just really happy to be here,” Richie told PEOPLE from the set of her fall campaign shoot. “I am a Madonna obsessor since I was five so it’s insane that this is happening. My parents are like ‘Oh my God, Madonna! She chose you!’ I was like ‘Yeah, thanks guys.’”

Oh right, that would be that Madonna, who, with her daughter Lourdes Leon, oversees the Macy’s juniors’ line. And she and Richie go way back (even if Madonna doesn’t know it). “I’ve been a fan of Madonna since I was five and my parents took me to her concert at the Staples Center,” she says. “I was in the front row and she dropped to the floor and started rolling and — I’ll never forget it — she brushed through my hair and ever since then I was like, ‘Madonna is God.’ I still feel that way!”

And her new “bosses” return the love. Says Madonna, “Sofia Richie perfectly embodies the style and spirit of Material Girl and is the ideal new face for the line.” (And adds Lola, “Coming from an artistic family, self-expression is in our blood. I love Sofia’s style and energy, and look forward to collaborating with her.”)

Sofia Richie for Material Girl Courtesy Material Girl

Now that Sofia is landing her own photoshoots, she has a pretty enviable closet of her own, but she learned from the best of them, even when the best of them weren’t exactly aware.

“When I was 15 [editor’s note: So, last year?] I would steal clothes out of my sister’s closet, like, all day,” she says. “She would fall asleep and I would go in there and grab a bunch of stuff. I felt like a full-on thief, but I guess that’s what sisters are for: stealing clothes.” (She adds: “My mom has great clothes. I steal her clothes all day too.”)

But as she identifies her own style, Sofia sees one key difference from Nicole: “My sister’s style is kind of a little hipper, more floral and more patterns,” she says. “I like to wear basic items, but I try to pick myself apart from people by adding in certain things like a cool jacket or some cute boots or a cool hairstyle.”

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Sofia’s campaign celebrates the brand’s fifth anniversary, and the shoot had a dance party and cake to go with. “I’m super hyped,” she says. “I’ve never been on a shoot where I was asked to eat cake. I was like. ‘Okay, I’ll eat the cake if you insist. So I’m having fun with all this food!”