A SIX-year-old design prodigy is launching his own design label as an online business next week.
From a very young age, Alexander Daniel Patterson Taylor, who lives in Stockbridge, Edinburgh has been obsessed with drawing.
At the age of three he started putting the designs on to t-shirts.
Now he also creates original designs for long-sleeved t-shirts, hooded tops and canvas bags.
Next week the first line of Alexander Daniel Designs or ADD will be available to buy online and will fulfil his earliest dream to have his own business.
His mother, Chelsea Patterson, 33, is a self-employed events manager and started her first business, a modelling agency in New York, at the age of 18.
She’s now lending a helping hand after he pestered her to help him get it off the ground.
She said: “I’ve always had a business and Alex has grown-up around me working a lot. When he was two he said to me ‘I want to have a business’. I just said, ok but didn’t really think that much of it.
“I tried to hold him back at first but he was so keen that I thought I would support him.”
Ms Patterson realised that Alex’s relentless production of drawings was an obsession.
She said: “He would just obsessively draw. He’d fill a whole sheet of paper then move on to the next piece. It was only when I saw how many notebooks I was buying that I realised just how much he was drawing.”
Since October last year Alex and his mum have been blogging about Alexander Daniel Designs. The blog includes videos, photos and information about Alex and his designs.
Ms Patterson explained that the blog was his idea and while he does not have the ability to write the blog himself he provides the content. His mum provides a huge amount of support for Alex.
She said: “I basically do the admin. Obviously there is a lot he can’t do because of his age so I do it for him.”
“I think it’s good for him to channel all the energy he has into his designs, he’s very energetic and this gives him a positive outlet for that. If that energy wasn’t going into the designs it would be going elsewhere, why not go with it?”
Alex said: “I wanted to have a business. Some people who have a business are rich and I love Michael Jackson and he was rich.”
The Holycross Primary School pupil said he is “happy” when he is drawing
He said: “It’s just that when I am at school and its golden time, that’s when we can play, I want to draw. I like drawing.”
Not content with securing his own business, Alex is already focussing on his next dream, to create a computer game.
He said: “These characters (on the t-shirts) are going to be in the computer game. Splodgy, Cheechee, Vatu and Batoo will all be there and the point is to get them into these different balls in the games. I really want to make a computer game.”
Two weeks ago the designs of Alexander Daniel were showcased in a Back to the 80s fashion show at Dalry Library in a Children in Need fundraising event and has already secured orders for his clothes from that event.
The new designs can be viewed and purchased at www.alexanderdanieldesigns.com as of next week.
