He’s cut from a different cloth.
Max Alexander, a 10-year-old fashion prodigy who is the youngest person ever to design a runway show, has been making dresses since he was 4.
The talented fifth grader, who learned to sew and launched his own fashion label at age 5, has amassed 16 million followers on his social media pages run by his mom — but can’t engage with his fans.
“I’m not allowed on social media,” said Alexander, who spoke to The Post while in New York for Fashion Week, which ends Sept. 15.
But he can still name-drop some of his celebrity admirers, who have been watching his impressive career unfold online.
“Martha Stewart, J.Lo,” said Alexander, who is launching a sustainable fabric collection MOOD fabrics X Max at a private show on Sept. 14 at the Garment District mainstay Mood Fabrics.
The Los Angeles native has already created over 200 dresses, scarves, blankets, kimonos and jackets from his home studio — and is attracting A-list clients.
“I designed a fluffy furry jacket for Sharon Stone and a green faux fur coat for Debra Messing,” he said.
“Also Coco Rocha, I designed a white pleated dress for her.”
Alexander, whose dad is a managing partner at a private equity firm and mom is an artist, runs two labels, Max Alexander and Couture To The Max, where items run from $22.99 charms to a $329.99 dress, and has been featured in Vogue.
He has roots in fashion, as his great-grandfather worked as a cloth cutter and his grandfather owned a dress business in Montreal, has been everywhere from Paris, Madrid and Toronto for work, but New York fashion stands apart, he said.
“Here in New York, it’s all like black,” said Alexander, who went to an arts-based preschool, and now attends his local elementary school, and works on his designs when he’s not hitting the books.
The mini entrepreneur prides himself on crafting garments that are “fun and environmentally friendly.”
“They’re usually made out of recycled or sustainable materials like wood pulp … that’s kind of my thing. I love sustainability,” explained the trailblazing young designer, who has used materials such as upcycled Tiffany bags, coffee bean sacks, curtain panels and a military parachute.
Alexander already boasts two Guinness World Records — at 7, he made history as the youngest person to design a runway show, and at 10, he became the youngest runway show designer at Paris Fashion Week.
During New York Fashion Week, he will be attempting his third and fourth world records — fastest sewing machine threader and the youngest person to have a fabric line.
The cultured youth, who’s already been the subject of a documentary that debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival in June, recalled his inspiration when he was “little,” which was only a few years ago.
“I really loved [Christian] Dior,” said Alexander, who hopes to attend the Fashion Institute of Technology for college.
“Now I’m inspired by Pamella Roland … she makes fun stuff and really colorful. A lot of designers don’t do that. It’s weird.”
Read the full article here
