- Mum Sherri Madison, 49, says her son Max announced he was a dressmaker at just four
- After creating some pieces, Max had his first fashion show when he was five
- Max has done commissions for celebrities such as Debra Messing and Sharon Stone
Here, Sherri Madison tells her story in her own words.
Twirling around in my pink chiffon dress, I felt like a million bucks.
‘You look like a movie star,’ my hubby, Jack, then 49, said, admiring the expensive-looking garment.
But it wasn’t a designer item I’d splashed out hundreds on, it was lovingly created by my seven-year-old son, Max.
Born in February 2016, Max captured everyone’s attention with his caramel hair and soulful brown eyes. Wherever we went, strangers would stop and admire my boy as he happily babbled away in his pram.
‘People are drawn to his happiness,’ I told Jack.
Our daughter, Samantha, then four, was no exception. She doted on Max. As he grew, they played together and she read books to him.
And I was overjoyed to see their creativity blossom through drawings and building Lego.
Working as an artist, it felt like I had two mini-mes around the house!
Our third child, a lovely boy named Dorian, was born in February 2018.
Two years later, Max, then four, had an announcement at the dinner table.
‘I am a dressmaker,’ he said matter-of-factly.
At the time I was creating cardboard dresses for an upcoming art exhibition, and had been piecing items together using a mannequin.
It was too tall for Max to work on, so I made a smaller one out of cardboard, using Samantha’s dimensions, so he could practise making items for her.
As he was keen, I taught him the basics of sewing.
Sitting him on my lap, he watched in fascination as I showed him how to load a bobbin and thread the machine. Then, with my hands on top of his, we’d guide the fabric through, stitching the pieces together in a straight line.
‘I think I’ve got it,’ he announced, determined to give it a go on his own.
Max spent the day using bits of fabric and ribbon he found in the house, and that night he presented his first garment to us – a magnificent gold dress with a skirt made from red feathers, blue taffeta and some old wigs he’d found in my art studio in the attic.
‘Wow!’ we gasped.
It was clear that Max had an eye for fashion, so we encouraged him to keep going.
After preschool and on weekends, he’d make more wonderful creations – from dresses made of faux fur to robes with silk, fishnet or fringe trimmings.
I’d take him shopping now and then, and friends and family would also gift him some materials.
But Max’s dreams didn’t stop there. ‘I want to have my own fashion show,’ he said soon after.
So I booked him in for proper sewing lessons. And to prepare for his almighty collection, he was busy designing, draping and sewing every day after school.
In July 2021, a few months after he turned five, we held a fashion show in our backyard.
One of Max’s preschool teachers wrote a song to sing at the show, as Max’s neighbours, teachers, friends and family modelled his fashions down a white fabric runway.
‘He’s incredible,’ everyone cheered.
Wanting to showcase his hard work to the world, I set up an Instagram, @couture.to.the.max and his following skyrocketed.
By the end of 2022, he had 800,000 followers.
He’s the reincarnation of Alexander McQueen, people commented.
But really our boy’s icon is Italian designer Gucci.
By six, Max was doing commissions for strangers and celebrities.
Hollywood actress Sharon Stone, who’d seen his work on Instagram, asked Max if he’d make her a cream coloured coat.
He created a gorgeous faux fur number for her.
I feel so special, I love it! she wrote, enamoured with her piece of Max Alexander couture.
And most recently he made Will and Grace star Debra Messing a dark green custom coat with fancy buttons.
When Max was seven, he was invited to showcase a collection of his garments at Denver Fashion Week in the US.
‘Yes!’ Max screamed with joy.
He got to work in his home studio, designing seven new pieces for the big event, and choosing two existing garments.
Watching professional models wear his dresses at the event in September 2023 was surreal.
While Samantha and Dorian stayed home with my dad Don, Jack and I cheered on our son.
‘I’m so happy for you,’ I said, bursting with pride.
After that, my boy was honoured by Guinness World Records as the youngest person to design a runway show, at seven years and 266 days old.
Jack and I could hardly believe it.
As sustainability is important to us, Max, now eight, is always looking for ways to recycle items to make new garments.
He’s made robes from old coffee bean bags, and dresses out of men’s ties.
Since he began, our fashion icon has created well over 100 garments.
His siblings, Samantha, now 12, and Dorian, six, and my hubby, now 50, are super supportive.
Max’s latest show was at New York Fashion Week in September 2024, where he showed his new line, including a ball gown with handmade rainbow flowers.
I know Max has so much more to give, and I can’t wait to see where his journey takes him next.
We are so very proud of our boy.
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