Maddie Alexandria dreams big — and shoots her shot. Her first break came while she was working at local men’s retailer Xhibition in Van Aken. Zia Cooke, a Toledo native whom Alexandria met while playing prep basketball, asked Alexandria to be her wardrobe stylist for the 2023 WNBA Draft. The fearless Alexandria broke the norm and dressed Cooke in a black gown.
(Courtesy Maddie Alexandria)
“It blew up on Twitter,” Alexandria says. “I was like, Wow, this is crazy.”
Alexandria tagged that photo with “I want Angel Reese next,” and Reese responded. Alexandria styled tunnel walk looks for Reese’s final college season, then accompanied her to the 2024 draft as Reese dazzled in a cowl-neck, open-back stunner. This summer, Alexandria attended Reese’s photo shoot for Reebok and Beats, a campaign that included Naomi Osaka and another target client: Olympic gold medal track star Sha’Carri Richardson.
(Courtesy Maddie Alexandria)
Today, the 21-year-old senior, who is studying business marketing at Cleveland State University, has WNBA players Reese and Cooke in her stable, along with University of South Carolina national champion Bree Hall.
On Alexandria’s bucket list is a vintage shopping trip to Tokyo, and she would drop everything for an internship with Law Roach, who has styled Zendaya since 2011. She hopes to add male athletes to her clientele, an ability she proved in 2023 during a Northeast Ohio shoot for a trailer teaser for the film Shooting Stars. She even met LeBron James and the rest of his high school “Fab Five.”
“I eventually want to style for movies,” Alexandria says. “I want to get into fashion designing and sourcing vintage pieces.”
Anything feels possible for the Orange High School graduate, as her work ethic, passion and drive come through in conversation. Her mentor, Mattey Spicer, who has worked as a stylist in his native Columbus for nearly 10 years and brought her in on the Shooting Stars job, sees it, too.
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(Courtesy Maddie Alexandria)
“She’s really got it,” Spicer says. “How composed she is, how put-together she is at such an early age and already having these clients (who) are building a foundation for her career. In the past year, with how much attention the WNBA is getting, I think she’s really in the right place at the right time. It’s mind-blowing.”
Q&A with Alexandria
How did you get started?
I used to work at Xhibition. I started to build a stable clientele; it was to the point where they wanted me to pick out outfits for them. I started to do content on Instagram and TikTok. I would upload three times a week. My videos on TikTok started to get 100k views and over. Then a few entrepreneurs in Cleveland hit me up to do their looks. A rapper, one of my good friends, hit me up, too. I went, ‘I can do this. I can make something out of this.’
What was the experience like styling Angel Reese for the WNBA Draft?
We had help from someone from Vogue, her name was Naomi, she sourced the gown for us. (Naomi Elizee styled Reese’s March shoot for Vogue, according to the magazine’s April 3 story.) The whole draft process was very stressful, but it was so fun at the end of the day. Just to see (Reese) get drafted, see how hard she worked. Last year I did not go to the draft, I had an exam, I did everything over the phone. This year with Angel I was all hands-on. It was fun to see her nervous and her speech afterward. It was an inspiration. I got to meet all her team members. They gave me some good advice (about) moving forward in life because I am trying to run a business. Definitely going back next year.”
Was Reese your breakthrough client?
She has helped me a lot, even personally. She’s a great friend. Behind the cameras, she’s a normal person. I will say that was my breakthrough. I have more to do, more players I want to style. She was just the beginning.
Any other dream clients?
Sha’Carri Richardson and JuJu Watkins.
What is your strategy with clients?
I always have a consultation to take notes, ‘What do you want to achieve?’ I never try to change any of my players. I always say, ‘Stay true to who you are.’ I tend to elevate their personal look. I try to make them feel comfortable and feel good. How you start your day is how you’re going to end your day. When they walk through that tunnel and they feel great, they’re going to play great.
How do these relationships work?
Most of my players, it’s more so texting. I always give players season looks months ahead, they have it in their closet waiting for the tunnel. I’m working on my college girls’ fits now. Sometimes they have spontaneous events or interviews, that’s when I have to scramble, call brands to see what I can pull.
Have you always been into fashion?
Yes. My mother and both of my grandmoms, they’re huge fashion women. Furs … my mother had every vintage piece she could think of, she still does, she passed that on to me. In high school, I would always show up in the flyest fits and everybody was like, ‘Oh, my God, your outfit is so cute.’ It came natural to me.
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Was this always your career plan?
I was originally in school to become a dermatologist. My freshman year I was a biology major. I might want to go back and try it, but that was not my passion and my calling at the moment. I thank God every day. My sister just got her second degree, and she still doesn’t know what she wants to do.
Were you an athlete?
I played basketball. I cheered my freshman year. I did run track. I had two knee surgeries. After that I was like, ‘I can’t do this anymore, my body is done.’
What is your style?
A lot of people expect because I’m a stylist I’m supposed to be dressed up 24-7. Half the time I’m wearing sweatpants and pajamas. hoodies, sweatshirts, anything that makes me feel comfortable.
Any advice for those who want to follow in your footsteps?
Just be nice. The way I was raised, I was always told to be nice to people, it doesn’t matter what they’re going through, what you see. You could be talking to the CEO of Amazon, and you wouldn’t even know it.
Do you want to move to a bigger city after graduation?
I love Cleveland. All my family’s here. I’ve established a name here and I want to create a resource for young creators because I didn’t have a resource here to do what I really want to do in the styling industry or the fashion world. For now, I think I’m going to stay and just travel.
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