Couture fashion prodigy, 7, commissioned to make $1.4k dresses for celebrities

By Lydia Patrick via SWNS

Meet the seven-year-old haute couture prodigy commissioned to make $1,400 dresses for celebrities - including actress Sharon Stone.

Max Alexander, seven, told his mom he was a dressmaker at the age of four - having never shown an interest in fashion before.

She made him a mannequin out of cardboard and he started draping materials over it to make a dress.

Max pleaded with his mom to teach him how to sew and eventually, she sat him on her lap and got him to watch and assist her in pushing buttons on the machine.

According to mom Sherri, 47, Max was soon better at sewing than her and went to sewing school with a group of senior ladies.

After six months, Max started making dresses and he did his first runway show in 2021.

His talent came as a shock because neither his mom nor dad, Jack, 49, are into fashion but 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.

Mom-of-three Sherri, an artist, from Los Angeles, California, said: "He just said 'I'm a dressmaker' and I made him a mannequin.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Max Alexander Fashion Designer (@couture.to.the.max)

"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.

"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."

Max had his first runway show in 2021 and with the money he raised paid for a machine from a local sewing machine shop.

The senior women from the sewing shop 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. His first collection was completed in the summer of 2021 and he had his first runway show in Bel Air, California.

According to Sherri, his talent came out of the blue as neither she nor dad, Jack, 49, are into fashion.

Sherri says they rarely watch TV and don't have fashion magazines in the house.

She 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 is from Germany and 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.

Max has an eye for haute couture and only uses the best materials for his creations.

His brother Dorian, five, also likes to sew but his sister, Samantha, 11, is more into music and social media.

Sherri added: "Very quickly people started to message me asking if they could buy something.

"Parents of girls at school asked for dresses."

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Max Alexander Fashion Designer (@couture.to.the.max)

Max started commissioning for clients straight away and sells his dressed for $1,400 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.

His mom has to handle his requests to ensure he isn't overloaded and can enjoy his school life.

His workshop is in the family's attic and is full of advanced machinery and fun and colorful materials.

She said: "There is a lot of machinery - he loves them all.

"He doesn't love patterns but when he makes jackets, for example, he will take a jacket out of my wardrobe and draw around it.

"He now has a Ditto pattern machine to help."

Usually, Max's creative process is intuitive - he allows the materials and his ideas to guide him.

Sherri said: "It's hard to explain the process.

"He sees the material and it tells him what to do - it's like watching a sculptor."

Max manages to work on his passion around his busy school schedule.

She added: "He goes to school from 8 am until 4 pm 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.

"He has zero pressure."

Sherri has to remind herself of her son's talent as it has become so normal for her.

She said: "We went for a tour of this wholesale fabric downtown.

"This woman said, 'oh my god, look what he's doing - I can't believe it.'

"It takes me seeing other people - Max is so humble.

"He loves doing things for other people.

"When he goes round for playdates, the parents always ask him to come back because he helps them tidy up."

The proud parents make sure Max saves one-third, donates one-third, and spends the other third of his income on materials.

The family is 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."