‘I made those!’: 11-year-old designer Brooke Sumpter makes history with American Girl collaboration
TheGrio...
Brooke Sumpter is the first child and first Black child to partner with American Girl for a fashion collection with Harlem Fashion Row.
Regardless of whether your family could afford it, American Girl dolls were a toy almost every little girl had heard of growing up. From their customizable “Just Like You” (now “Truly Me”) dolls to their books, American Girl helped generations of girls learn and explore their self-expression through stories and initiatives that celebrate girls. As the brand celebrates its 40-year anniversary, it is also celebrating another milestone: its first collaboration with a child, and a Black child. America Girl has partnered with Harlem Fashion Row (HFR) and 11-year-old fashion designer Brooke Sumpter to create a fashion collection for dolls and girls.
The American Girl x Harlem’s Fashion Row Cherry Blossom Couture Collection debuted on the runway of Harlem’s Fashion Row’s 19th Annual Fashion Show & Style Awards last night, which kicked off this season’s fashion week.
“Last night was the best night ever,” Sumpter, the founder of Brooke LauRen Children’s Brand, told theGrio. “I’ve been designing since I was four, and watching my own collection actually go down the runway was so cool. I kept looking at the models and American Girl dolls and thinking, those are my clothes, I made those. I couldn’t stop smiling the whole time.”
Inviting girls everywhere to imagine, create, and let their own ideas bloom, the collection features the young designer’s signature: statement bows, along with cherry blossom embroidery, denim, layered mesh, and coordinating accessories.
Sumpter’s fashion career began at age 4, and at just 7, she became one of the youngest designers to showcase her designs at New York Fashion Week. Having gone viral for recreating Janelle Moné’s 2025 Met Gala look and designing Tabitha Brown’s 2022 Children’s & Family Emmy Awards look, this collaboration is only the latest accomplishment in the young designer’s growing resume.
“I’ve watched Brooke design since she was about six years old, so seeing her now, at 11, create for such an iconic brand is truly full circle. American Girl has always believed in the power of girls’ stories and imaginations, and I’m so proud that together we’re showing young creatives that their ideas matter right now,” HFR founder and CEO Brandice Daniel said.
On a mission to inspire children everywhere to believe that age is never a limit when it comes to creativity, leadership, and entrepreneurship, Sumpter describes the moment as “unbelievable.”
Girls can explore the American Girl x Harlem’s Fashion Row Cherry Blossom Couture Collection for themselves and their dolls now on the American Girl website.