Alonso Mateo is just a five-year-old boy living life in Laguna Beach, but he's already got mad marketing and publicity skills.
He's also a big fan of some very tony fashion brands like Gucci, Tom Ford, Dior, Stella McCartney and Dolce & Gabbana. And he's become something of a social media sensation after posting selfies -- primarily on Instagram enhancer site Statigram -- in which he's modeling the designer duds, looking a good 15 to 20 years older than he actually is. Shades of Alana "Honey Boo Boo" Thompson? Can a reality show be far behind?
Alonso's parents -- mom Luisa Fernanda Espinosa is a freelance fashion stylist; his dad is the CEO of a private equity firm -- think it's cute and let him play dress-up. Little dude even has his own walk-in closet, according to this New York Magazine piece:
Each morning before school, mom and son head to his personal walk-in closet, where one wall is dedicated to shoes. He’ll tell her which pants and shoes he wants, and then he might choose a T-shirt. “I’ll say that’s a summer tee and we’re in winter,” she explains. “I’ll help him coordinate outfits so that they make sense, but mostly it's him.” When they leave the house, fans might ask to take his picture.
Naturally, devotion to designer chic at such a young age has brought out detractors:
“You only teach him material stuff,” they’ll write, or “he’s just a spoiled douche bag” — a loaded insult for a 5-year-old, one that suggests they find these photos exploitative, or that they encourage creepers. “I think people usually judge right away,” Espinosa says, defending her choices. “When we go shopping, if he wants loafers just like his daddy and I can afford them, I get them. We’re fine raising our son. He’s always polite, he’s grounded, he’s a sweet boy.”
Alonso has a such a booming fan base that he now has several fan sites, according to the NY Mag story.
What do you think? Too cute, or too much too soon?
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