Last week, I shared a very sad post on Instagram. I finally had to admit to everyone that Madeline is leaving. It’s hard to believe that it’s been seven years since Madeline joined our retail family. She was here when it was just one store! She has truly helped us grow into what we are today. I had to laugh when I looked at the post after it was drafted. I mentioned the Madeline “look” that we all know and love. I realized this “look” mirrored the expression she had in the photo of her as a toddler. I was relieved to know that I did not actually cause the “look”–it was there way before The Hives.

The first Monday she was gone, it was weird–really weird. We are all so excited for her, but, selfishly, we wish she were still in Alexandria. More specifically, we wish she were at the stores.

Madeline will still help us from New York City, sending out emails and helping with social media as much as she can. But, it isn’t going to be the same, and we all know it.

She has many talents, but I think her biggest strength at the store has always been her styling skills. Once we started doing more shoots for Alexandria Stylebook and the stores, Madeline took the reins. She really has a gift. When we were scheduling our last shoot with her, I suggested she be the model. It was kind of a “farewell to Mad” shoot. Since we have some great new arrivals, I thought it would be perfect for Madeline to pick out her favorite looks and show us how to wear them.