Maxie James Biography
The all-time leverage used by all entrepreneurs is investing in a gap existing in the marketplace. Maxie James built her business purely from a passion for fashion and the absence of a boutique that quenched her dressing preference.
She started a fashion shop that offered a unique taste of fashion design that makes women feel confident in their skin and classy at the same time. Almost 10 years into the business, Maxie James’ creative entrance into the fashion world has proved yet again that offering a unique competitive edge will keep one in business for long.
She is the brainchild behind the fashion boutique and style house, Ellae Lisque based in Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles. Maxie James has also invested in an online course for teaching people the secrets behind her success. She also opened a limited manufacturing store in Turkey.
Personal Details, Age, Family and Fiance
Maxie James is an Englewood native born on 3rd September 1987. The 36-year-old is open about her faith in God because she was raised by parents who were faithful church members.
Maxie also has a brother who works as a web developer. The family did not have much growing up but her parents were able to pull a little cash to take their children to school. Now in her adulthood, designer Maxie is returning the favor to her parents. She built them a home and retired her 70-year-old mother from work.
Her focus has been majorly on growing her brands and business but she still has dreams of having a family. Maxie is engaged to her long-time friend and love, Benson. The two got engaged in a celebrity-style event planned as a surprise by their friend. The two, however, are yet to make their union official.
Becoming a Fashion Designer
Fame, Fashion, and influence were a part of Maxie James even in her childhood. In high school, she was the go-to person for girls in need of fashion tips. Although fashion came naturally to her, she never saw herself in the fashion world, instead, she thought of herself as a backup dancer for famous artists.
The decision to go into fashion struck her when she watched Steve Harvey encouraging young people to follow their passions and work out their gifts. The advice from the media mogul gave her the idea of investing in the fashion world even though she was at a time when her life lacked direction.
Maxie was working 9 to 5 at eBay. She did not love the job but had to do it because it gave her financial safety. Fate thought otherwise for Maxie when she found herself among the team laid off. With the layoff and severance of $10,000 handed to her, Maxie had no option but to pursue her desire for fashion design.
In 2014, she started Ellae Lisque and within 6 months she had begun causing shock waves with her 6 new dress design. In 2017, Maxie raised her company from scratch to making 6 figures yearly. She opened a manufacturing plant in Los Angeles to complement her business, only to add to the mistakes that cost her business.
Set Back and Come Back
Manufacturing in LA was more expensive than she thought. Her business went down from making six figures to negatives in her bank account. In 2019 during the pandemic, Maxie James began relaunching her business.
She opened a manufacturing plant in Turkey and made new designs for her clients. Within a year, she had resurfaced back to making millions. By the end of 2021, she had made more than $3 million in sales. Now, Maxie James is easily making 6 figure sales yearly and has hired close to 30 people both in LA and Turkey.
Maxie’s success is purely dependent on her passion for offering a creative niche in the fashion world. Her designs have gotten the attention of famous figures like Blac Chyna, Cardi B, Letoya Luckett, Erica Mena, and India Love. Having experienced failure and success, Maxie was led to start an online program called Fashionaire Academy that educates people on brand development.
The program is primarily for people whose desire is to scale their business. Miss James is also on the journey to authoring a book called Fashionaire Success Guide which guides readers on how to find success in fashion, business, and spirituality. She also invested as a co-owner of Hair Extension to complement her business. In her interviews, she shares the following as some of the lessons she has learned while building her business.
Maxie advised people starting their fashion businesses to
- Start with whatever they have
- Be their own Muse
- Networking and Creating relationships
For those seeking to remain in business for long even after growing, she advises them to
- slow their rate of growth
- Growing at a manageable pace
Influence
Maxie James’ success has influenced many young women who look to her as a template for their journey to success. Her story has been featured on 21 Ninety, Forbes, HuffPost, Essence, and The Jasmine Brand. She was a guest speaker during the Elevate Conference 2023 in Atlanta, a TEDx Speaker, and a in Women in Elevating Luxe Event in Luxe.
Maxie has been a cover girl in Hyper Hair Magazine, Woe Magazine, and Bombshell. Rising in business and maintaining her success for years has earned her the respect of other successful women entrepreneurs like April Divah Styles, Morgan DeBaun, and Quiana Watson. Maxie has also built an influential presence on Instagram where she has close to 200k followers and an engagement rate of 3.16% per post.
Maxie James Personal Details
Ethnicity: Black
Nationality: America
Age: 36
Marital Status: Engaged
Children: 0
Occupation: Entrepreneur and Fashion Designer
Net Worth: approx $10 million
Height: 5 feet and 5 inches
