LINDEN, New Jersey (WABC) — Brooke Sumpter was still in preschool when she developed an interest in fashion. Now 11, she has become the youngest person ever to partner with American Girl.
The Linden sixth grader said her interest in designing began with a dilemma familiar to many children: She did not like the clothes her mother chose for her.
“I didn’t really like the clothes my mom would pick out for me, especially for school, so I started paying attention to what my grandma was doing on the sewing machine,” Brooke said.
She began learning to sew, though mastering the skill was not easy at first.
“Especially with my tiny fingers, just getting in-between and scared of the needle and everything but it was definitely hard in the beginning but as I got older and I started to grow up, it got easier,” Brooke said.
Brooke spent countless hours designing and making hats, gloves and dresses. Eventually, she turned her attention to her dolls and the clothes they wore.
“It just didn’t match their vibe or hairstyle or just in general the style of the clothing,” she said.
Her solution was to make clothing for the dolls herself. That eventually led to the release of her own clothing line for American Girl dolls.
With support and guidance from Harlem’s Fashion Row, an agency that connects brands with designers of color, Cherry Blossom Couture was born.
“This experience taught me to do whatever you put your mind to and don’t stop believing at anytime or moment,” Brooke said.
Brooke is also preparing for another step in her fashion career. She plans to open her own design studio in Union later in October, where she will teach children and adults how to sew.
“Seeing the measurements, and the fabrics, it make me feel at home,” she said.
Brooke has already designed her school uniform and has an ambitious wish list of people she would like to work with.
“Taylor Swift, Beyonce or Teyana Taylor or Tracee Ellis Ross,” Brooke said.
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