A seven-year-old prodigy has been commissioned to make £1,000 dresses for celebrities – including actress Sharon Stone.
Max Alexander, seven, told his mum he was a dressmaker at the age of four – having never shown an interest in fashion before.
Wanting to let him explore this, she made him a mannequin model out of cardboard and he started draping materials over it to make a dress.
Max pleaded with his mum to teach him how to sew and so she got him to watch and assist her in pushing buttons on the machine.
According to mum Sherri, 47, Max was soon better at sewing than her and started going to sewing school with a group of older ladies.
After six months, Max started making dresses – and even did his first runway show in 2021.
Mum-of-three Sherri, an artist, from Los Angeles, California, US, said: ‘He just said “I’m a dressmaker” and I made him a mannequin.
‘He picked up ribbons and scraps and made a dress – I was astounded, I was watching with my jaw on the floor.
‘We started documenting his journey on social media and he soon was flooded with requests for dresses.’
Max’s talent came as a complete shock as neither his mum nor dad, Jack, 49, are into fashion. However, his ancestors were seamstresses and owned clothing stores.
Max graduated from an arts-based preschool in 2021 and now attends a school for gifted children.
She said: ‘He kept asking me to teach him to sew and I kept saying no because he was so little.
‘I put him in my lap, and we sewed every day because it was lockdown, and he would ask what each button did.
‘Every day he was learning a new thing and he soon got better than me.’
Using the money he raised from his fashion show, he paid for a machine from a local sewing shop.
The older women there were amazed by Max’s talent and invited him to sew with them.
Sherri added: ‘He believes he was Gucci in a past life and made black bags.
‘His fashion is happy – it’s bright, it’s couture. He has zero interest in ready-to-wear, urban wear.
‘He uses high-end Italian silk and faux fur. It’s very bright and happy.’
Max buys all the materials himself from the profits he makes.
His own brand ‘Couture to the Max’ officially launched in 2021 and Max’s first collection was completed in summer 2021 – he had his first runway show in Bel Air, California, US.
His mum said: ‘I’m an artist but we don’t watch much TV and I don’t have magazines.
‘Larry, his grandfather, was in the dress business in Montreal and he had 36 stores.
‘My family from Germany are all into sewing.
‘It’s like my side gave him the sewing skills and my husband’s gave him the fashion skills.’
Sherri made Max an Instagram account and soon his popularity soared.
Very quickly people started to message him to ask if they could buy one of his designs.
Max started commissioning for clients straight away and sells his dressed for $1,400 [£1,126] each.
He even made garments for celebrity clients such as actor Sharon Stone, and drag queen Shangela borrowed a cheetah print dress.
Social media influencer Lily Ghalichi also wore the same dress.
Max manages to work on his passion around his busy school schedule.
His mum has to handle his requests to ensure he isn’t overloaded and can enjoy his school life.
She added: ‘He goes to school from 8am until 4pm and has summer off for three months.
‘He is in his studio every night for at least 10 minutes, but he’s not always working, it’s all fun to him.’
The proud parents make sure Max saves one-third, donates one-third, and spends the other third of his income on materials.
The family are visiting Florence, Italy, this summer – the home of Gucci – and he plans to showcase some items at New York Fashion Week.
Sherri said: ‘He’s working on this idea called swim couture.
‘He said: “I don’t understand why women aren’t fancy in the pool”, and he loves mermaids.
‘He will be showing six to eight pieces at New York Fashion Week.’
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