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The Magnificent Max Alexander

At 10 years old, Max Alexander was the youngest person ever to show a collection at fashion’s biggest event.
Max Alexander stands on a runway holding flowers as seated audience members smile and some take his photo.

© Blanca Cruz—AFP/Getty Images

Max Alexander greets the audience after his runway show at Paris Fashion Week in 2026.

Paris Fashion Week is a time when established and rising fashion designers showcase their annual collections. Along with style giants like Dior and Chanel, something—or someone—new and exciting hit the runway this year. That someone was 10-year-old Max Alexander, the youngest-ever designer to show a collection at Paris Fashion Week. 

For his debut, Max showed 15 of his designs. His dresses are mainly made with recycled materials, including a military parachute, a vintage sari, and jewelry duster bags. Aiming to make fashion more sustainable and keep textiles out of landfills, Max looks for deadstock (leftover textiles that clothing makers don’t use) and recycled or biodegradable fabrics for his designs.

“I want to show the world how beautiful recycled and natural materials can be in fashion,” he said in an interview with Elle India.

Max has been called a dressmaking prodigy. He began sewing and designing clothes at 4 years old and holds the Guinness World Record for the youngest person to design a runway show, at age 7 years and 266 days. Now he can add showing his designs in the capital of fashion to his growing accomplishments.

Though Max has accomplished a lot at a young age, in many ways he’s living the regular life of a fourth grader. He still spends most of his days going to school, doing after-school sports, and playing with family and friends. For now, he sews and designs in the evenings or on weekends. 

“I come home and do my homework, have a bath, eat dinner, and then I can work in my studio for a little bit before bed,” he explained. “On Saturdays I either see my sewing teacher or I sew at home.”

Max hopes his collection will attract others who appreciate sustainable fashion. “I am happy I got to show the world my designs,” he said in an interview with People magazine after the show. “And maybe encourage people to think about reuse and not buying so much fast fashion.”

Click through the slideshow to check out Max’s designs!

© Blanca Cruz—AFP/Getty Images

NEWS BREAK

Shrey Parikh Wins National Spelling Bee!

A teenager stands on a stage holding a trophy over his head next to a sign reading Scripps National Spelling Bee, and a man stands next to him.

© Heather Diehl/Getty Images

Shrey Parikh holds up the trophy he earned by winning the 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee.

The United States has a new spelling champ! Fourteen-year-old Shrey Parikh of Rancho Cucamonga, California, won the 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee. It was a comeback performance for Shrey. He came in third at the 2024 spelling bee but didn’t make it to the national level last year.

“Right now I’m probably the happiest I’ve ever been,” Shrey told the Associated Press. “I’m just so happy and relieved, and just such a flood of emotions. … I had a really tough time [last year], but I’m glad I was able to bounce back.”

This year’s spelling bee came down to a tie-breaker lightning round between Shrey and 12-year-old Ishaan Gupta of Jersey City, New Jersey. Both spellers attempted to spell more than 30 words correctly in 90 seconds. While Ishaan got 25 words right, Shrey got 32. The word that put him over the top was bromocriptine.

“I was counting and I’m like, OK, this is more than 30 [words],” Shrey’s mother, Khyati Mehta, told the Associated Press. “And at that point, I’m like, ‘I think this is it.’”

As the winner, Shrey received $52,500, a trophy, and other prizes.

Did You Know?

How fast could you do the multiplication problem in the photo? In 1980, computational genius Shakuntala Devi did it in her head in only 28 seconds!

Slide the arrow to the left for the answer.

© Tony AW—South China Morning Post/Getty Images, © viktoria_ngm/stock.adobe.com; Photo illustration Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Pelé and the Beautiful Game

Pelé smiles and holds up a trophy and is surrounded by teammates, police officers, and others.

© Horstmüller—ullstein bild/Getty Images

Pelé (holding trophy) celebrates after winning the 1970 FIFA World Cup in Mexico.

Have you ever overheard someone say, “She is the Pelé of tennis” or “He is the Pelé of chess” and wondered what that meant? The word “Pelé” has come to mean someone who is the best at what they do, and it came from one Brazilian soccer player who is widely considered the best player of all time. 

Edson Arantes do Nascimento was born in Brazil in 1940 and began playing for a major soccer club league in the city of São Paulo when he was 15 years old. His nickname, Pelé, may have come from some friendly teasing among his classmates.

Young Pelé is on a soccer field poised to kick the ball as spectators and a member of the opposing team are seen in the background.

Pictorial Parade—Archive Photos/Getty Images

Pelé is shown during a 1958 soccer game.

Young Pelé quickly became a star as his kicking power, accuracy, and swift moves dominated the soccer field. In 1958, at just 17 years old, Pelé played for Brazil in the World Cup, an event that would define his career forever. He became the youngest player to score during a men’s World Cup—and helped lead Brazil to win the championship. 

In total, Pelé would help the Brazilian national team win three World Cup trophies (1958, 1962, and 1970). No other man has won so many.

Pelé’s back is to the camera as he runs beyond a goal containing a goalie and a soccer ball.

© Mirrorpix/Getty Images

Pelé (number 10) turns to celebrate after scoring a goal during the 1970 FIFA World Cup final.

Pelé retired from the beautiful game (what many fans call soccer) in 1977 and died aged 82 in 2022. Many current soccer stars are compared to the Brazilian legend, including Argentina’s Lionel Messi and Portugal’s Christiano Ronaldo, who are both planning to return to the World Cup stage this year to compete for their countries. Whether through their swift footwork, their powerful kicks, or their passion for the game, these living legends often remind fans of Pelé’s legacy.

Goooaaaaal!

A composite shows six views of players on the field from various World Cup events.

© Pablo Morano—BSR Agency/Getty Images, © Central Press—Hulton Archive/Getty Images, © David Cannon—Allsport/Getty Images, © Francois Nel/Getty Images, © Archivo El Grafico/Getty Images, © Kim Jae-Hwan—AFP/Getty Images; Photo composite Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

This summer, millions of soccer (also called football) fans around the world will be cheering on their national teams in the men’s World Cup. The 2026 tournament will be the largest World Cup yet, with 48 national teams playing in cities across North America. 

Read more about the history of the World Cup at Britannica!

WORD OF THE WEEK

wunderkind

PART OF SPEECH:

noun

Definition:

: someone who achieves success or shows great talent at a young age

Definitions provided by
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Criss Cross

Can you figure out how the words fit into the grid?

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In the News: The Magnificent Max Alexander.Britannica School, Encyclopaedia Britannica, 7 June 2026. https://news.eb.com/level2/the-magnificent-max-alexander Accessed 8 June 2027 [Replace this date with today’s date.]