A seven-year-old boy named Max Alexander has gained worldwide fame, not because he hails from a prestigious family in design and fashion, but because he confidently states, "I was Gucci in another life." He is affectionately called "the little Gucci." Max began designing clothes at the age of four. At that time, he asked his mother, Sherry Madison, to provide him with a "mannequin for his atelier." Initially taken aback by her child's unusual request, Sherry believed in his rapidly blossoming talent, which soon led him to design, sell, and gain international acclaim, in addition to meeting celebrities.
According to a report highlighted by the American magazine "People," Max's first-grade classmates have no idea who "Gucci" is, but they call him that because "that is his nickname."
"I'm a Tailor"
Journalist Georgia Slater reports that, quoting his mother Sherry, Max's talent appeared suddenly, like "a parachute." One evening, at the dinner table, he solemnly requested, "I want a mannequin." His mother was surprised and asked, "Well, I've never seen you interested in fashion, what are you talking about?" He replied firmly, "If I had a mannequin, I would create the most beautiful designs. I will show you: I am a tailor."
Sherry confirms, "I didn't discover Max's design skills at first. I didn't notice his talent until he expressed interest in sewing when he was four."
Cardboard Mannequin
Shortly after, young Max started using a cardboard figure of a girl that his mother, an artist in the field, had made. Sherry remarked, "What I saw was pure madness. I ran to his father's office and said, 'Come quick, you need to see what Max is doing. It's sheer insanity.'" Although Max began making clothes without prior experience or formal education in fashion design, his mother later realized that the passion for fashion runs in his genes. She noted, "Perhaps he inherited this passion from my parents and my mother since they had worked in fashion in Montreal." She emphasizes, "But Max never met them, nor does he have previous experience in starting."
Sherry, who is also a mother of two other children, adds that Max decided to take sewing lessons after creating a half dozen dresses.
Cooking or Designing
While many children often change their interests, his mother asserts his commitment to fashion design. She explains, "He is very devoted to this, and he shows happiness and passion in his studio." She adds, "We used to joke that perhaps after a year or more, we might find him interested in cooking, but that hasn't happened."
Max shows no interest in men's fashion, as his main goal is: "To make women satisfied with their beauty and the harmony of their choices." His mother states, "That truly is the unusual part that fascinates me, a child his age is obsessed with making women of all sizes feel beautiful, which he has told us since he was four years old." She adds, "He wants women to feel beautiful, and that is the motivation behind his work."
In just a few years, Max has created over a hundred designs, sold his work internationally, held his own fashion shows, and even designed an outfit for Sharon Stone.
Dreams are Growing
He still has big dreams ahead. His mother says, "He wants to one day be in charge of the Gucci brand, or to have his own workshop, perhaps in Italy." Max offers advice to children his age who aspire to follow a similar path: "You need to practice; theoretical learning is not beneficial in sewing and design."
Perhaps what his mother is most proud of is that her son is not seeking fame or making massive amounts of money from his work, but rather his aim is "to see happiness and satisfaction in women's eyes."
She concludes: "My son's heart is made of gold."
