At just 11 years old, fashion designer and entrepreneur Brooke Sumpter is bringing her creative vision from the New York Fashion Week runway
to American Girl stores nationwide.Sumpter, founder of Brooke LauRen Children’s Brand, unveiled the American Girl x Harlem’s Fashion Row Cherry Blossom Couture Collection during Harlem’s Fashion Row’s 19th Annual Fashion Show & Style Awards in New York. The collaboration marks American Girl’s New York Fashion Week debut and gives the young Black designer a national platform to introduce her work to girls and their dolls.
The collection officially launched Sept. 9 and features four fashions for 18-inch American Girl dolls and a coordinating dress for girls.
Sumpter incorporated elements of her signature design aesthetic throughout the collection, including statement bows, cherry blossom embroidery, denim, layered mesh, and coordinating accessories.
The Cherry Blossom Couture 2-in-1 Ruffle Dress & Jacket features a blue knit dress with gradient blue-and-pink mesh, a detachable skirt, and an embroidered denim varsity-style jacket. Another look pairs a white puff-sleeved shirt and oversized pink bow with a cherry blossom denim skirt and tennis shoes.
The collaboration adds another milestone to Sumpter’s growing fashion career. According to the announcement, she is among the youngest designers to present work during New York Fashion Week — an accomplishment that also puts a young Black girl entrepreneur on one of fashion’s most prominent stages.
The partnership also aligns Sumpter with Harlem’s Fashion Row, founded by Brandice Daniel to help create opportunities for designers of color and strengthen their connections with major brands across the fashion industry.
For American Girl, the collaboration extends beyond doll clothing, showcasing a young designer whose work lets other girls see creativity and entrepreneurship represented at an early age.
The American Girl x Harlem’s Fashion Row Cherry Blossom Couture Collection is available at American Girl stores nationwide and online.
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